The first explanations of the census result and what it means to not perceive oneself as a woman or a man

What happened. The provisional results of the census carried out last year and released yesterday revealed that there are 8,293 people in the country who perceive themselves as “non-binary”. It is something like 0.02% of the population of the country, which has 46 million inhabitants (51.76% women, 48.22% men and 0.02 non-binary).

Provinces with no non-binary people? In percentage terms, the province with the highest representation of the non-binary population turned out to be Tierra del Fuego, Antártida and Islas del Atlántico Sur, with 0.09% of the non-binary population. It was followed by Neuquén, with 0.04% of the non-binary population; the city of Buenos Aires, Jujuy, Tucumán and San Juan with 0.03% of its non-binary population. For their part, Chaco and La Pampa had a 0% non-binary population in their territory.

Why is the census result important?. Different referents agree that the non-binary is one of the most invisible identities and on which a greater ignorance weighs. In fact, there are many prejudices and false beliefs linked to it. The census is a first step to precisely give visibility to this community and inform the population about the identity of these people.

What is it to be a non-binary person? “The simplest thing to explain to someone is: I am a human being. I am not a man, I am not a woman. That is being non-binary,” explains Mérida Robin Masman, a young activist in non-binary spaces and a member of the Suiendo Humanes group.” class=”com-link” data-reactroot=””>Being Human.

Do all non-binary people have the same sexual orientation? Not. Adrián Helien, coordinator of the Hospital Durand Transgender Persons Care Group (Gapet), explains that being outside the male/female binary does not imply having a specific sexual orientation: the same rainbow of gender diversity has a correlate in the diversity of orientations sexual.

What pronouns do these people use? It is common for non-binary people to be associated with the neuter pronoun: “elle”. However, this is a highly personal choice, as others identify with the masculine or feminine pronouns. In addition, the use of pronouns is not unique or static, but can vary or include more than one. For that reason, we should never assume them.

Is androgynous synonymous with non-binary? No. Gender expression (that is, the way we present ourselves to the world through our clothes, gestures, names, etc.), has nothing to do with gender identity. (how we perceive ourselves) nor with our sexual orientation (where our physical or emotional attraction is directed).

For this reason, for example, that a person wears a beard does not mean that he identifies with the masculine gender; or if she wears a dress, that she perceives herself as a woman. In her case, Mérida says that her dressing room is “a genre blender.” While some non-binary people may have an androgynous expression, others may not. “There are those who have a gender expression that is closer to what is socially considered masculine or feminine, but the range of possibilities in the way of expressing ourselves is very large,” says Mérida.

What bathroom do you use? Merida responds, “Ideally, we’re going to go to the bathroom that we feel comfortable with. If not, to which they allow us. It even happened to me in public, governmental institutions, being thrown out of the two bathrooms or being told things about my clothes”. It is a form of violence that non-binary people experience on a daily basis.

What does it mean that the non-binary gender is recognized in the DNI? The measure announced in July 2021 came after dozens of people throughout the country obtained by administrative or judicial means the rectification of their birth certificates so as not to record the gender or register another identity outside the binary norm of feminine/ male.

This meant that Argentina became the first country in the region to expand and recognize these rights. “There are a lot of people who could not have their identity recognized by the State or who could not even process their ID. As of this change, it is much easier for these people to process basic issues such as renting, signing an employment contract, enrolling in a school, university or even traveling”, explains Ricardo Vallarino, executive director of 100% Diversity and Rights. And he adds: “This type of recognition works like gigantic rights promotions, because it begins to be more socially legible that the genre is somewhat more fluid and with more nuances than we had been thinking. Our experience is that when this happens, harassment, discrimination in access to all kinds of rights, and violence decreases.”

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