non-binary terminology question
Aug. 22nd, 2012 01:39 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
aumentou.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
transThis is currently a hypothetical problem for me but I'd like some feedback (especially from non-binary people) before it becomes a real problem, since it definitely will sooner or later.
The problem in the first instance is how to start a speech. And of course there are a host of related linguistic problems, all relating to traditional binarist modes of speech that need altering.
The traditional approach in this country is "Ladies and gentlemen...". Obviously this is bad because it excludes non-binary people. I could use "Hello people..." to avoid that problem and this is now the backup but I don't like the informal feel or the meter. I thought of using "Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary people..." because it fits the formal style and explicitly points up the problem with the usual mode of address. However, as someone on here pointed out the other month, that isn't actually parity. It's "gender, gender, category of genders". Parity would be "Binary people and non-binary people" or "Ladies, gentlemen, [list of titles for every non-binary gender]". The problem with the second is that such a list is impractical at best and more likely impossible. Nonbinary.org has a list of non-binary gender positions that take me more than fifteen seconds to list verbally, and that list isn't exhaustive. I don't think I can spend eighteen seconds (counting the binary options too) on a first sentence, and it would be quite horrible for someone if I did a list like that and missed them out. I could throw in a "and anyone I missed out" at the end but even so I'm not keen on this approach.
The downside of "Hello, binary people and non-binary people" is that I fear I'd lose my audience, at least in a predominantly cis context. Even with that, it's still looking like the best option.
Am I missing something? Is there a better option that just hasn't occurred to me? Anyone got any advice?
Thanks,
A.
The problem in the first instance is how to start a speech. And of course there are a host of related linguistic problems, all relating to traditional binarist modes of speech that need altering.
The traditional approach in this country is "Ladies and gentlemen...". Obviously this is bad because it excludes non-binary people. I could use "Hello people..." to avoid that problem and this is now the backup but I don't like the informal feel or the meter. I thought of using "Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary people..." because it fits the formal style and explicitly points up the problem with the usual mode of address. However, as someone on here pointed out the other month, that isn't actually parity. It's "gender, gender, category of genders". Parity would be "Binary people and non-binary people" or "Ladies, gentlemen, [list of titles for every non-binary gender]". The problem with the second is that such a list is impractical at best and more likely impossible. Nonbinary.org has a list of non-binary gender positions that take me more than fifteen seconds to list verbally, and that list isn't exhaustive. I don't think I can spend eighteen seconds (counting the binary options too) on a first sentence, and it would be quite horrible for someone if I did a list like that and missed them out. I could throw in a "and anyone I missed out" at the end but even so I'm not keen on this approach.
The downside of "Hello, binary people and non-binary people" is that I fear I'd lose my audience, at least in a predominantly cis context. Even with that, it's still looking like the best option.
Am I missing something? Is there a better option that just hasn't occurred to me? Anyone got any advice?
Thanks,
A.