Non‑binary (also written nonbinary) people are individuals whose gender identity does not align with the sex they were assigned at birth. They may identify as both man and woman, neither, or outside the traditional male/female binary. Non‑binary is an umbrella term that includes identities such as genderqueer, agender, bigender, and genderfluid. While distinct from transgender identities, some non‑binary people also identify as transgender.
Military and security institutions have historically relied on binary gender systems to organize everything from uniforms and facilities to medical fitness, performance benchmarks, and leadership expectations. This creates friction for non-binary personnel whose identities fall outside these traditional categories. Recognizing and supporting non-binary members is not only an issue of human rights and dignity, but also of institutional adaptability, retention, and mission effectiveness, particularly in evolving operational domains such as cyber defense, humanitarian response, and multinational cooperation.
Non‑binary people, like all others, deserve respect, which includes using their chosen names, pronouns, and supporting their self‑expression in public and professional spaces.
Current Status and Challenges
NATO has made some progress toward inclusivity but still largely operates within gender-binary frameworks. While sexual orientation has been recognized and protected since 2002, explicit recognition of gender identity remains limited. Transgender and non‑binary personnel are often placed into fixed gender categories for evaluation based on height, weight, and performance, a framework that no longer reflects the complexity of psychological and physical characteristics.
In 2020, NATO began to encourage staff to use gender neutral language (e.g., they/them) when referring to service members to create a more inclusive work environment, but most policy initiatives still emphasize women’s integration rather than the needs of queer and gender‑diverse members.
A multinational team of NATO‑affiliated researchers has recommended several measures to better account for the impacts of policy on people with non‑traditional gender identities, including non‑binary personnel. Their key recommendations include:
- Collecting and analyzing inclusive gender identity data, moving away from a strictly binary understanding of gender.
- Challenging preconceptions of masculine and feminine attributes rooted in outdated divisions of labour, which limit personal and professional growth and contribute to discrimination and violence against women and LGBTQ+ personnel.
- Implementing effective diversity and inclusion training tailored to the needs of high‑performing teams.
The purpose of these measures is not only to foster a more equitable and supportive work environment, but also to improve retention and encourage greater participation from personnel with diverse gender identities within NATO.
Evolving Perceptions
Institutional discrimination against LGBTQ+ personnel has deep roots in NATO and its member states. Although NATO formally extended equal spousal benefits to same‑sex couples in 2002, policies addressing gender identity and expression are still emerging. Non‑binary service members remain in a policy grey area, often protected only indirectly under broader anti-discrimination or sexual orientation clauses.
Recent years have seen modest progress: educational curricula developed by NATO-affiliated researchers now include distinctions between sex, gender, and orientation. Nonetheless, these remain awareness-raising efforts, not enforceable policy changes. In some member states, legal and political regressions on transgender and gender-diverse rights have stalled or reversed earlier progress.
Future Outlook
NATO’s treatment of gender diversity has progressed gradually. In 2002, the organization recognized same‑sex couples and extended spousal benefits, but policies still lack explicit references to gender identity. Discrimination is officially prohibited based on sex and sexual orientation, yet non‑binary and transgender personnel remain in a grey area.
Looking toward 2040, the future for non‑binary service members is uncertain. The 2025 U.S. ban on transgender military personnel poses potential setbacks. However, younger generations, such as Gen Z, are significantly more inclusive. If this trend continues, NATO will likely face growing internal and external pressure to fully integrate and support non‑binary service members.
Future Reading