Why don't I know any genderqueers in real life?

Probably because its most likely like .001% of the population

 

Yeah. Me.

 

Though I voted no, it's probably because that even though I probably do, they've never 'announced' the fact.

 

Yeah, I think genderqueer people are uncommon, and many are not out to everyone they meet.

 

I have met one or two other genderqueers/non-binaries, but we don't really talk much any more.

 

Although I haven't met any personally, I have talked with someone offsite who identifies as genderqueer.

 

It's difficult to know whether or not someone is genderqueer, unless if they happen to announce it/come out or introduce themselves explaining their gender, which nobody really does outside of trans/queer spaces. All the more difficult to tell, too, in a binary world where it's expected to be read as either male or female, making them all the more inconspicuous or unnoticed.

That being said, I know a few other non-binary people through my trans group, but that's it. We just aren't really all that common. *shrug*

 

I've met transsexual people (2 of them) but no GQs.
Most GQs are teens. Maybe that's a factor.

 

I have yet to meet a genderqueer person in real life. I'm guessing it's either because they're rare or I'm sheltered, maybe both. :lol:
Hell, I meet a transwoman for the first time yesterday at Wal-Mart.

 

A lot of people are more open online than in person. When I identified as genderqueer, I was more open about it online than I ever was in person. There were some people that knew, but they were at my college.

The fact is that society is not very nice to non-binary people. Which is really sad. There are also not many that do identify as non-binary, so both of these things combined make it less likely that you would meed any non-binary people.

 

I do know someone who's genderqueer, and ze was the person who inspired and helped me to realize that I myself am not binary. Or at least to help me see that I'm not the only one who's ever been in the middle, gender-wise.

I suppose in some circumstances or by a certain point of view, I could also be known as genderqueer, but I've always understood that to be a bit different than what "androgyne" is, with "androgyne" being strictly in the middle with very little movement, and genderqueer being someone who's naturally more lax, and might even go so far as to play around a little bit.

 

I am afraid of coming out about my gender so I have only told a few people.
Allot of people know me few know I am gender-fluid, not even my family knows.
I am so afraid and some times get depressed about it.

 

Because it isn't a thing?

(At least per the hetero community and even parts of the queer.)

 

A friend of mine used to identify as genderqueer but then later started calling herself female again, which she does to this day. Otherwise, I know no one.

 

I know myself...so yes?

 

I've only conversed with one openly gay person (one of the three people I've ever come out to), and they said they were genderqueer. Fancy the odds.

 

I've known plenty of people who *I* would describe as "genderqueer of some stripe"...androgynous-presenting, and seemingly not male/female identified (or at least not strongly).

But I've not heard any of them use that term. If they are in fact genderqueer then the fact that they don't use that term to describe themselves could be because:
(1) they've not heard the word...they just are how they are;
(2) they figure most people don't know the word, and are trying to avoid being looked at like space aliens any more than people already do; or
(3) their gender or genderqueerness isn't any of my/our business.

Come to think of it, I've known pretty few gay people who just spontaneously offer up the fact that they're gay to people they don't know well...I mean, they're out, yes, but that doesn't mean telling everyone you meet.

 

I've seen people who look like they could be, but never met someone who described themselves as such.
I don't know many queer people myself. I know a few lesbians and bi girls, one gay guy, and my best friend is FtM trans...but other than that, most people I know are binary and straight.

 

Probably the answer for most people, Empty Closets is not exactly a microcosm of the real world. The population of EC is like 99% some form of LGBTQ, whereas at most we make up maybe 5% of the real-world population. (10% at the most generous estimates).

For an even tinier minority like genderqueers, they're going to be even more way overrepresented on a forum like this than in the real world.

I bet there are more genderqueer-identified people on Empty Closets than there are in the average small-to-medium-sized town or neighborhood.

I mean I go to an LGBT center serving a community of almost half-a-million people, and there is not one genderqueer-identified person there. We have lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, pansexuals, and just regular "queers", but no "genderqueers". Maybe there are some people who fit the criteria for it, but nobody identifies as such.