By Gretchen Feil
Last week, we wrote about some of the brief histories behind non-binary identities across different cultures and time periods. In honor of International Non-binary People’s Day todayThe Cloud Dancers Foundation highlights contemporary non-binary and gender nonconforming individuals who are working for positive change in their communities.
International Non-binary People’s Day has been celebrated since 2012, falling on July 14. This date was chosen because it is the midpoint between International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day, a clever nod at what it means to be non-binary. Non-binary individuals reject the dichotomy of gender that is present in many cultures today, recognizing that gender is a spectrum, not an opposing binary. Non-binary individuals do not identify as men or women, and find themselves somewhere in the in-between of the spectrum that is gender. Many non-binary individuals use they/them/theirs pronouns to properly reflect their gender, and many others may also use a combination of pronouns such as she/they, they/he, neopronouns such as ze/zir, or even feel that any pronoun is appropriate for their gender.
The following non-binary and gender nonconforming advocates, many of them proud trans adults and elders, are only a few individuals working hard to make important strides in their communities today:
Dana Zzyym
63, they/them/theirs
Dana Zzyym, a Navy Veteran and non-binary as well as intersex advocate, has been working towards equity for intersex and trans communities. Over six years ago, Zzyym filed a case against the State Department with the support of Lambda Legal (the same organization that helped our late founder, Robina Asti, win her case to receive Social Security Benefits as a transgender woman), in order to finally recieve a passport that properly reflects their gender as an intersex and non-binary person. Zzyym’s lack of a passport has prevented them from traveling to international conferences, where they have been invited to present on intersex issues.
However, on June 30th 2021, the State Department gave the news that non-binary, intersex, and gender nonconforming individuals will now be able to use an “X” gender marker on their passports. The State Department has not provided a date by which this new policy will be put into action, but Lambda Legal stated, “The update to the State Department’s policy has been a long time coming and is prompted in large part by three separate court rulings in Dana’s favor.”
Dana currently works as an associate director for Intersex Campaign for Equality, and has said that the new policy is a relief: “We don’t have to lie to get our passports. We can just be ourselves.”
Ser Anzoategui
41, they/them/theirs
Most known for playing the role of Eddy, a queer widow in the show Vida (2018-2020), Ser Anzoategui has been paving the way for non-binary actors in television, film, and media. Vida addresses themes such as gentrification, colorism in the Latinx community, and the experiences of queer people of color, among others. The show provides much needed representation of members of the queer Latinx community, and has recieved many accolades.
Anzoategui’s outstanding performances have made them eligible for both the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild awards. They were also nominated for the Imagen Awards in 2019, which aim to “[recognize] and [encourage] the entertainment industry to portray the Latino community in a positive and accurate manner.” These nominations and eligible statuses, however, came at a cost: there is no non-binary award category. This forces non-binary actors to choose between two genders, man and woman, which do not properly reflect their gender identities. This erasure of non-binary identities and experiences only serves to shrink the little representation that non-binary people have in the media, and Anzoategui writes of the dysphoria it can cause as well.
However, Anzoategui has used their spotlight as a non-binary Latinx performer to advocate for change in the industry. In February this year, Anzoategui penned an article describing why there needs to be non-binary performance categories at award shows, which will help prevent only one of the “painful” and “unacceptable” experiences that non-binary performers have to go through in the industry.
Anzoategui writes that “this advocacy for the non-binary category is bigger than our industry; it contributes to normalizing our bodies. It gives us value and worth on the streets we walk daily where sometimes safe spaces do not exist for us. . .Let us show you the beauty of what our gender encompasses. Stop limiting us from the endless ways in which we embody our gender. Embrace us. All of us.”
Mauree Turner
27, they/them/theirs
Representative Mauree Turner (D) became the first out non-binary official to be elected to a state legislature when they won the 2020 race for District 88 of Oklahoma. Rep. Turner is also the first Muslim legislator to be elected in Oklahoma, demonstrating a very important step for Muslim and LGBTQ+ Americans in Oklahoma and the United States at large, especially for those that find themselves at the intersections of these communities.
Representative Turner achieved their election victory by a landslide, winning 71 percent of the vote over Republican opponent Kelly Barlean. Rep. Turner credits this victory to their constituents and the capacity of self advocacy, saying that, “We ran a campaign based on a lot of things and deep community power is one of those. . .We ran a campaign based off of the idea that we don’t always need to have allies advocate for us but we can advocate for ourselves. That was a message a lot of people could get behind. . .I had to put faith in my community to catch me when I jumped, and they did.”
The platform that Rep. Turner promotes is a progressive one, and their campaign website makes this clear: “Their life’s work is geared towards fighting for and maintaining the civil rights and liberties for all who enter America.” Rep. Turner mentions criminal justice reform, better public education, living wages, an integrated healthcare system, and visibility as well as accurate representation in the government as some of their key issues to be addressed while in office.
Mauree Turner, Ser Anzoategui, and Dana Zzyym are only a few of the many non-binary and gender nonconforming individuals who are advocating for LGBTQ+ communities today. They are certainly not the only inspiring individuals to recognize this International Non-binary People’s Day, but their efforts undeniably shine through as we at The Cloud Dancers Foundation celebrate all non-binary people today and every day.