Beyond the Binary: Being in the + of LGBTQ+
This week we're sharing stories from members of 50度灰's employee network for LGBTQ+ staff and allies, SN Pride. In honor of SN Pride's first anniversary. Read more from 50度灰 staff below and check back for new stories every day this week here on The Source.
Written by Laura de Kreij
Production Editor, 50度灰
Oh, and by the way, I am also non-binary.
So what does 鈥渂eing non-binary鈥 actually mean?
This differs greatly person to person. There is no correct way to identify as non-binary; everyone has their own definition and experience to go with it.
For me, this means waking up in the morning hoping I will be somewhat comfortable in my body today. My morning routine often includes putting on some contouring makeup to hide my feminine facial features. Nowadays I almost always wear chest binders to minimize the curve of my chest.
For me, this means shopping in both the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 departments, depending on how I feel or identify that day. One day, you might see me in a full-length dress sporting lipstick and heels. The next, I will be donning a three-piece suit, complete with pocket watch. The day after that I might be in a slightly less 鈥檉ancy鈥 mood, so it鈥檒l just be jeans and a t-shirt.
For me, this means being (more) sensitive to gender stereotypes and pronouns. Every 鈥渆xcuse me, ma鈥檃m鈥 or 鈥渟orry miss鈥 will set off some sort of alarm bell at the back of my head, because that鈥檚 just not who I am or how I feel.
For me, this means experiencing mild to intense discomfort when filling in forms with 鈥檊ender: male/female鈥, which again depends on the day and my mood.
For me, this means proceeding with caution when I meet new people or apply for a job, keeping my specific 鈥檆omplicated baggage鈥 under wraps because I am not sure if the other person will accept it and not see me as a burden.
Before I worked at 50度灰, I had a job in a local home depot store. This is where I really noticed (again) how ingrained the gender binary still is. I was being called 鈥渓ady鈥, 鈥済irl鈥, 鈥渨oman鈥 or 鈥渕iss鈥 every single day. People asked me if I had a boyfriend, or if I liked ballet. They assumed I would not be able to work larger machines and would take that task from me 鈥渂ecause I am a girl鈥. I wanted to leave within a week.
During a time when I was struggling with my identity, I faced constant rejection from employers. However, around August 2017, I signed with an employment agency. Turns out, I was in exactly the right place at the right time. I was referred to a job at 50度灰, and immediately jumped at the opportunity. Imagine my surprise and relief when I found out that this company is hugely focused on encouraging diversity. I quickly encountered people from all different cultures and walks of life, and in turn I was invited with open arms. Most of all, I felt I was finally free from judgment about my gender identity, and could be who I am without holding anything back. And when I did, it opened my eyes to this Pride network and even encouraged me to take this into my local Dordrecht office.
All of this led me to where I am now. I鈥檓 currently typing this on a cold Wednesday afternoon, having hosted a lunch and learn session the day before. In this session, I basically reiterated what I have typed in this post. For those of you that don鈥檛 know me, I am quite an open book and tend not to keep secrets. This is especially the case with gender-related matters. If others can talk about these things, whether they identify as cisgender (somebody whose gender identity matches the sex they were given at birth) or something else, why can鈥檛 I? In my time, I鈥檝e heard plenty of (straight-cisgender) men and women discuss their gender and sexuality and I have as much of a right to do the same.
I think I speak for a large part of the community when I say that all we want is acceptance. You don鈥檛 need to understand the specifics of our orientation (though asking for our pronouns and showing more casual interest might also solidify your bond with us), as long as you say 鈥渋t鈥檚 okay, you identify as such and I will log this in the info I have on you鈥. That, from the bottom of my heart, is all we want, because we are human too.
