Today is International Non-Binary People's Day

 International Non-Binary People's Day is observed annually.

I made this card to celebrate a friend on this day. I had not known there were many multiple Pride flags and meanings behind all the colours. A search online to help make a nice card enlightened me to the idea of using these colours.

Non-Binary is an umbrella term for people who don't identify with the binary categories of male or female.   I hadn't heard a lot about non-binary people.  Nonbinary includes people who may identify as having two or more genders, moving between genders (gender fluidity), or not identifying with any gender. We are becoming more accustomed to the idea of transgender people, maybe it’s easier to explain the idea of feeling more attuned to the ‘opposite gender’.  Non-binary brings in the understanding that gender identity is a spectrum.

It isn’t hard to be supportive and respectful of non-binary people, even if we are just started to learn about them. Being supportive and respectful of nonbinary people can be as simple as showing respect for someone’s identity by following their lead and using the pronouns they’ve asked you to. You don’t have to understand what it means for someone to be non-binary to respect them.  Saying something like, "I use the pronoun she/her, what pronouns do you use?"    It's like asking, "my name is Laurie, what's yours?" 

Non-binary gender acknowledges and celebrates individuality. Sending a card letting someone know you see them can really put a smile on their face.  By learning more about and celebrating other people’s differences we can create safer environments. We each do make a difference!