Nonbinary
(adj)
A nonbinary individual’s gender identity is not exclusively man or woman. In other words, their identity is outside of the two ‘binary’ genders (Source). About 1 in 3 nonbinary individuals are also transgender (Source). Although Western societies typically sort people into male and female genders, nonbinary people have existed for centuries (Source).
Please note that you should not use ‘NB’ as an acronym in place of nonbinary, as that is often shorthand for ‘non-Black' (Source). For this reason, some nonbinary people use the phonetic pronunciation “enby” as an abbreviation for nonbinary.
Example: Kay is nonbinary, seeing themself as neither a man nor a woman, but fluctuates in between these identities. Kay does not identify with the word “transgender” - it just never quite felt right. Kay uses the title “Mx” (pronounced “mix” or “mux”; source) in place of gendered titles like Mr., Ms., Miss, and Mrs.
Why it’s important to know this: An estimated 1.2 million adults are nonbinary (source), so school staff should not be surprised when one of their students is nonbinary. By being familiar with the word and some of the history behind it, we can normalize the nonbinary experience and avoid needing to be educated by our students.