“What is Non-Binary?” I remember asking myself that not so long ago, and I’ve heard it many times since. With LGBTQ+ identities becoming so much more open and at the forefront of attention recently, doing the research can be a bit confusing. As a society, we’ve been trained to think in Binary systems, one or the other. But those are only two points in a sea of possibilities. A quick google search will reveal the definition of Non-Binary to be “denoting or relating to a gender or sexual identity that is not defined in terms of traditional binary oppositions such as male and female or homosexual and heterosexual.” That’s a lot of words just to say “Anything but male or female.” Any identity that isn’t strictly one or the other. When people think of a binary, they usually think of a spectrum with males at one end and females at the other.
But that’s not really accurate, and it gives the impression that Non-Binary identities have to be somewhere in between. Instead, think of an umbrella.
This gives a broader understanding that there are so many identities that Non-Binary can describe. And many more choose to simply identify with the umbrella term itself. Here are excellent examples of non-binary leaders you could know! Al Sandimirova, They/Them/Theirs Founder & Jewelry Designer at Automic Gold
Al Sandimirova is an Indigenous, queer, Trans, non-binary refugee, activist, Founder, and the Jewelry Designer behind Automic Gold. In 2009 they immigrated to the U.S. and pursued a career in metal smithing and jewelry design. The young entrepreneur shaped an honest brand, inclusive of all genders, skin tones, and sizes. Sandimirova intentionally hires models that fit these values and never retouch their photos.
Jonathan Van Ness, He/Him/His (all pronouns acceptable)
Featured in the Fab Five Netflix’s reboot of Queer Eye as the show’s grooming expert.
A hairstylist by trade turned personality, writer, comedian, and entertainer by life. Jonathan is seeking to celebrate authenticity and uniqueness within the beauty and entertainment industry as an HIV+ nonbinary truth-teller. Jonathan is determined to make this world a better, more equitable, and funnier place.
Tori Phantom, They/Them/Theirs
Parent, TikToker, Hair Dye extraordinaire
Tori is a 28-year-old parent with a passion for food, mental health, and parenting. Tori's goal is to spread some love and positivity and help as many people as they can. With a following on their main platform on TikTok of 3.8 Million, they are well on their way to doing just that, sharing life lessons they’ve learned and helping others to do the same. Sharing easy impulsive recipes, hair dye tips, and tricks, and just being visible as a nonbinary parent doing their best in the world.
Learning about the non-binary umbrella of gender identities, and all the other gender identities bring us all closer together in understanding and acceptance. We at 6 Degrees Media believe that bringing together people from all walks of life not only improves our quality of work but also improves our understanding and empathy as well. Living one’s truth shouldn’t be allocated to only one month a year, and we believe pride in one’s identity should be lived proudly. Learn more about our inclusive team and our values.
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6° Team supports LGBTQ Mental Health through donations to The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, & questioning) young people. For PRIDE month, our team supports The Trevor Project because we believe access to mental healthcare should be a right for all young people in crisis.
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