Identity: Does the Non-Binary Identity Further Marginalize Women of Color?
Introduction: The Rise of Non-Binary Identity & Its Benefits
The non-binary movement has gained significant visibility in recent years, challenging rigid gender norms and expanding the possibilities of gender expression. Deconstructing the binary is essential, as the traditional categories of "man" and "woman" have imposed restrictive expectations on individuals for centuries. The movement offers an alternative to those who feel constrained by these rigid definitions, aiming to reduce societal pressures and encourage personal autonomy.
While the non-binary identity provides necessary freedom for many, it is also crucial to examine the implications it has on marginalized groups—specifically, women of color.
The Complexity of Gender & Intersectionality
While the non-binary movement attempts to dismantle oppressive gender constructs, it often operates as a band-aid solution that overlooks the deep-seated complexities and intersections of gender identity. Gender is not a singular experience—it is deeply embedded in historical, cultural, and racial contexts. The experience of being a woman, particularly a woman of color, cannot be ignored in discussions of gender liberation.
Women of color experience gender in ways that are uniquely shaped by racism, colonialism, and cultural history. The realities of womanhood—both its struggles and its power—remain deeply relevant. By expanding the gender spectrum without steadily addressing the foundational inequalities that still oppress women of color, the non-binary movement risks overshadowing the issues that exist within womanhood rather than dismantling them.
As someone that graduated from Emerson College in 2022, if I look back at everything that came with Covid & the Black Lives Matter movement, I felt veryyy immersed in the white, queer experience during my 4 years…
For anyone not familiar with the culture of Emerson, the demographic statistics reported in 2022 are:
The student body was 54.7% White, 13.6% Hispanic or Latino, 5.87% Black or African American, 5.35% Asian, and more
In fall 2023, the student body was 66.6% female and 33.4% male
Umm, yea – translation: Being at Emerson was a very white experience! and (what I cant exactly back up with a quick google search) a very gay experience. And that’s no shade – I had a beautiful time at this lil film school! But tuning back to the fact that I was heavily immersed in that identity while maintaining and experiencing my own.
What I kept finding again and again was that there were a lot of white students that used their queer identities to self-oppress and excuse themselves from deeper conversations around race, gender etc. This is not to dismiss their identities individually but to say that they put their queerness as an identifier first before their race or gender…maybe naturally because there were so many of them that it didn’t feel necessary to address themselves any other way – they were the majority. Their full identities were assumed. Inherent.
Buttt this doesn’t work in a space that isn’t exclusively white [hellooooo real world] – I was sitting in these classes! lol and so were my other poc girlies…
Being able to show up fully would require acknowledging their privilege in a way that reflected a deep understanding and awareness of their identity in relation to…well, everybody else.
Women’s Struggles Remain, Especially for Women of Color
The gender binary, as it exists in the Western world, is largely a colonial construct. Before European influence, many Indigenous societies had different understandings of gender, including matriarchal structures and third-gender roles. These histories show that gender diversity has existed long before the contemporary Western notion of non-binary identity.
However, in today's context, the binary remains a harsh reality. Women—particularly women of color—face significant oppression, including gender-based violence, pay inequity, and political disenfranchisement. These struggles do not disappear with the introduction of non-binary identities. In fact, when white queer individuals dominate the non-binary narrative, they often overlook or dismiss the ways in which gender oppression continues to affect women of color.
Issues that I’ll explore deeper in other posts will be us looking at:
colorism & beauty standards
hyper-sexualization & stereotyping
the racial-wealth gap & economic exploitation
reproductive justice [BEYOND abortion + contraception]
we can look at - maternal mortality rates, lack of healthcare access, environmental racism affecting fertility…
The Role of Whiteness in Non-Binary Identity
The modern non-binary movement has been shaped by predominantly white, Western perspectives. White non-binary individuals often frame non-binary as a distinct "third gender," rather than a broad umbrella encompassing all gender experiences outside of the binary. This framing recreates rigid structures rather than dismantling them.
Because whiteness has not been fully interrogated within the non-binary movement, a new set of standards emerges—ones that prioritize specific aesthetics, language, and experiences that often exclude people of color. This results in:
A non-binary image that centers whiteness.
A distancing of non-binary identity from both men and women, creating an exclusionary space rather than an inclusive one.
An overshadowing of the struggles that still exist for women, particularly women of color.
Ironically, a movement intended to deconstruct gender ends up reinforcing some of the very structures it seeks to dismantle.
Recognizing the Need for Multi-Layered Conversations
The reality is that all identities intersect. Gender, race, class, and culture cannot be discussed in isolation. If the goal is true gender liberation, then we must be willing to critically examine how whiteness has shaped our understanding of gender and question who benefits from these redefinitions.
Questions to consider:
How does whiteness influence the dominant narrative of non-binary identity?
In what ways does the non-binary movement uplift some while inadvertently erasing the experiences of others?
How can gender liberation occur without ignoring the historical and contemporary struggles of women, especially women of color?
At the core of this discussion is the understanding that feminism and gender justice must address all aspects of oppression. The liberation of women of color cannot be an afterthought—it must be central to the conversation.
