Abstract
This chapter introduces the non-binary movement by summarising what has happened in non-binary activism so far in the UK, US, and Canada particularly. The first half of the chapter charts the history of the non-binary movement, highlighting the issues which non-binary activism has focused on. The second half of the chapter presents a personal reflection from Canada-based trans activist and writer S. Bear Bergman on non-binary activism. This specifically focuses on activism around language, given the binary gender nature of the English language, and the common struggles non-binary people face in relation to linguistic misgendering and microaggressions in their everyday lives.
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Barker, M.-J., & Scheele, J. (2016). Queer: A Graphic History. London: Icon Books.
Bornstein, K. (1994). Gender Outlaw. London: Routledge.
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Iantaffi, A., & Barker, M.-J. (2017). Gender: A Guide for Every Body. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Serano, J. (2013). Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive. New York: Seal Press.
Wilchins, R. A. (1997). Read My Lips: Sexual Subversion and the End of Gender. Ann Arbor, MI: Firebrand Books.
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Bear Bergman, S., Barker, MJ. (2017). Non-binary Activism. In: Richards, C., Bouman, W., Barker, MJ. (eds) Genderqueer and Non-Binary Genders. Critical and Applied Approaches in Sexuality, Gender and Identity. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51053-2_3
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