About us

International Non-Binary Day was initially a joke made between friends after a particularly awful International Woman’s Day event which had been so actively transphobic, specifically against trans women and non-binary femmes in our community. We said we should just celebrate non-binary folk between International Women’s and Men’s days. We were very surprised to discover that had already been decided, and that on July 14^th the world acknowledges International Non-Binary Day, later referred to as International Non-Binary Peoples Day.

We wanted a little community house-party. A space for non-binary folk to be centered in all the joy that comes with being part of the community. A few performances, slam poetry, games, and highlighting some artworks for the community to buy from each other throughout the party.
We connected in with a bunch of non-binary folk and met up to chat about what it could look like. Our main focus was that this event needed to be celebratory, not about education, not about mourning, not about cis folk. Non-Binary folk had to be the driving force and the beneficiaries. We developed a very expansive definition of what non-binary meant and who the event was for.
We wanted it to be accessible, free, and be for the folk who feel left out of mainstream pride events.

This led to the creation of the first INBD in 2018 held in Meanjin/Brisbane/Magandjin. It became a public event, stallholders and performers reached out over messenger on social media, open mic was packed with wonderful creatives, silly performances and international videos from non-binary creatives on rotation. Cramming community into a tiny café in West End, spilling out onto the streets, stalls and crafts nestled between connecting community.

After that day INBD began running annually getting bigger and bigger, with a rotation of organisers, volunteers and attendees based on capacity and passion. Some of the original crew are still involved, with brand new passionate folk helping make this happen year after year.

We are collating images from previous INBDs to pop in that events gallery. If you have photos from those events you would like added, please email them to us at INBDmeanjin@gmail.com with the year they were taken and that they are for the gallery. 🙂

INBD aims to have an expansive view of gender and believes there is no one way to be non-binary. We welcome folk who have lived experience of genders outside the binary, whether that’s non-binary identifying, or aligning with genders (or lackthereof) outside the binary of man/woman. If this space feels like it’s for you, and what you want and need, you are welcome and part of this community.

• By us for us
• INBD is not an education/awareness day. Nor is it about our misery. It’s a celebration of our community, and the joy and connection in finding each other.
• INBD aims to provide a welcoming, loving and kind space
• INBD is being WITH our community, where non-binary folk are the majority of  the room
• INBD has a ‘Queers get it done’ attitude with DIY vibes, grass roots, non-corporate and chaotic to meet those pulling it together where they’re at. We believe in showing up and making something happen. From each according to their ability. ANYONE who wants to help contribute in some capacity is welcome.
• INBD builds the event for us, the people involved, what our needs and access needs are, the more people involved the wider the range of areas we highlight. (multiple forms of marginalisation). We try and center the most marginalised where possible and recognise the privileges of those in lead roles during the process.
• INBD believes that it is not better to be more professional/corporate or businesslike. We answer emails when we can, we tap out when we need, we don’t have to play into that to be respectable and we hold those values for spaces we are creating alongside.
• INBD is a community event, not just attached to one person. The collective have shifting roles and responsibilities. We avoid pinpointing individuals as the people running the event as is belongs to all of us.
• INBD must center accessibility; be for all ages, outside of the party spaces, during accessible hours, disability led, neurodivergent led, financial access.
• INBD prioritises feedback, change, negotiating various clashing access needs and creating spaces that maximise how people can be involved. We ask who is left out, and what does the community need right now.
• INBD is low cost to run and always free for non-binary people and financially accessible. Money should be for the community, not from the community. (funneling money into community members hands)
• INBD should only seek enough money to be able to do what we are already doing, and do it well. We will accept funds but don’t seek them out. We try to be a low cost event, with money from previous years or out of our own pockets.
• INBD collects donations from supporters/allies of the non-binary community to fund the continued running of this event so that non-binary folk don’t have to pay.
• INBD funds are spent on venue hire where needed, food, signage, supplies for reuse, accessibility, and a sharing of profits between performers.
• INBD doesn’t cater to organisations and politicians but will accept no-strings attached offerings of supplies/supports from those who support what we are creating together.
• INBD isn’t a pride fair day with orgs/businesses. We have an information table for any services wanting to leave their info for non-binary folk- but the space we have is for community to be the focus.
• INBD centres non-binary people in every aspect, organisers, performers, the places we buy things from and the food provided. Volunteers on the day being the exception where allies and supporters are encouraged to take on roles to support us.
• INBD aims to create safe connections for non-binary folk to build their skills, meet the right people to create their own events and lead to cool roles. Volunteers will always have references for their resumes if they desire that.
• INBD values the buddy system. Creating a code where buddies are available to support and welcome folk throughout the event.
• INBD provides a market for non-binary creatives to sell their wares without corporate barriers (cash/payid/trash wares/stall fees) particularly lifting up folk who haven’t held a stall before. And creates spaces for non-binary performers, especially those who haven’t performed before.
• INBD tries to rotate locations where possible to create safer spaces for non-binary people to be able to access throughout the year, providing free training for venues staff. But this must be balanced with access needs.
• INBD works towards the goals of higher cost accessibility tools such as auslan interpreters, stenographer for captioning and leaving venues more accessible than we found them.
• INBD acknowledges that we live and play on stolen land, and host these events on the unceded lands of the Yuggera and Turrbal people. It is important that we prioritise opportunities that benefit mob.
• None of us are free until all of us are free.