“Transgender” is an umbrella term that includes binary and non-binary gender identities. A wide spectrum combines the experiences of people whose gender identities and gender expressions do not align with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Binary gender identity is easy to understand for most people, because it unites people who go through transitioning to the opposite end of the sex that was assigned to them at birth.
Non-binary gender identities, however, can be confusing for a lot of people, since it is much more wide-ranging, complex and it brings together many different experiences. However, if a person respects the findings of other people’s self-discovery paths, everything becomes much easier. The main thing is not to be afraid to ask questions – this will allow you to hold a dialogue without offending anyone’s feelings.
According to a 2015 study, 86% of non-binary gender identifying individuals do not pay attention to the misuse of gender pronouns, because they think that “most people do not understand the severity of the problem and there is no point in explaining it.”
In Georgian language there are neutral gender pronouns. However, it’s important to not forget that when you don’t know a person’s gender identity, it is better to use neutral words. You shouldn’t use gender-associated terms, such as boy, girl, wife, husband and many others.
It is also important to understand that there is nothing unusual about making mistakes when speaking. But we do need to explain to the person that it was not intended. Furthermore, by talking about the mistakes that you made when being engaged in an unusual dialogue for you, you get to learn from them and instead of becoming more careful with every new encounter, you become more free.
The list of gender identities exceeds 70, and the forms of self-expression, like individual experiences, desires, are even more numerous. We learn to better understand other people on the never-ending path of discovery, and we learn a lot about ourselves in the process. The main thing is courage, readiness for novelty and respect for each other.
Author: Giorgi Bakhsajauri
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