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Non binery people

(85 Posts)
BlueBelle Wed 17-May-17 08:01:13

Having just watched Piers Morgan interviewing two non binery people named Owl and Fox I wondered what you all thought about this new terminology

Anya Wed 17-May-17 08:05:20

I've no idea what you're on about BB grin

Binary, to me is a number system using only 0 and 1, and very useful in computer programming. Wonder if I CBA'd to look this new terminology up hmm ...probably not.

Anya Wed 17-May-17 08:06:17

Or is it different when spelled with an 'e'?

MawBroon Wed 17-May-17 08:13:55

confused

BlueBelle Wed 17-May-17 08:17:18

Sorry Anya either me or the iPad are incorrect, it's non binary
These are people who want to be called neither male or female in other words gender neutral
Appently one police force has now made its police men and women non binary and schools are having to accept it (as almost a third gender )
I don't want this thread to turn into nastiness I just thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss from all sides of the spectrum

Maggiemaybe Wed 17-May-17 08:26:22

I'm not sure what you mean about the police. The police service has used the term police officer rather than policeman and policewoman for many years now, just as the fire service uses the gender neutral firefighter. Has something changed?

BlueBelle Wed 17-May-17 08:31:36

Maggiemay I just heard it reported that one police force ( and I didn't catch which one) had now gone non binary I know police forces are gender neutral so I m guessing only guessing mind you that this is different I ll try and google it

Anya Wed 17-May-17 08:34:30

It's one of those issues which will cause a lot of discussion, and probably expose people's prejudices, but then will just die out and become part of everyday life. People who have gender identity confusion (if that's the correct word) are fighting for recognition in the same way that other groups have had to fight for acceptance in the past.

That's all.

BlueBelle Wed 17-May-17 08:38:24

Ok according to google Non binary is a third gender so different to gender neutral which is a fluid term to encompass all

Maggiemaybe Wed 17-May-17 08:44:34

Ah, I think I've found it, BlueBelle. It seems to be to do with all officers wearing the same gender neutral headgear. Seems sensible. Though I'd guess we'll still see some of the traditional helmets about in tourist areas, to go with the red phone boxes. smile

Anya Wed 17-May-17 08:51:16

And all officers now carry extendable truncheons.

aggie Wed 17-May-17 08:53:43

confused

ninathenana Wed 17-May-17 09:05:01

So the school that's in the news at the moment for wanting to allow boys to wear grey uniform skirts is classed as non binary.
This dosen't bother me in the slightest but why does it have to be given a new lable. I'm confused enough by the array of possible answers to the sexual orientation question. I wouldn't care what your answer is I hasten to add.

Christinefrance Wed 17-May-17 09:39:16

Wish the police and others would concentrate on their jobs and not falling in with the latest trends. People are people and should be treated with respect regardless of orientation. We do seem to fall into the trap of trying to please all the people all of the time.

MissAdventure Wed 17-May-17 10:28:45

Since you asked, and not to put too fine a point on it, I think its a load of old shit! grin

goldengirl Wed 17-May-17 11:12:44

We shouldn't have to label people. We should accept them in whatever way they present themselves. We're meant to be an 'inclusive' society which is a laugh for starters.

FarNorth Wed 17-May-17 11:18:51

If boys want to wear skirts they should be able to do that without having to define themselves as non-binary or anything else.

sunseeker Wed 17-May-17 11:44:18

Surely a police officer is a police officer, how they define their gender has absolutely nothing to do with the job. Personally if I am being attacked I don't care if the officer who turns up is male, female, gay, straight, transexual, non-binary, white, black, brown or mixed race. I feel the same goes for any job. How someone defines their gender or sexuality is entirely up to them, I don't have a problem with it as long as they are able to do the job. Unless it has a bearing on their job I have no need to know. Whenever I have applied for a job I have never found it necessary to put white heterosexual on my CV.

Azie09 Wed 17-May-17 11:59:48

Once upon a time there were girls called tomboys and there was a male equivalent though I don't think it was labelled (my husband remembers being fascinated by his sister's possessions and clothes). It was all part of growing up and exploring gender roles.

I am of a liberal persuasion but I am disturbed by this latest trend which I think is driven by confused people with own agenda who want to feel validated by influencing government, the state, organisations and the general public. I can't see a problem with unisex loos in schools or in public and it's good if young people are not condemned for their feelings (in the way that homosexuality was once criminalised) but there is something that doesn't feel quite right in how this is being pushed to the fore.
Wasn't there a Panorama or some such programme on tv a while back looking at sexual identity and the background to why the idea that you might be the wrong sex meant you had to be helped to change? I remember seeing stories of people (in the US of course!) who had had massive intervention to change sex in their youth who later regretted it. To my mind, this is linked to wanting to say you are binary, I have got to the point in life where I want to say 'do what you want, don't harm others, but otherwise I don't want to know'!!

Azie09 Wed 17-May-17 12:02:25

And I know some on here hate the Guardian, but I was amused by this, photos and a story of a remote retreat in the US in the 1950s and 1960s where men could indulge in cross dressing:

www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/may/17/cross-dressing-men-celebrated-barbican-uk-london-photography-exhibition-casa-susanna

BlueBelle Wed 17-May-17 14:12:31

I m totally open to anyone being what they want to be I have absolutely no prejudices against any of the many various genders or outward appearances but I can't see any reason to find a new fashionable name for themselves The two people in question on the broadcast this morning was a person born a man but dressed as a very presentable woman called Owl and a person born a female who was dressed as a male complete with a light beard named Fox both were eloguant and couldn't seem to understand any confusion but neither wanted to admit to having had gender change as they were quite adamant they were not male not female and not trans gender they were non binary I couldn't understand this insistance to created another gender
It was mentioned that schools now need to accept non binary children they didn't say high schools or primary ( I truely hope not primary) it was also reported that eight children had recently stated they are non binary, again they didn't say any age group

downsized Wed 17-May-17 14:21:01

The world has gone mad. I'm inclined to agree with MissAdventure. When a baby is born it is male or female. How can it be genderless? I'm just glad my dear old Nana isn't alive to witness the way things have changed. She'd be appalled.shock

TriciaF Wed 17-May-17 14:34:07

Sadly a few babies are born who could be either m or f. Usually lacking the physical signs to determine their gender, or having both.
They have a real problem, compared with the binaries

Rigby46 Wed 17-May-17 15:13:39

There is confusion between sex and gender - most babies are born with a defined biological sex which is male or female. Gender is a social construct which varies over time and between societies. Non binary is different from trans - trans people want to be a different gender from the sex they were ascribed at birth. Non binary want to be defined as male or female regardless of their biological sex. There are serious issues I think about trans women and the rights of biological women that are much more serious than just toilets.

Rigby46 Wed 17-May-17 15:14:33

Non binary don't want to be defined - sorry