In a time when identity should be celebrated, nonbinary people are instead finding themselves at the center of a political storm. From legislative attacks to cultural erasure, the fight for recognition and safety is far from over. And while rainbow flags may fly high during Pride, they often obscure the relentless pressure placed on those who live outside the binary. Non-binary identities have existed for as long as people have recognized the genders. There have always been people that blurred the line between male and female, and those people are not going away. They are here to stay.
Mental Health Under Siege
According to a 2023 report from The Trevor Project, 86% of trans and nonbinary youth said that political debates around LGBTQ+ rights negatively impacted their mental health. That number jumps to 94% when focusing solely on nonbinary and transgender youth. These aren’t just statistics. Indeed, they’re a reflection of lived experiences marked by anxiety, depression, and fear. This is a mental health crisis made from the environment, not from the person’s own personal issues. No one with an identity different from cisgender, and heterosexual can say they are completely comfortable today. Non-binary people are in a unique position of being under the trans umbrella (if they identify that way), but they are also pushed out from under the umbrella by transmedicalists who believe that non-binary people are not trans and some refuse to believe it is a “real” thing to be non-binary.
When lawmakers propose bills that restrict gender-affirming care or erase nonbinary identities from legal recognition, the message is clear: you don’t belong. Even if these bills don’t pass, the rhetoric alone chips away at mental well-being. Just the idea that these people believe that non-binary people don’t exist, and that all non-binary people are deluded casts a shadow of a doubt in people’s minds. Even the minds of the non-binary people. Are we real? Do we really exist? Are we just making it up? Am I really male/female and wanting to be different and that’s why I feel this way? Those thoughts are prevalent in the minds of those of us who identify with being non-binary.
Non-binary people are at great risk, and an unforgiving world is trying to erase all of them. It can be asked, what would a cisgender person feel like if their very identity was up for debate about whether or not it is real? The real question is that. But this requires a great deal of empathy, something many people in the current administration admonish as a weakness when it is our greatest strength. The ability to walk in another’s shoes is something very special, and should be celebrated. Instead, it is called weakness and those with great empathy ignored and dismissed.
Forced to Flee
The hostile political climate has led many non-binary individuals and families to relocate. Nearly half of nonbinary youth have considered moving to escape anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Some already have. This isn’t just about geography. No, it’s about survival.
Imagine being forced to choose between your home and your safety. Between your community and your right to exist. That’s the reality for thousands of nonbinary people in the U.S. today.
What states are people leaving? According to www.safehome.org those states are the following:
Florida—It received the lowest safety score nationally. Bans on Pride flags, gender-affirming care, and restrictions in schools.
Texas—The Attorney General pushed to revert gender markers on IDs to sex assigned at birth.
Arkansas—Banned “X” gender markers on licenses; expanded bathroom bans to all government buildings.
Idaho—Extended K–12 bathroom bans to colleges and jails.
Montana—Passed laws restricting restroom access in public spaces like libraries and museums.
South Dakota—Enacted broad bans on trans access to public facilities.
Wyoming—Passed sweeping restrictions on gender-affirming care and public access.
These grades were based on high rates of hate crimes, lack of protective polices, and, of course, discriminatory laws.
Barriers to Care
Access to gender-affirming healthcare is increasingly under threat. In states where protective policies exist, non-binary individuals report better mental health outcomes and fewer barriers to care. But in states pushing anti-trans legislation, even seeking medical help can feel dangerous.
Not only does it feel dangerous, in some cases it actually is. We’re looking at a world where care can be denied in many cases to people based on the caregiver’s decision based on bigoted reasons. This fear is very real, and while it has yet to come to full fruition, many people do not inform their doctors of their non-binary nature out of fear they will be mistreated or even cut from the doctor’s office.
Medical providers and parents alike have voiced concern over the harm these bans cause. Yet the political wheels continue to turn, often ignoring the voices of those most affected.
The Power of Visibility and Advocacy
Despite these challenges, nonbinary communities continue to resist. They organize, educate, and create spaces of radical authenticity. Every protest, every story shared, every inclusive policy fought for is a step toward a future where non-binary people are not just tolerated, but instead are celebrated.
As publishers, creators, and advocates, we have a role to play. We can amplify non-binary voices, challenge harmful narratives, and build platforms that reflect the full spectrum of human experience.
Words matter, and every story or every poem written with a theme that relates to non-binary identity is a step toward liberation. It shows not only our resistance, but our persistence. Sometimes, people go into the closet for safety, and that’s okay. Our first priority is to protect ourselves and each other. In a climate where being trans or non-binary can easily lead to being attacked in a hate crime, it is sometimes safer to pretend to be something you’re not.
So, resist. And persist. The more we use these words, the more we will build our strength. There is much left to do, and many changes need to be made, but if we are strong and united in our resistance and we keep up unending persistence, we will prevail in the end. No matter how hard they try to erase us, we will not let them. We will stand and resist just by our very existence.