International Non-Binary People’s Day is held on 14 July each year, half-way between International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day. It was proposed in 2012 by Katje van Loon, a non-binary person from Canada. The non-binary flag will be flown from Sussex House from 11-15 July to mark the day.
‘Non-binary’ is an umbrella term to describe people whose gender is neither fully ‘man’ nor fully ‘woman’. This includes those who experience themselves as having no gender, more than one gender, or moving between genders. Non-binary people may also use terms such as ‘agender’ or ‘genderqueer’ to describe themselves.
Non-binary people may express their genders in a variety of ways. Non-binary people might take hormones or seek gender reassignment surgery, use gender-neutral pronouns and other gender-neutral terminology to refer to themselves, or express their gender through how they dress. Others may do only some or none of these things. Some non-binary people may consider themselves to be transgender, while others may not.
In some countries, including Australia, Germany, and Iceland, people can be legally recognised as non-binary. In the UK, case law has established non-binary people to be protected by the Equality Act 2010 under the characteristic of gender reassignment.
Resources
Being Non-Binary in the UK Today (Stonewall)
Support for staff and students
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Our Trans and Non-binary Staff Network at Sussex is a confidential and fully inclusive group open to all Sussex staff who identify as trans and/or non-binary. You can join the mailing list by contacting transnonbinarystaff@sussex.ac.uk. The mailing list is monitored and accessed solely by the Chair of the Trans and Non-binary Staff Network.
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Staff members who identify as LGBTQ+ can join our LGBTQ+ Staff Network by contacting lgbt-staff@sussex.ac.uk. The LGBTQ+ Staff Network arranges events and activities through the year, and provides an informal network of LGBTQ+ staff. Many of their events are open to all staff, and some events are also open to students. To find out more, see the Staff Networks page.
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Students who identify as trans and/or non-binary, or who are intersex, can contact the Students’ Union Trans and Non-binary Group by emailing transnonbinary@sussexstudent.com. They can also get involved with Transcend, a SU-affiliated Campaign and Network aimed at uplifting the lives of trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming students at the University of Sussex and beyond: transcend.sussex@sussexstudent.com
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Students who identify as LGBTQ+ can join the Students’ Union’s LGBTQ+ Society and contact the Students’ Union officers for support.
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The University of Sussex is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for every member of its community. If you or someone else has experienced behaviours such as bullying, harassment, a hate incident, sexual violence, domestic abuse or discrimination, you can let us know using Report and Support.
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The University’s Wellbeing Support Guidecontains a dedicated section signposting to a variety of LGBTQ+-specific resources.
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Students can find resources and support at the Student Centre and on the Sexuality and Gender Support and Information web pages.
LGBTQ+ e-learning
Staff may wish to explore relevant e-learnings around International Non-Binary People's Day. In addition to the mandatory Diversity in the Workplace e-learning, the University also provides courses in Trans and Non-Binary Awareness and a guide for managers on Supporting Trans and Non-Binary People at Work.