Words With Friends 7

Words with Friends episodes are bonus episodes where different members of Mama Dragons provide definitions for LGBTQ related topics. This episode includes the following definitions:

Nonbinary, shared by Shauna from Idaho, USA

Bigender, shared by Marnie Lobban from Australia 

Agender, shared by Mel Fraze from California

Gender Diverse, shared by Zane Bates from Colorado

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Transcript

JEN:   Hello and welcome. You are listening to In the Den with Mama Dragons. I’m your host, Jen. This podcast was created out of our desire to walk and talk with you through this journey of raising happy, healthy, and productive LGBTQ humans. We are so happy that you’re here with us.

For many parents, learning they have an LGBTQ child also means they have some new words to learn. So we’re here to give you an introduction to this new vocabulary. Just a few words each time. These definitions won’t teach you everything you need to know about these words. But they will give you a foundation upon which to build your future learning. Remember, this is an area where vocabulary is changing rapidly. We invite you to enjoy how our language changes as your understanding grows. We have four mama dragons to introduce and explain the following words: Nonbinary, Bigender, Agender, and Gender Diverse.

NON-BINARY - shared by Shauna from Idaho, USA

Non-binary is an umbrella term used to describe any gender identity that does not fit into the gender binary of male and female. Non-binary (also sometimes referred to as genderqueer) people may, for example, identify as having no gender, fall on a gender spectrum somewhere between male and female, or identify as totally outside binary gender identities. Non-binary, and the related term genderqueer, emerged in the 1990’s as part of a growing movement within the broader LGBTQIA+ community to recognize gender identities beyond male and female. 

BIGENDER - shared by Marnie Lobban from Australia

A person is bigender if they experience two different gender identities. Often these differing gender identities have distinct names and presentations. This is not the same thing as Dissociative Identity Disorder, DID, (previously called Multiple Personality Disorder.) In DID the changes in personality are often accompanied by major gaps in memory. DID is often a response to childhood trauma. In contrast, people with a bigender gender identity do not experience abnormal memory gaps. They are the same person, who just experiences and expresses their gender identity in two different ways.

AGENDER - shared by Mel Fraze from California

Agender is a term used to describe a person who does not identify with any gender. It has nothing to do with sexuality or attraction, but is instead about a person’s gender identity.  Being agender fits under the trans umbrella. Agender people may see themselves as neither a man nor a woman. They're gender-neutral and often are described as genderfree or genderless.

GENDER DIVERSE - shared by Zane Bates from Colorado

I’m here to talk about Gender Diverse. Gender diverse is an umbrella term to describe an ever-evolving array of labels people may apply when their gender identity, expression, or

even perception does not conform to the norms and stereotypes others expect. This term is becoming more popular as a way to describe people without reference to a particular cultural norm, in a manner that is more affirming and potentially less stigmatizing than “gender nonconformity.”

JEN:          Thanks so much for joining us here in the den. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends. We’d also love it if you could take a minute to leave us a positive rating and review on whatever platform you’re listening to us on. Good reviews make us more visible and help us reach more folks who could benefit from listening. But, review or not, we’re glad you’re here. For more information on Mama Dragons and the podcast, you can visit our website at mamdragons.org or follow us on Instagram or Facebook. And if you’d like to help Mama Dragons in our mission to support, educate, and empower the parents of LGBTQ children, donate at mamadragons.org or click the donate link in the show notes.