Non-binary^[a] or genderqueer is an umbrella term for gender identities that are not solely male or female‍—‌identities that are outside the gender binary.^[2][3]Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically identify with a genderthat is different from their assigned sex,^[3] though some non-binary individuals do not consider themselves transgender.

In 1776, the Public Universal Friendidentified as a genderless evangelist, and afterward shunned both birth name and gendered pronouns,^[61][62] an early instance of an American publicly identifying as not binary.^[63]

In 1781, Jens Andersson of Norway, assigned female at birth but identifying as male, was imprisoned and put on trial after getting married to Anne Kristine Mortensdotter in a Lutheran church. When asked about his gender, the response was “Hand troer at kunde henhøre til begge Deele” (“He believes he belongs to both”).^[64]

In 2012, the Intersex & Genderqueer Recognition Project was started to advocate for expanding gender options on official documentation.^[65] In 2016, James Shupe was the first person to have a non-binary gender on official documents in the United States.^[66]

In 2015, legislator Estefan Cortes-Vargascame out as non-binary in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta during a debate over the inclusion of transgender rights in the provincial human rights code.^[67]