A quarter of young queer Americans are non-binary: study

One in four young LGBT+ people in the US self-identify as non-binary, according to a new survey.

The study by the Trevor Project found that 26% of the queer youth surveyed identified their gender as non-binary, and another 20% were questioning or unsure if they were non-binary.

Almost three quarters of the non-binary youth used the term non-binary to describe their gender, according to Pink News.

Many also used terms under the non-binary umbrella such as genderfluid (24%) and genderqueer (23%).

Others used terms such as demigirl or demiboy, agender, gender non-conforming, and androgynous to describe their gender.

Most respondents to the survey used either singular they pronouns or a combination of he/they or she/they pronouns.

Others used newer types of gender-neutral pronouns (or neopronouns) such as xe.

“More and more young people are taking control over their gender identity, and finding language and terms that resonate with them, and expressing that in the world in [ways] that we haven’t necessarily seen in the past,” said Trevor Project research scientist Jonah DeChants.

The study found worse mental health outcomes among young people whose genders were not respected by others around them.

Non-binary respondents who said that nobody referred to them by their correct pronouns were twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to those who said that most or all people did.

“Pronouns are a small, easy step that anyone can do that can have an enormous impact on how LGBT+ people, trans and non-binary people feel in any given space,” said DeChants.

“That is a key takeaway for me – that we can all be that person who provides that respect and affirmation for the trans and non-binary people in our lives.”

Respondents to the survey indicated that having their identity respected, such as through using their correct pronouns, was critical to supporting their mental health.