Abstract:
While the transgender community has experienced increased visibility over the last decade, most of the attention has been focused on transgender people who identify as either men or women. However, there is also a significant proportion of the transgender community who do not identify as either male or female who are often referred to as non-binary (Matsuno & Budge., 2017). Non-binary people present a challenge to the assumption in contemporary Western society that people are either male or female. This leads non-binary people to have some unique experiences and to also face their own specific difficulties in their lives. This research thesis examines the lived experiences of 10 people who identify as non-binary. It does this through the qualitative research method known as photo elicitation, which involves the participants taking photographs of people, scenes and objects that they feel are important to them, which are used to generate discussion during an interview. A narrative analysis was then conducted on the transcripts of the interviews, and several common “milestones” were identified. These milestones were labelled “pre-coming out identity”, “developing awareness of oneself as non-binary” and “living as non-binary”. These milestones were used to create a framework through which each of the narratives that were presented by the participants could be examined. The findings of this study are presented in a case study format. While all the participants identified as non-binary, they varied greatly in how they understood their identities and how they interacted with the world. In particular, the participants had very different relationships with their bodies, with some having a strong need to physically transition while others feeling no discomfort with their bodies. All participants discussed the challenges and discriminations that they have faced from both institutions and the larger society. Through analyzing these narratives, a greater understanding of the experience of living as non-binary can be gathered, which can help to inform how to better meet the needs of the non-binary community.