The ABC’s flagship current affairs program Four Corners will look into what its like to grow up being non-binary, meeting Australian youth who do not identify as either male or female.

Not everyone grows up feeling certain. On Monday, Four Corners meets young Australians who do not identify as either male or female to gain an understanding of their lives and experiences.

“It’s this really innate feeling you have for a very long time and you don’t know what to do with it because no-one’s told you what to do with it.” says Audrey, who is 14 years old in the report.

Meanwhile 22 year old Riley (pictured) questions why their gender is so important to everyone else.

“Everyone wants to fit into a box. And even I want to fit myself into a box because that’s how we are raised to think. That’s how society works… So the idea of being something that wasn’t male or female was very, very difficult for everyone around me. And it’s still something I’m coming to terms with.”

Also in the report we meet 11-year-old Olivia who says “Hi, I’m Olivia. I am non-binary which means I have no gender. I am just me.”.

“The world basically revolves around boxes and those two boxes are a male and a female box. And if you’re born with a female body you have to be female and if you are born with a male body you have to be a male and you’ve been put into a box.”

In their own words they explain how they negotiate the world and the judgement of others. Alongside them, their parents talk about what it’s like to raise a gender-neutral child.

“As parents (we) weren’t too surprised that Olivia was on the gender spectrum. I don’t think we knew what the gender spectrum was, but we knew that Olivia was not conventional.” Olivia’s father says.

With forthright honesty they talk about deeply private decisions they have made about their bodies.

Not a Boy, Not a Girl, produced by Janine Cohen, goes to air on Monday 2nd March at 8.30pm. It is replayed on Tuesday 3rd March at 1.00pm and Wednesday 4th at 11.20pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.10pm AEST and can be seen on ABC iView. 

OIP Staff