gender binary

[ jen-der bahy-nuh-ree, ‐ner-ee ]

noun

1. a classification system consisting of two genders, male and female.
2. a concept or belief that there are only two genders and that one's sex or gender assigned at birth will align with traditional social constructs of masculine and feminine identity, expression, and sexuality. ​

Word History and Origins

Origin of gender binary¹

First recorded in 1980–90

Example Sentences

"And certainly in the circles that I've been in... there is more acceptance and openness, and people are more comfortable expressing themselves in things outside the gender binary."

From BBC

In this room full of transgender people, the weight of a gender binary disappears.

From Los Angeles Times

For Trump and the GOP, trans people are at best a convenient culture-war scapegoat, while others in the party seem to genuinely feel disgust for anyone who doesn’t conform to their idea of the gender binary.

From Slate

If that weren’t bad enough, these bills moreover explicitly grant power to the state government to create and enforce policies that would discriminate against trans people regarding their use of locker rooms, use of bathrooms, prison placement, participation in sports, and being anywhere that might enforce a gender binary.

From Slate

Lily Gladstone is breaking boundaries and industry standards by not just becoming the first Indigenous person to win best actress at the Golden Globes, but by also challenging the gender binary.

From Salon