Understanding Perceptions of Gender Non-Binary People: Consensual and Unique Stereotypes and Prejudice

Abstract

Gender non-binary people identify as neither exclusively men nor exclusively women. The current work represents some of the first quantitative investigations into stereotypes and prejudice directed towards gender non-binary people. In Study 1, 238 cisgender women and 156 cisgender men indicated how they thought cisgender men, cisgender women, gender non-binary people, and binary transgender people were perceived by American society on measures of competence, warmth, identity invalidation, and prejudice. In Study 2, 264 cisgender women and 151 cisgender men indicated how they personally perceived cisgender men, cisgender women, gender non-binary people, and binary transgender people on the same stereotyping and prejudice measures. In Study 3, 206 women and 283 men indicated how they personally perceived either men, women, or gender non-binary people on similar measures. Across all three studies and consistent with hypotheses, gender non-binary people were perceived as less competent, as having less valid identities, and as more likely to experience prejudice than men and women (ps < .05). Perceptions of warmth were inconsistent across the three studies. In Studies 1 and 2, gender non-binary people were perceived as more competent but as having less valid identities than binary transgender people. Study 3 did not include the binary transgender comparison but added new measures including one regarding perceptions of mental wellbeing and found gender non-binary people were perceived as having worse mental wellbeing than men and women (ps < .001). Identifying stereotypes surrounding gender non-binary people is an important first step in being able to reduce the bias they face. This work underscores the importance of research on the experiences of gender non-binary people specifically, as opposed to studying their experiences solely within larger umbrella identities such as transgender and gender non-conforming people (TGNC).