I’m a couple days late to the party, but what else is new🤷🏻 I saw that it was Non-Binary People’s Day, and felt like sharing some experiences that I’ve had as a non-binary human! For the first year or more that I identified as genderqueer or non-binary, when asked about my pronouns, I would say “they or she, whatever’s easier for you”. Naturally, “She” was easier for most, so that’s how I was predominantly referred to, even though that really didn’t define me anymore. Then I met Molly. I’m sure I gave her the same spiel, but this time, she used “they”. She incorporated these new(ish) terms into her life without a second thought and made me feel seen in ways that I never had. I would meet her friends for the first time, and they would already be using “they/them” to describe me. It was like a whole new world opened up for me. I had never felt worthy of taking up the space to ask people to get uncomfortable and learn something “new” for me. I’m still not great at advocating for myself or my pronouns, especially in situations where it seems easier to just let the “she’s” roll off my back. It’s often easier to make something into a joke, than to accept the fact that the world wasn’t set up for you. When we got married, I claimed the role of the Broom. It’s funny, it’s already a word, and if people get uncomfortable about it, we can just laugh it off. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve come to love the term Broom for what it really was, but the fact that I had to “make it up” didn’t make me feel very validated. I love who I am. I’m so thankful to be non-binary and to live in a city that accepts me for who I am, and doesn’t make me fear for my life over it. I’m thankful to have so many loved ones who have done the work, even when it’s hard, to learn and get my pronouns right. I’m truly so lucky and loved. I’m not sure if this post has a point, other than bringing more awareness about one human’s non-binary experience. I do hope that anyone reading this will extend a little more patience and kindness to the next gender nonconforming human that they encounter💜 PS, my pronouns are they/them, and Black Lives still Matter🖤 (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCtVxEgj8Zr/?igshid=rm07b9mxdemd