Non-Binary Gender Identities

Drawing on research into how non-binary people find, take up, and reshape the words that describe them, this book looks at language across face-to-face and online settings. Gender-neutral pronouns, names, and labels are presented as central to how many non-binary people understand themselves, a subject that has generated considerable public and academic debate in recent years.

The book explores the psychological, social, and linguistic dimensions of non-binary life. It shows the many layered and changing ways non-binary people use language to express their gender, their bodies, and their sense of authenticity, and to manage everyday interactions, particularly those in which their identities are not affirmed. From these findings, the author develops a new theoretical framework that accounts for language, subjectivity, and the materiality of the body as they shift over time.

Building on this work, the author offers recommendations for policymakers and practitioners. The aim is to make gender-related communication easier and to reduce the language-related distress experienced by non-binary people, with the proposals also applicable to the general population. Methodologically, the study combines corpus-based research with network visualisation to extend existing theory and produce original insights.

The book is intended for students and academics in social psychology and gender studies, as well as readers who want a deeper understanding of non-binary gender identities.