#as u can see i like talking about nb stuff lakfhakfhksfh

[shoezuki]

Hey!! Some I’m practicing character design, snd a have some concepts for characters in mind HOWEVER. i wanna make a nonbinary character but I’m cis and I don’t wanna like. Make them accidentally fall under a certain trope?? I don’t know what ideas would be harmful when it comes to nb ocs and which aren’t??? Any tips?

aaaaa yeah np! im sure i can think up some things. ofc, im not like. the Paragon of Nonbinary Knowledge n all that but yeah i know theres some

somethin thats notable of like. any of the Few nonbinary characters in media are always like. nonhuman creatures as well. at face value thats cool like yeah whatev robots n aliens are sick but Also. its kind of like, an association between nonbinary genders and unnatural, fantasy, strange things. Like nb robots Can exist ofc but its somethin to keep in mind, that its an overused and cheap coppout for ‘representation’ while also saying 'theres something nonhuman about enbies’

when referring to a nb characters’ past, Never say something like 'when they were a girl’ or whatever. its better to refer to such as 'before they came out’. (not always applicable to real enbies ofc but cis ppl should never do this w characters or especially ppl)

the Visage that usually is representative of enbies is almost always an androgynously presenting, thin, fair white person that looks more masculine than feminine. thats lame. theres no one way enbies look

to expand on that: theres no One way a nonbinary person looks or presents! some ppl are comfy wearing entirely 'feminine’ clothes or 'masculine’ clothes, some in between or mixing between styles theyre comfy with. theres really no nonbinary 'look’.

dont bring up gender assigned at birth. dont be like 'this person is an afab person!’ especially if its not ever relevant. which like, it never really is? a lot of the time with cis ppl, wanting to point out or know an enbies 'assigned gender at birth’ is basically just asking 'but what is your actual gender’ and thats nobody’s business

all enbies experience their own genders differently. like, how they consider their own gender? but its best to leave in depth exploration of a nb characters’ gender to nb ppl.

in terms of pronouns, they/them is the most common and recognizable for a nonspecific pronoun so thats probably your best bet. although nb ppl Do go by all and any pronouns, sometimes different pronouns according to different situations. (for me, only my family and good friends can call me she/her or he/him because that feels weird otherwise)

nonbinary isnt a 'third’ gender. thats not how shit works. nonbinary is more of an umbrella term for genders that are not completely associated with 'binary’ genders.

dont act like ur character is all 'cool’ and 'hip’ and 'openminded’ for simply being nb. being nonbinary shouldnt be treated like something Radical and Progressive.

dont focus on your nb characters struggles, dysphoria or maybe lack thereof, etc. cis ppl cant really Know first hand what nonbinary struggles are like specifically so you shouldnt write only about them.

theres no way to 'look’ cis or 'look’ nb. like, 'cis passing’ has been thrown at me a lot and its bullcrap. if a person, or a character, is nonbinary, regardless of how they look, then there nonbinary.

and MORESO. the Biggest thing i can think of (besides like. makin nb characters lizard people or something like being inhuman is the Reason theyre able to be nb lmao that sucks) is that theres diversity in how nb people present and are comfortable? some ppl have beards, wear jeans, baggy sweaters, get top surgery, and that doesnt make them 'more like a man’. Some enbies like wearing dressing and makeup and high heels and that doesnt make them 'more like a woman’. Takin or referring to nb characters who might present more masculinely as 'practically a man’ or some sort is really. bad.

if ur nb character is in a relationship, their partner doesnt NEED to be pansexual to date an nb person. thats dumb. Especially if its phrased like pansexuallity is more 'progressive’ because it includes nb ppl.

uuhhhhh yeah thats all that i can think of rn??? again! im not the Paragon of Enby Knowledge and im p isolated in my community from other enbies so like! its always good to do research, look into biographies of nb ppl (academic phrasing in terms of nonbinary stuff is really Impersonal). but as long as you respect nb identities, understand what aspects of nonbinary genders u cant personally know or express, then u should be fine.