Exploring Nonbinary Individuals’ Responses to Gender Identity Erasure in the Workplace

• In Event: 50251 - Open Topic Paper Session on Sex and Gender

Abstract

While research has documented the erasure and discrimination that nonbinary individuals face in the workplace, less is known about how they respond to and are impacted by these experiences. Drawing on in-depth, exploratory interviews with 28 nonbinary individuals, this study examines the strategies they use to navigate and resist gender identity erasure, as well as the personal and professional consequences of these strategies. Our findings reveal that nonbinary individuals make calculated decisions about if, when, and how to disclose their gender identity—both during the job search process and after securing employment. Many interviewees also carefully managed their gender expression, selectively presenting aspects of their identity in ways that balanced personal authenticity with workplace expectations. While these strategies helped them maintain employment and avoid overt discrimination, they often came at the cost of emotional well-being, job satisfaction, and the joy they felt in expressing their identities. These findings highlight the ongoing barriers nonbinary individuals face in the workforce and emphasize the structural changes needed to create workplaces where gender diversity is acknowledged, respected, and affirmed.

Authors

• Bailey Otter, University of Michigan

• Daniel J Bartholomay, University Of North Dakota