Why We Need To Get Over The Idea That Gender Is Binary

We live in a world of dichotomies: good or evil, crazy or sane, man or woman. But clearly, these polarized labels only tell part of the story, especially in terms of gender identity. What if you don't identify as a man or a woman? Thankfully, the folks behind R29's Soapboxing video series have created a handy guide to non-binary gender. In the video above, hosts Brennan Full and Jacki Huntington, along with trans activist Alok Vaid-Menon, break down why many people are so resistant to the idea of non-binary gender and so stuck on the idea that the world is full of dichotomies. Apparently, it all can be traced back to René Descartes, the so-called "father of modern philosophy." Descartes argued that there's a mind-body divide. This means that the body can exist without the mind (and vice versa). Not sure how this explains biases against non-binary people? Watch the video above, and let Full, Huntington, and Vaid-Menon explain it to you.