Gen Z’s Gender Revolution: How We’re Redefining Identity in 2025
For Gen Z, many of us recognised that gender isn’t something fixed; it’s fluid, expansive, and unapologetically diverse. We’re not just questioning the binary; we’re actively dismantling it. From TikTok to classrooms, from protests to private group chats, we’re building space for identities that reject old rules and embrace personal truth.
More than half of our generation believes there are more than two genders, and we’re not just talking about it. Most of us know someone non-binary. For many of us, gender isn’t a box to check or a role to perform. It’s something we shape ourselves, day by day, moment by moment.
In this post, I want to explore how Gen Z is leading a global shift toward gender liberation. We'll examine the data, the culture, and our stories, and celebrate the power we hold not just to imagine a freer world, but to make it a reality.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: We’re Changing the Conversation
If you want proof that our generation is reshaping the gender landscape, look at the stats.
According to the Pew Research Centre, over 50% of Gen Z respondents say gender isn’t limited to just “man” or “woman.” That’s a massive contrast to older generations—less than a third of Baby Boomers agree.
It’s more than just belief. In the U.S., 1 in 5 Gen Z adults now identify as LGBTQ+, with growing numbers specifically identifying as non-binary, genderqueer, or genderfluid.
We’re also much more likely to know someone who uses they/them pronouns or who identifies outside the binary. This isn’t abstract. These are our classmates, our chosen family, our co-creators. This is us.
More Than Two Genders: This Is Our Norm
For a lot of us, the gender binary feels irrelevant. We’re embracing language like non-binary, genderfluid, agender, bigender, and two-spirit as part of how we express our truths. But for many, the point isn’t to pick a new label but to reject the idea that we need to choose at all.
A 2021 Gallup poll showed that 12% of Gen Z adults identified as transgender or non-binary. And as more of us grow up in affirming environments, that number’s only rising.
35% of Gen Zers personally know someone who uses gender-neutral pronouns, compared to just 16% of Baby Boomers. We’re normalising conversations that were once considered radical or not allowed.
Gender isn’t an either/or. It’s a spectrum, a mosaic, a journey. It’s both/And. Anything/Everything/Nothing.
What’s Fueling the Shift? What’s behind this gender revolution we’re part of?
It’s not random. It’s not a phase. We’re growing up in a world that’s giving us tools previous generations never had. Tools that help us see ourselves, find each other, and fight for something more. It’s cultural, digital, educational, and personal. Here are a few of the most significant forces shaping how our generation relates to gender:
Social Media: Where We See Ourselves
For many of us, social media was the first place we saw someone like ourselves. Whether it was a TikTok, a Tumblr post, or a YouTube vlog, the internet gave us language and mirrors. We learned pronouns through memes. We found community in the comment sections. We watched creators like @jeffsreeves, @tyfrench, and @venusianx discuss openly their experiences as non-binary, genderfluid, or still figuring it out, and we felt less alone.
The algorithm doesn’t always get it right (I have plenty of thoughts on that). But when it does, it reflects the truth that gender can be soft, loud, messy, joyful, but most importantly, ours.
Inclusive Education: Learning Beyond the Binary
Some of us were fortunate enough to attend schools with inclusive sex education or teachers who asked us for our pronouns. Others had to unlearn everything we were taught. Either way, some schools today are adopting gender-affirming practices, like using inclusive language, offering gender-neutral bathrooms, and letting students express themselves without punishment.
Today, there are often Queer-Straight Alliances, support groups, and classroom conversations that include us. That makes a difference. Even reading a single queer book in high school or seeing a non-binary character in a story tells us: you’re real.
Youth-Led Activism: We’re Not Asking for Permission
We’re organising. We’ve walked out of classrooms over anti-trans laws. We’ve created zines, podcasts, and protest art. We’ve raised mutual aid funds for gender-affirming care and stood up for each other in courtrooms and comment sections alike.
Movements like #ProtectTransKids and #TransRightsAreHumanRights aren’t distant hashtags. They’re personal. They’re now. And a lot of them are led by queer BIPOC youth who’ve been fighting for survival and joy all at once.
We’re not waiting for institutions to change. We’re changing them ourselves.
Authentic Voices: Stories from Our Generation
When people discuss Gen Z and gender, they often focus only on statistics. But the truth is in our stories. We’re the generation living this. We’re growing up finding ourselves in usernames, voice notes, thrifted outfits, and late-night Discord chats. Some of us have words to describe our identities. Some of us are still figuring them out. Either way, we’re not alone.
Here are just a few stories drawn from the voices I hear in my circles every day:
Kai (they/he), 19, Aotearoa New Zealand
“I didn’t have the language for being non-binary until I saw a TikTok that described exactly how I felt. I’d always struggled to relate to being a girl or a guy. Now I know I’m just non-binary. I use they/he pronouns, and I finally feel like I make sense to myself.”
Jules (they/she), 22, USA
“In school, I was called a tomboy or told I’d ‘grow out of it.’ But I didn’t. I came out as non-binary in college, and suddenly things clicked—my gender shifts. I love playing with fashion and expression, depending on how I feel that day.”
Aari (xe/xem), 18, UK
“My family doesn’t get it. But online? I found people who got me. Tumblr and queer subreddits are my home. They helped me find words like xenogender that made my feelings feel valid.”
Mar (he/they), 20, Philippines
“People tell me being non-binary is a ‘Western thing,’ but they don’t know our history. In the Philippines, we’ve always had gender-diverse identities before colonisation. Knowing that helped me reclaim myself. I’m trans, non-binary, and Filipino. I don’t need to explain that to anyone.”
Non-Binary Awareness Week 2025: Why It Matters
Every July, we take a moment—not just to be visible, but to be seen.
Non-Binary Awareness Week (July 14–20, 2025) is more than a hashtag. It’s a space (one that we’ve carved out for ourselves) to celebrate, educate, and agitate. For many of us, it’s a lifeline. It’s one of the few times we get centre stage to acknowledge our identities, our voices, and our futures.
The week culminates in International Non-Binary People’s Day on July 14. Still, it’s the days in between that holds something sacred: a timeline full of storytelling, selfies, protest art, TikTok rants, and reminders that we’re still here.
However, we’re still navigating systems that weren’t built for us. We’re still watching lawmakers debate whether we’re allowed to exist. Visibility without protection doesn’t save lives, it just makes us easier targets. That’s why this week is more than just a celebration, it's about organising, protecting, and claiming joy on our terms.
How We Show Up During the Week (and Beyond)
We share our stories because representation isn’t a trend, it’s a matter of survival.
We hold space for grief, for rage, for discovery, for all the feelings that come with living outside the binary.
We take action by educating, donating, creating, voting, and showing up in both digital and physical spaces.
We celebrate each other and our creativity, our uniqueness, our resilience, our vulnerability, our passion.
At Enby Meaning, we believe visibility should not be conditional. We believe in radical joy. We believe in gender freedom. We believe in a future where being non-binary doesn’t require explanation or defence. We believe gender diversity deserves to be recognised, respected, and celebrated.
This week is for us. But the revolution? That’s every day.
What This Means for Allies, Parents & Educators
If you're not non-binary, but you're here reading this, thank you. You’re showing up, and that matters. But support isn’t passive. If you care about someone like me or anyone in your life who exists outside the binary, this is what we need from you.
Start by Listening—Genuinely: We don’t need you to have all the answers. We need you to stop assuming. Ask us what words we use for ourselves, and respect when those words change. Don’t correct us. Correct others when they make a mistake.
Normalise Pronouns and Names: It might feel new to you, but it’s not new to us. Use our pronouns. Use our names. Even when we’re not in the room. Add your pronouns to your email signature, introduce yourself with them, and help make it a habit in your workplace, school, or friend group.
Make Spaces Safer for Us: If you’re a teacher, coach, parent, boss, or organiser, your space sets the tone. That means:
Gender-neutral bathrooms
Inclusive dress codes
Books, posters, and lesson plans that reflect all kinds of people
Zero tolerance for transphobia, misgendering, or “debates” about our right to exist
Educate Yourself Without Expecting a Guide: We’re tired of having to explain ourselves just to be respected. Read the books. Watch the videos. Follow non-binary creators. Learn without making it someone else’s emotional labour. Some good places to start:
They/Them/Their by Eris Young
Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon
Podcasts like Gender Reveal, NB: My Non-Binary Life, and Enby Sounds
Advocate Publicly, Not Just Privately: Support is easy in a DM. But what about at school board meetings, family dinners, or workplaces? Speak up even when it’s uncomfortable. Vote like our rights matter. Don’t just celebrate us; fight for us.
We’re not asking you to be perfect. We’re asking you to care enough to keep trying.
The Future Is Fluid
We’re not waiting for permission. Gen Z is already reshaping the world by existing, by resisting, by imagining something freer. We’re showing that gender isn’t fixed, linear, or binary. It’s layered. It’s lived. It’s soft and loud and messy and beautiful.
This isn’t a passing moment. This is a generational shift. From our pronouns to our protests, from the memes we make to the language we reclaim, we’re creating a culture where identity doesn’t have to be confined. And even though the world still tries to police us, punish us, or put us in boxes, we keep expanding.
If you’re reading this and you’re non-binary, trans, gender-diverse, or still figuring it out: you’re not alone. You don’t need to have the right words yet. You don’t need to prove anything. You get to exist. And that’s enough.
If you’re here to learn, grow, and stand with us, thank you. There’s room for you here. The future isn’t male or female. It’s not even a spectrum. It’s a galaxy. It’s all of us shifting, becoming, and building something better.
We are that future. And the future is fluid.
Resources & Further Reading
If you found this post helpful, here are more articles from Enby Meaning™ that explore Gen Z identity, gender diversity, and non-binary experiences in depth:
Enby Meaning: Understanding Non-Binary Identity in 2025 & Beyond: Your essential primer on non-binary identity, written for now and the future.
What Does “Enby” Mean?: Understand the origin, usage, and evolving meaning of the term “enby”—and why it resonates so profoundly with Gen Z.
You Don’t Have to “Look” Non-Binary: A breakdown of gender expression, internal identity, and the myth of what non-binary “should” look like.
What It Means to Come Out as Non-Binary—More Than Once: Coming out isn’t always a single moment—it can be an ongoing, nonlinear, and complex process, especially for younger generations.
Living Out Loud: A celebration of non-binary joy, creativity, and thriving beyond survival.
Non-Binary and Neurodivergent: Explore how ADHD, autism, and C-PTSD intersect with gender identity, particularly in Gen Z communities where both are more openly discussed.
The Power of Pronouns: Why pronouns matter to non-binary youth, how to use them correctly, and what respect looks like.
How to Talk About Being Non-Binary with Older Family Members (2025 Guide): Especially helpful for Gen Z readers navigating intergenerational conversations about gender.
These pieces expand on the core themes of this post: visibility, authenticity, and the future of gender through the lens of Gen Z. We encourage you to dive deeper, explore the archives, and stay connected.
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