Transcending the gender binary: Gender non-binary young adults in Amsterdam

Abstract

This qualitative study discusses the experienced identity of gender non-binary young adults. Despite growing positive discourse in the Netherlands toward gender minorities, in practice this group still faces exclusion and stigmatization of their identity. This article draws from Butler’s (2004, 2011) conceptions of deconstructing the hegemonic gender binary and heteronormativity. It explores the layered experiences of gender non-binary young adults in Amsterdam. Through participatory observations and in-depth interviews, this investigation unravels the self-narratives of those who identify with non-binary gender identities and demonstrates how they cope with their minority identity and resist exclusion.