Falling outside of the ‘nice little binary box’: a psychoanalytic exploration of the non-binary gender identity

Abstract

The non-binary gender identity has recently emerged on the landscape of gender variance. It captures individuals who may experience a gender identity that is neither exclusively male nor female, is a combination of male and female or is between or beyond genders. The availability of literature exploring the non-binary gender experience is somewhat limited. Consequently, our understanding of the development of ‘self’ amongst such individuals seems to lag behind that of other gender variant identity, in particular the binary transgender identity. A psychoanalytically informed qualitative research design was used to explore the psychological realities of 6 individuals, aged between 19 and 29 years, who identified as gender fluid, genderqueer, polygender, non-binary Trans person, non-binary trans guy and non-binary gender. Analysis focused upon the integration of conscious and unconscious material in order to provide some insight into the participants’ internal world and object-relating. Three core themes emerged from the data: ‘A developing gender identity’, ‘Correct and incorrect language’ and ‘Being seen and unseen’. These themes, as well as the heterogeneity and complexity of non-binary gender identity, are explored within the discussion, with some implications around our clinical and wider cultural response to people who identify themselves in this way.

Keywords:

• psychoanalytic interview
• qualitative
• non-binary gender
• non-conformity
• identity

Notes

1. The non-binary gender identity is an umbrella term for those whose gender does not fit within the traditional binary gender construct of male and female (Webb, Matsuno, Budge, Krishnan, & Balsam, 2016).

2. Intersex conditions are conditions which lead to atypical development of physical sex characteristics (American Psychological Association [APA], 2011).

3. When an individual’s gender identity and gender expression is inconsistent with their biological sex (i.e. gender non-conforming) they may be described as ‘transgender’ (APA, 2011).

4. People who were assigned female, but identify and live as male, and alter, or wish to alter, their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity, are known as transsexual men or transmen. They may also be known as female-to-male or FTM (APA, 2011).

5. People who were assigned male, but identify and live as female, and alter, or wish to alter, their bodies through medical intervention to more closely resemble their gender identity are known as transsexual women or transwomen. They may also be known as male-to-female or MTF (APA, 2011).

6. In this context queer is referring to an umbrella term for sexual minorities who are not heterosexual. It should be noted that the term queer can also refer to individuals whose gender identity does not correspond to their biological sex.

7. LGBTQ+ is an umbrella term referring to all sexual and gender variant identities, including the non-binary gender identity.