‘Being Non-Binary Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You Are Androgynous’
— Andrew Sargus Klein
“There is no easy answer or explanation to what being a man or a woman is”—I want to put that on a post-it note and attach it to every surface I interact with on a daily basis. My work computer, the fridge, the bathroom mirror cabinet, my phone. The quote is from Joanna C. Valente’s short essay in Luna Luna Magazine titled ‘Being Non-Binary Doesn't Necessarily Mean You Are Androgynous.’ Valente is to the point and informative with this piece, and includes some history of pronouns and resonant quotes from other queer writers.
They write, “While a cultural icon like David Bowie aesthetically pushes boundaries, even now, illustrating the fluidity of appearance and gender, the misconception that genderqueer and androgyny are intrinsically linked is far too simple—and reality is much more complicated.”
Yes. We can all do a little (or a lot) more work to interact with our world in more complex and nuanced terms. There’s a beauty in the complex, in the shifting and ever-changing. I try to start each day from a point of inquiry, not assumption. I don’t always succeed, and the work to undo internal bias and assumption is a lifelong work, but I’m grateful an essay like Valente’s exists to help me along the way.