Here are some recommendations for finding positive non-binary representation on screen and on paper from Teddy, our Trans Wel
lbeing Support Worker.
Happy International Non-Binary People’s Day to all the gender non-conforming folks! To celebrate this day of recognition, we’ve put together some great Non-Binary representation in fiction and media.
Cal Bowman in Sex Education (tv show)
(they/them)
What’s it about? Insecure Otis has all the answers when it comes to sex advice, thanks to his therapist mother. So, rebel Maeve proposes a school sex-therapy clinic.
Cal Bowman is one of the secondary characters of Season 3 of Sex Education, portrayed by Dua Saleh. They are a new student and a bold, artistic character who spends the series trying to be authentic to themself despite the changes around them, as well as developing a connection with Jackson Ma
rchetti.
Source: https://sexeducation.fandom.com/wiki/
You can watch all seasons of Sex Education on Netflix.
Mae Martin in Feel Good (tv show)
(they/them)
What’s it
about? The semi-autobiographical series follows Mae, a Canadian comedian, meets George, a repressed, middle-class English woman, at the comedy club where Mae performs. The pair begin dating, and George learns that Mae is a former drug addict. George encourages them to attend a Narcotics Anonymous meeting, where Mae meets fellow recovering addicts. Mae’s addiction causes problems in their relationship, as does George’s reluctance to come out and tell friends and family about her relationship with Mae.
In the second season Mae’s career advances, while they also address trauma in their past after receiving a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorde
r.
Source: Wikipedia
Trigger Warnings: drugs, alcohol. Season 2 trigger warning for sexual assault/abuse.
Mae stars in the show as a semi-autobiographical version of themself. In the show, recovering addict and comedian Mae is trying to control the addictive behaviours and intense romanticism that permeate every facet of their life. The journey take to understand their gender identity is a really amazing part of the story.
You can watch both seasons of Feel Good on Netflix and Channel 4.
Sunil Jha
in Loveless by Alice Oseman (book)
(he/they)
Loveless primarily features some amazing asexual representation, and asexual non-binary character Sunil acts as a guide and mentor for protagonist Georgia.
Source: https://aliceoseman.fandom.com/wiki/Sunil_Jha
What’s it about? Georgia has never been in love, never kissed anyone, never even had a crush – but as a fanfic-obsessed romantic she’s sure she’ll find her person one day.
As she starts university with her best friends, Pip and Jason, in a whole new town far from home, Georgia’s ready to find romance, and with her outgoing roommate on her side and a place in the Shakespeare Society, her ‘teenage dream’ is in sight.
But when her romance plan wreaks havoc amongst her friends, Georgia ends up in her own comedy of errors, and she starts to question why love seems so easy for other people but not for her. With new terms thrown at her – asexual, aromantic – Georgia is more uncertain about her feelings than ever.
Is she destined to remain loveless? Or has she been looking for the wrong thing all along?
Source: Goodreads
Sam in The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor (book)
(they/them)
What’s it about? In this queer contemporary YA mystery, a nonbinary teen with autism realizes they must not only solve a 30-year-old mystery but also face the demons lurking in their past in order to live a satisfying life.
Sam Sylvester’s not overly optimistic about their recent move to the small town of Astoria, Oregon after a traumatic experience in their last home in the rural Midwest.
Yet Sam’s life seems to be on the upswing after meeting several new friends and a potential love interest in Shep, the pretty neighbor. However, Sam can’t seem to let go of what might have been, and is drawn to investigate the death of a teenage boy in 1980s Astoria. Sam’s convinced he was murdered–especially since Sam’s investigation seems to resurrect some ghosts in the town.
Threatening notes and figures hidden in shadows begin to disrupt Sam’s life. Yet Sam continues to search for the truth. When Sam discovers that they may be closer to a killer than previously known, Sam has a difficult decision to make. Would they risk their new life for a half-lived one?
Source: Goodreads
Stevonnie, Steven Universe (animated series)
(they/them)
What’s it about? Steven Universe is an American animated television series created by Rebecca Sugar that focuses on a young boy named Steven Universe, the youngest member of the Crystal Gems, a team of magical guardians who protect the Earth.
Stevonnie is the fusion of Steve
n Universe and Connie Maheswaran. Stevonnie’s personality is unique. As a fusion, they have a blend of both Connie’s and Steven’s minds, and they frequently alternate in their control of Stevonnie’s behaviour and thoughts. They carry the free spirit, friendliness, and fun-loving attitude of Steven and the courtesy, awkwardness, and intelligence of Connie.
Source: https://steven-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Stevonnie
You can watch Steven Universe on Amazon Video
LaFontaine, Carmilla (web series and film)
(they/them)
What’s it about? Small town girl Laura Hollis has just finally moved out to go to Silas University. When her missing roommate is replaced without explanation, Laura vows to find out what is happening on campus while she deals with her new roomy Carmilla… a vampire.
Source: IMDB
LaFontaine is non-binary and prefers they/them pronouns, which initially causes friction with their best friend (they work it out, don’t worry). They identify themself as the unofficial “truth speaker” of the group. Lafontaine is an extremely intelligent individual with an aptitude for science. They have great technical skill and a passion for scientific experiments. Although they are enthralled by the unexplained, they do view everything with a healthy degree of scepticism.
Source: https://carmilla.fandom.com/wiki/S._LaFontaine
You can watch the entirety of the Carmilla web series on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uPd3g5wi1A
Syd, One Day at a Time (tv show)
(they/them)
What’s it ab
out? The show follows three generations of the same Cuban-American family living in the same house: a newly divorced former military mother, her teenage daughter and tween son, and her old-school mother.
Source: IMDB
Syd is a recurring character in Season 2, Season 3, and Season 4. Syd is geeky and nerdy with feminist views. They tend to be awkward but charming. Syd first appeared in “To Zir, With Love,” as a part of Elena’s Feminist Gamers of Echo Park group.
Source: https://one-day-at-a-time.fandom.com/wiki/Syd
You can watch all seasons of One Day at a Time on Netflix
The Book of Non-Binary Joy by Ben Pechey (book)
Whether you are at the start of your journey or have been on the wild ride of gender introspection for a long time, this guide is here to help you thrive as your authentic – and most fabulous – non-binary self. With personal stories, valuable insights and interactive sections, this inspiring book covers a wide range of topics, including mental health, pleasure, fashion, understanding your past, allyship privilege and self-expression.
Source:
Hi, I’m Alexus, and I’m the Trans Wellbeing Support Worker at Birmingham LGBT Centre. Today, I want to talk a bit about what Trans Day of Visibility (TDoV), and what it means to me personally.
TDoV is an annual international event on the 31 March which is dedicated to celebrating trans people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by trans people worldwide. It is also a celebration of our contributions to society.
The first event took place on 31 March 2009, and is a counterpoint to Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR), which mourns those trans people whose lives have been taken by acts of violence and murder. In 2009, TDoR was the only well-known trans-centred day, and there was no similar day set aside to acknowledge and celebrate living members of the trans community.
I find TDoR to be very emotionally draining and difficult to deal with, and I’m sure that I am not the only one to feel like that. It is a sombre day, an important day, but we also need to be joyful and celebrate our lives. We need to do this because as TDoR shows us, the world can be a dark and dangerous place, and we need some light to pierce that darkness.
Now, you may think that trans people are visible, after all it sometimes seems that we are always on the telly or in the newspapers, and trans-related articles seem all the rage these days. Some are good but to me it often feels as if our lives are being discussed and debated as if we are interesting specimens, and that is not a good feeling to have.
As a community we do have a fairly high profile, and I think that is generally a good thing. It does, or should, raise awareness which hopefully then dispels ignorance and in turn creates acceptance and understanding. Which is all anyone wants.
TDoV is important as I do think it may help that process. But…
We are individuals who sometimes face our daily lives in a climate of fear and what ifs; what if someone shouts at me, what if I’m misgendered, what if, what if? Embracing visibility is not always something that we may feel comfortable in doing, and if you wonder why, then remember what TDoR is there for.
Does that mean we should ignore TDoV? Emphatically not. I believe it is important that we celebrate our lives, celebrate what we do and who we are. We need to know that we matter, not just as a set of grim statistics but as people who live, love, laugh and cry.
So, be joyous and shine that light into the darkness.
Thanks for reading.
So, you may well ask – Alexus, what on earth is Trans Day of Remembrance, and why should we care about it? Good question, glad you asked it.
A bit of history then. Trans Day of Remembrance, or TDoR was started in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyne Ann Smith, as a vigil to honour the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was killed in 1998. This initial vigil began an important tradition that has become the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance and commemorates and remembers the trans people lost to violence.
As to why you should care…..
I’ve attached a link to a list of trans people who have lost their lives since 1 October 2019.
https://tdor.translivesmatter.info/reports
I hope that you will see how important this day is to the trans community, and will feel love, compassion and empathy for your fellow human beings.
I would also like to talk in general terms about other issues that are currently affecting trans people, and I think ties in with the overall theme of TDoR.
As a trans person and particularly a trans woman, I feel that my identity, my life, is constantly being questioned, examined and debated. I’m pretty thick skinned but I have never felt so attacked, whether it is via the media or online by individuals and groups. The atmosphere is becoming increasingly toxic, the ‘debate’ more and more heated. It’s all quite depressing at times to be honest.
Should this be concerning to you if you are not trans? Well, putting aside your empathy and compassion, what if someone in your family is struggling with their gender identity and is too scared to speak to someone? What if a friend or loved one is trans and facing abuse on a daily basis, with the knock on negative effect on their general wellbeing?
Where there is a real or perceived hostile atmosphere, no one, let alone a trans person, would feel comfortable or safe. And no one at all wants to live their life feeling like that.
Finally, if you are trans or non-binary and want support or someone to talk to, then please email me at alexussavage@blgbt.org or phone 0121 643 0821.
Thanks for taking the time to read.
Alexus Savage, Trans Wellbeing Support Worker
On Tuesday, the Government announced its response to the 2018 consultation regarding the Gender Recognition Act (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-09-22/hcws462); and, whilst not surprising, it is extremely disappointing for transgender people, non-binary people, and the wider LGBT community.
Birmingham LGBT do not accept the Government’s position “that the balance struck in the legislation is ‘correct’ with ‘proper checks and balances in the system’ for those who want to change their legal sex”.
The consultation on the reform of the Gender Recognition Act in 2018 received over 100,000 responses; the vast majority of people who responded to the consultation supported the proposed changes. The announcement fails to take into account the views expressed in the consultation responses, and as a result the experiences of trans and non-binary people, their family and friends, and everyone else that feels the current system is intrusive, dehumanising and bureaucratic, have been marginalised: that they supported it being replaced by a quicker and de-medicalised process.
The two actions the Government have announced (reduction in fees and online application process), whilst welcomed, are only a small step in the right direction; and are far from the true reform that trans and non-binary people need. Birmingham LGBT does not accept the Government’s reason for not reforming the Gender Recognition Act because it’s not the “top priority” of transgender people and feel that the Government should have gone further to allow trans and non-binary people the freedoms that make it easier for them to go about their everyday lives, and live and prosper in modern Britain.
The reference to the current state of trans healthcare being of higher priority to trans people, whilst not untrue, is a deflection from the issue at hand; its primary purpose: to seek to avoid addressing that even with the upcoming changes we will be left with a gender recognition system that is hostile and inaccessible to transgender and non-binary people.
Despite this, there is some cause for celebration. It appears that the worst has been avoided and we welcome this. Back in June, the Sunday Times leaked government plans to roll back transgender rights significantly, far beyond the scope of the Gender Recognition Act (read our response from June here: https://blgbt.org/call-to-action-protect-trans-rights/); whereby it was suggested that measures such as barring trans people from using bathrooms that fit their gender identity were due to be introduced. As a result of the hard work and action of LGBT+ individuals, campaigns and organisations and their allies, these measures have not come to pass.
This is despite the relentless “debate” over whether trans and non-binary people should have the right to legally change their gender in a dignified and accessible manner, have access to essential services such as bathrooms or even have the right to exist, which has plagued the consultation period.
Birmingham LGBT have joined the Together campaign (https://www.consortium.lgbt/togethercampaign/), alongside other LGBT + organisations, to organise to support trans and non-binary people’s rights to safety and dignity. We stand in solidarity with the trans and non-binary community.