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Zombies Coming has a nonbinary character and a gender fluid character. It was fascinating to see how each of these two people being mates navigated the current. While
Erick stuns the binary Cassidy clings to it flowing between male and
female and in doing so reinforces the binary stereotypes. So, watching how each
respected the other was (in my opinion) quite lovely and rather romantic.
Erick is nonbinary (meaning doesn’t buy into the male female
binary) He is AMAB (assigned male at birth.) His brain is more on the female
spectrum according to societal norms than male. Even though nonbinary is under
the T (transgender) stripe of the rainbow it doesn’t mean he needs to
physically transition with surgery or hormones… though someone else might want
to do so.
At times, Erick wears what society considers female: a
skirt, heels or nail polish. Erick considers himself gay and at the end of the
story still has not claimed different pronouns such as: they, them or she, hers, her.
Meanwhile Cassidy who is gender fluid (meaning he flows from
the male binary to the female binary) which he feels uncomfortable sharing because
sometimes other zombies have accused him of being a gender fuck (playing with
gender to annoy/confuse others.) Again, there’s an infinite spectrum of gender
fluidity so people can identity as such but present very differently than
Cassidy.
Cassidy flows between genders and you see this through his
clothing. Though he always wears makeup because he feels better wearing it than
not. Usually sexual situations cause him migrate toward the male end of the
spectrum. He is AMAB (assigned male at birth), and considered himself gay until
he started accepting his gender identity. By the end of the book he considers
himself queer or pansexual because while on the female side of his gender and
if he has sex with a man he didn’t feel that made him straight. He didn’t feel
like straight fit because many times he was in the male binary so queer makes
him most comfortable.
In general, when I meet a new person I usually ask which
pronouns they use. I try not to assume their gender identity. Labels can change
or evolve so asking is awesome.
Keep in mind the rainbow has infinite variations so people’s
paths even on the same stripe might not look the same. They might embrace some
labels but not others. It really doesn’t have to be complicated a simple
respectful question accomplishes so much.
Many Hugs,
Z. Allora
