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Non-binary characters in fiction
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Non-binary characters in fiction
Non-binary (also spelled nonbinary) or genderqueer is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities can fall under the transgender umbrella, since many non-binary people identify with a gender that is different from their assigned sex. Another term for non-binary is enby (from the abbreviation "NB"). This page examines non-binary characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.
For more information about fictional characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the corresponding pages about pansexual, intersex, and gay characters in fiction.
Much like with gay and transgender characters, representation of non-binary characters is small. Eighty percent of non-binary people noted in a survey from Trans Media Watch that they felt media coverage of non-binary characters is poor. The Daily Dot has noted that in Japanese media, genderqueer identities are often portrayed as a joke, featuring "flamboyantly gay people who crossdress" rather than serious explorations of gender performance. However, in May 2015, Flavorwire stated that genderqueer characters are getting "increasing critical and aesthetic prominence" in literature.
Some franchises alleviated that concern. For instance, the Steven Universe franchise, from 2013 to 2020, included various non-binary characters, including all Gem characters, since series creator Rebecca Sugar stated that the Gems are "all non-binary women". One prominent character is Stevonnie, who is a fusion of Steven and Connie. Steven and Connie identify as male and female respectively, but the gender of Stevonnie is difficult to describe, with series creator Rebecca Sugar describing it as the "living relationship between Steven and Connie". Stevonnie is commonly referred to with gender neutral pronouns (such as the singular they), while male and female characters seem to be physically attracted to Stevonnie.
Steven Universe is only one of the many animated series with characters that identify outside the gender binary. One of the first characters was Princess Sapphire in Princess Knight. Sapphire was raised as a boy by her father because women are not eligible to inherit the throne; this storyline has led some reviewers to interpret her as genderqueer.[citation needed] Kino's Journey, featured another character outside the binary. The protagonist, Kino, was assigned female at birth, but has an "androgynous persona", alternating between using feminine and masculine pronouns, while resisting those that attempt to pin a gender on them as a "girl" or "boy". This led some reviewers to call Kino one of the "rare transmasculine anime protagonists". bro'Town featured Brother Ken is fa'afafine, a Samoan concept for a third gender, a person who is born biologically male but is raised and sees themself as female. Violet Harper/Halo in Young Justice is genderqueer, not identifying as male or female.
In 2011, Nathan Seymour / Fire Emblem was a character in Tiger & Bunny. Nathan is a highly effeminate homosexual man who identifies as genderqueer though he prefers to be identified as a woman at times, often spending more time with the female heroes while flirting with the male heroes. Knights of Sidonia featured another character outside the binary. Izana Shinatose belongs to a new, nonbinary third gender that originated during the hundreds of years of human emigration into space. Milo in Danger & Eggs, an agender character, who uses they/them pronouns, first appeared. Milo later forms a band with the show's protagonists, DD Danger and Philip, named the Buck Buck Trio and play a music festival together. Tyler Ford, an agender model and speaker is the voice of Milo, said they loved that their character, is an "accurate representation" of them. Stars Align featured Yū Asuka, a character who is not sure of whether they are "binary trans, x-gender, or something else entirely" and is still figuring their gender identity.
While animation has various characters outside the gender binary, there are some in other mediums. In 1976, the novel Two Strand River included Alan / Leslie, a genderfluid character, making it one of the earliest literary novels to star a genderfluid character.[better source needed] In the comic The Sandman, Desire is both male and female, because the character represents everything someone might desire. Little Horse in Little Big Man is a two-spirit character. In the 2017 film, They, J is a trans teen on puberty blockers who needs to decide their gender before meeting with a doctor, with J saying they feel male, female, or neither at various times. The actor, Fehrenbacher, was also undergoing gender transition at the time of filming. In a film the following year, Upgrade, Jamie is a hacker not identifying with any of the genders, requesting that the protagonist not ask their gender, In the 2019 Hollywood blockbuster, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, there is a character named The Adjudicator. This character does not have a specified gender in the script since Asia Kate Dillon, a nonbinary person, came up with the idea of making their character nonbinary while talking with the director. In the series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, a member of the main cast is Alex Fierro, a genderfluid character who often uses she/her pronouns.
Live-action television series included various characters outside the gender binary. For instance, Sam Malloy in the 2007–2008 series The Riches is transgender and frequently dresses in feminine clothing. The idea for Sam's non-binary gender expression came about before Izzard, a gender non-conforming comedian, joined the show. Sam's gender expression is accepted and respected by the Malloy parents and siblings. Janet in the 2016–2020 series The Good Place is a non-human, genderless entity who uses she/her pronouns, and corrects other characters who attempt to gender her by saying she is "not a girl". The Switch featured Zoey, a feisty "transgender genderqueer" woman who is guarded by her neighbor, Detective Sandra McKay, a cisgender lesbian. Lommie Thorne in Nightflyers is a genderfluid cyber technician specialist who prefers to interface with computers more than humans. Good Trouble included a non-binary character. Joey Riverton comes out as nonbinary to their cisgender lesbian girlfriend, Alice, and begins using they/them pronouns, Lindsay Brady in the same show is also non-binary. Bishop in Deputy is considered the first non-binary character on broadcast television. Ripley Lennox in Hollyoaks runs a shop for second-hand clothes and befriends some of the show's younger characters like Peri Lomax and Romeo Quinn, while she is a friend of Tom Cunningham, a regular character, and are non-binary. The 2018 manga Love Me for Who I Am features a nonbinary protagonist, Mogumo, who explicitly tells other characters that they are neither male nor female.[better source needed]
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Non-binary characters in fiction
Non-binary (also spelled nonbinary) or genderqueer is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine—identities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities can fall under the transgender umbrella, since many non-binary people identify with a gender that is different from their assigned sex. Another term for non-binary is enby (from the abbreviation "NB"). This page examines non-binary characters in fictional works as a whole, focusing on characters and tropes in cinema and fantasy.
For more information about fictional characters in other parts of the LGBTQ community, see the corresponding pages about pansexual, intersex, and gay characters in fiction.
Much like with gay and transgender characters, representation of non-binary characters is small. Eighty percent of non-binary people noted in a survey from Trans Media Watch that they felt media coverage of non-binary characters is poor. The Daily Dot has noted that in Japanese media, genderqueer identities are often portrayed as a joke, featuring "flamboyantly gay people who crossdress" rather than serious explorations of gender performance. However, in May 2015, Flavorwire stated that genderqueer characters are getting "increasing critical and aesthetic prominence" in literature.
Some franchises alleviated that concern. For instance, the Steven Universe franchise, from 2013 to 2020, included various non-binary characters, including all Gem characters, since series creator Rebecca Sugar stated that the Gems are "all non-binary women". One prominent character is Stevonnie, who is a fusion of Steven and Connie. Steven and Connie identify as male and female respectively, but the gender of Stevonnie is difficult to describe, with series creator Rebecca Sugar describing it as the "living relationship between Steven and Connie". Stevonnie is commonly referred to with gender neutral pronouns (such as the singular they), while male and female characters seem to be physically attracted to Stevonnie.
Steven Universe is only one of the many animated series with characters that identify outside the gender binary. One of the first characters was Princess Sapphire in Princess Knight. Sapphire was raised as a boy by her father because women are not eligible to inherit the throne; this storyline has led some reviewers to interpret her as genderqueer.[citation needed] Kino's Journey, featured another character outside the binary. The protagonist, Kino, was assigned female at birth, but has an "androgynous persona", alternating between using feminine and masculine pronouns, while resisting those that attempt to pin a gender on them as a "girl" or "boy". This led some reviewers to call Kino one of the "rare transmasculine anime protagonists". bro'Town featured Brother Ken is fa'afafine, a Samoan concept for a third gender, a person who is born biologically male but is raised and sees themself as female. Violet Harper/Halo in Young Justice is genderqueer, not identifying as male or female.
In 2011, Nathan Seymour / Fire Emblem was a character in Tiger & Bunny. Nathan is a highly effeminate homosexual man who identifies as genderqueer though he prefers to be identified as a woman at times, often spending more time with the female heroes while flirting with the male heroes. Knights of Sidonia featured another character outside the binary. Izana Shinatose belongs to a new, nonbinary third gender that originated during the hundreds of years of human emigration into space. Milo in Danger & Eggs, an agender character, who uses they/them pronouns, first appeared. Milo later forms a band with the show's protagonists, DD Danger and Philip, named the Buck Buck Trio and play a music festival together. Tyler Ford, an agender model and speaker is the voice of Milo, said they loved that their character, is an "accurate representation" of them. Stars Align featured Yū Asuka, a character who is not sure of whether they are "binary trans, x-gender, or something else entirely" and is still figuring their gender identity.
While animation has various characters outside the gender binary, there are some in other mediums. In 1976, the novel Two Strand River included Alan / Leslie, a genderfluid character, making it one of the earliest literary novels to star a genderfluid character.[better source needed] In the comic The Sandman, Desire is both male and female, because the character represents everything someone might desire. Little Horse in Little Big Man is a two-spirit character. In the 2017 film, They, J is a trans teen on puberty blockers who needs to decide their gender before meeting with a doctor, with J saying they feel male, female, or neither at various times. The actor, Fehrenbacher, was also undergoing gender transition at the time of filming. In a film the following year, Upgrade, Jamie is a hacker not identifying with any of the genders, requesting that the protagonist not ask their gender, In the 2019 Hollywood blockbuster, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, there is a character named The Adjudicator. This character does not have a specified gender in the script since Asia Kate Dillon, a nonbinary person, came up with the idea of making their character nonbinary while talking with the director. In the series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, a member of the main cast is Alex Fierro, a genderfluid character who often uses she/her pronouns.
Live-action television series included various characters outside the gender binary. For instance, Sam Malloy in the 2007–2008 series The Riches is transgender and frequently dresses in feminine clothing. The idea for Sam's non-binary gender expression came about before Izzard, a gender non-conforming comedian, joined the show. Sam's gender expression is accepted and respected by the Malloy parents and siblings. Janet in the 2016–2020 series The Good Place is a non-human, genderless entity who uses she/her pronouns, and corrects other characters who attempt to gender her by saying she is "not a girl". The Switch featured Zoey, a feisty "transgender genderqueer" woman who is guarded by her neighbor, Detective Sandra McKay, a cisgender lesbian. Lommie Thorne in Nightflyers is a genderfluid cyber technician specialist who prefers to interface with computers more than humans. Good Trouble included a non-binary character. Joey Riverton comes out as nonbinary to their cisgender lesbian girlfriend, Alice, and begins using they/them pronouns, Lindsay Brady in the same show is also non-binary. Bishop in Deputy is considered the first non-binary character on broadcast television. Ripley Lennox in Hollyoaks runs a shop for second-hand clothes and befriends some of the show's younger characters like Peri Lomax and Romeo Quinn, while she is a friend of Tom Cunningham, a regular character, and are non-binary. The 2018 manga Love Me for Who I Am features a nonbinary protagonist, Mogumo, who explicitly tells other characters that they are neither male nor female.[better source needed]