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The misuse of neuroscientific facts to support the notion that women and men are “categorically different by virtue of brain anatomy and neurological functioning” (Dussauge and Kaiser, 2012). Common examples include the traditionalist assertion that cisgender men are neurologically predisposed to have superior spatial reasoning to cisgender women, or that cisgender women are naturally inclined to be more “verbal,” or linguistically oriented, than cisgender men. (See: biological essentialism, gender binary.) Dussauge, Isabelle, and Anelis Kaiser. “Neuroscience and Sex” Neuroethics, vol. 5, December 1, 2012. ResearchGate, 10.1007

An umbrella term used to describe someone whose gender identity falls outside of the traditional Western binary; a gender identity that cannot be classified as exclusively male or female. Synonyms: Nonbinary, NB, Enby. Payton is non-binary—their gender identity fluctuates between male and female, and sometimes they feel they don’t have a gender identity at all.