That’s not to say that science fiction and fantasy are the only places genderfluid and nonbinary characters should live.
So, what better setting to redefine gender and gender variant characters than the worlds created by science fiction and fantasy writers, worlds that by their very nature both reflect the constructed society created by the author and the real world we all live in? These genres give us an opportunity to imagine realities untainted by a status quo that erases the lives of nonbinary folks. Le Guin saw science fiction and fantasy as not only an opportunity to create fascinating magical and technologically advanced worlds, but also as an opportunity to envision something truly novel. After going on to deliver a beautiful takedown of capitalism in general and the industry of publishing in particular, she concluded, “Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art - the art of words.” “I think hard times are coming when we will be wanting the voices of writers who can see alternatives to how we live now and can see through our fear-stricken society,” said Ursula Le Guin, venerated science fiction and fantasy writer, in her National Book Foundation lifetime-achievement award acceptance speech in 2014. (Personally, I think that’s both the opportunity and responsibility of writers, whether we’re talking about gender or anything else.) Of course, we desperately need the voices of nonbinary writers to tell these stories, but we also need nonbinary characters and their storylines to be visible in more books, period. Writers have an opportunity to put their best skills to use exploring and questioning where the constructed meets the real. And, perhaps more importantly, recognize and create more space for us. We’re here, we’re genderfluid and nonbinary. It can be difficult to trouble the notion of gender because it has such a long-reaching impact on our lives, but, to borrow from an old chant: we’re here, we’re genderfluid and nonbinary. Clothes, bathrooms, toys - even Doritos - are gendered. In other words, despite the fact that the gender binary is essentially made up - despite the fact that gender, period, is is essentially made up - our lives are shaped by our perceived and assigned gender. But in reality, gender is a social construct with real-world implications. Most of the time, writers include only two genders in their stories, because that’s what our society tells us is valid. Sign up for our newsletter to get submission announcements and stay on top of our best work.
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