July 14th, 2025 is International Non-Binary People’s Day
History of International Non-Binary People’s Day
First introduced in 2012, International Non-Binary People’s Day celebrates and raises awareness of non-binary people around the world. The day was chosen to be exactly halfway between International Women’s Day and International Men’s Day.
The term “non-binary” does not have one definition but refers to individuals whose gender identity is neither female nor male. Other terms such as “gender non-conforming”, “genderqueer”, or “agender” are similar. Gender is a social construct that comes with a set of expectations, but there are many ways people can express their gender identity other than on a binary.
How to be an Ally
The Trevor Project, an American nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ youth, has developed a helpful guide for being an ally to transgender and nonbinary young people that you can find here.
Brief Overview of the Trevor Project’s Guide to Being an Ally
The first step to becoming an ally is educating yourself rather than relying on transgender and nonbinary folk to educate you which can place the burden on them. Learning in an ongoing experience and continuing your education is part of being a good ally.
There is a difference between sex and gender, which are not interchangeable terms. Being an ally means refraining from making assumptions about people’s gender and pronouns. Some of the common genders are:
- Cisgender: people whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth
- Transgender: people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth
- Nonbinary: An umbrella term to describe people who experience their gender identity and/or expression outside of the male/female/man/woman binary, including folks who are genderfluid, genderqueer, polygender, bigender, demigender, agender, and others.
- Two-Spirit: a term created by First Nations/Native American/Indigenous peoples to describe a sexual orientation and/or gender/sex that exists outside of colonial constructions of the gender binary. This term should not be appropriated by or used to describe people who are not First Nations/Native American/Indigenous
You can be supportive of nonbinary and trans people by honoring and using the names and pronouns they choose, and we cannot assume anyone’s pronouns. Introduce yourself with your pronouns when meeting someone new, creating a safe space for them to share theirs.
These are some tips and best practices on how to support trans and nonbinary people in your life:
Disclosure: Refrain from sharing anyone else’s story for them. Disclosing transgender or nonbinary identities could cause discomfort if they have not come out to others or compromise their safety.
Transitioning: There is no right way to express your gender, and some people physically or medically transition while others do not. Under no circumstances should you ask unprompted questions about a transgender or nonbinary person’s body, genitals, medical history, plans for medical procedures, previous name, or other invasive details about their life.
Age: There is no right age to understand your gender identity. Whatever their age, it is your responsibility as an ally to uplift them at every stage of their journey.
Misgendering: If you accidentally misgender someone (i.e. use the wrong name or pronouns), apologize swiftly and show that you care by doing better moving forward. You can be a good ally by standing up for others if you witness someone being harassed for their gender.
Microaggressions: These are everyday comments and questions that can be hurtful or stigmatizing. They are subtle, and the person may have no idea that their comments are harmful. Do your best to listen o feedback you may receive and take time to understand and learn if someone’s feelings are hurt by something you’ve said.
UBC Student Groups and Initiatives:
The Pride Collective at UBC is a student-run resource group for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at UBC Vancouver that provides safe community spaces, weekly discussion groups, on-campus events, gender affirming clothing, and other resources.
Gears and Queers is an Engineering and STEM club at UBC that strives to support a community for queer and trans engineering students.
Branching Out at the UBC Botanical Garden is an event on July 17, 2025 for 2SLGBTQIA+ nature lovers to celebrate pride with plants and people in the garden.
Other Resources:
The Trevor Project, an organization leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ young people, offering crisis services, peer support, and education.
Trans Care BC, an organization specifically in British Columbia that connects trans people and their loved ones with information, education, and support.
QMUNITY, British Columbia’s queer, trans, and two-spirit resource centre. This organization is based in Vancouver and works to provide safe spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ people to express themselves, providing free counselling, information and referrals, and one-on-one peer support.
Out on the Shelves Library is a volunteer-run, community library that is committed to being a space to celebrate and strengthen queer culture through resources and programs.
Vancouver Public Library provides a list of resources as well as reading materials for further education about LGBTQ+ experiences and communities.
UBC Library Materials:
To learn more, check out these books available at the UBC Library.
Barker, M., Iantaffi, A., & ProQuest (Firm). (2019). Life isn’t binary: On being both, beyond, and in-between (1st ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. [Available at UBC Library]
Dale, L. K., & EBSCOhost. (2021). In Dale L. K. (Ed.), Gender euphoria: Stories of joy from trans, non binary and intersex writers. Unbound. [Available at UBC Library]
De Robertis, C. (2025). So many stars: An oral history of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit people of color (First ed.). Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. [Available at UBC Library]
Micah Rajunov, A. Scott Duane, & JSTOR (Organization). (2019). In Rajunov M., Duane A. S.(Eds.), Nonbinary: Memoirs of gender and identity (1st ed.). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/raju18532 [Available at UBC Library]
Young, E., & ProQuest (Firm). (2020;2019;). They/Them/Their: A guide to nonbinary and genderqueer identities (1st ed.). Jessica Kingsley Publishers. [Available at UBC Library]
Web sources consulted:
Celebrating Non-Binary People’s Day. (2024, July 12). Trans Care BC. https://www.transcarebc.ca/about/news-events/celebrating-non-binary-peoples-day
International Non-Binary People’s Day. (2025). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=International_Non-Binary_People%27s_Day&oldid=1298031203
The Trevor Project. (2024). 2024 Guide to Being an Ally to Trans and Nonbinary Young People. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/a-guide-to-being-an-ally-to-transgender-and-nonbinary-youth/