Why Beyond Binary Legal
Nonbinary people experience unique barriers and institutional harm.
We founded Beyond Binary Legal in 2019 in response to a lack of legal resources tailored to the needs of nonbinary people. Despite a national trend towards a third gender marker on state and local IDs over the last few years, nonbinary communities have experienced limited practical gains.
We continue to experience structural, cultural, and individual inequities based on gender. Many people who do not fit within rigid gender norms experience complex challenges in employment, education, housing, and other everyday situations, in addition to the gendered violence of the criminal legal and immigration systems. These challenges result in harm including lack of access to economic resources or social support. And harm is multiplied by other marginalized identities we embody, especially those based on race, class, and ability.
When nonbinary people attempt to access basic services to address these harms, we often face similar barriers in the legal industry, government, and nonprofit organizations.
As nonbinary people, as lawyers, and as nonbinary lawyers, we have the expertise to make these systems more accessible for all people. At Beyond Binary Legal, we aim to facilitate meaningful communication and improve access to resources and support for people living beyond the gender binary by providing nonbinary people with knowledge about the law, and educating advocates and institutions about the needs of gender diverse people.