About:
Beyond Binary highlights cultures that recognize genders beyond male and female, as well as figures in history and the present day that do not fit the typical gender binary. These figures include people from the past who may have been transgender, gods who were seen as both male and female at once, and current figures who identify as non-binary.
The goal of this site is to show that there have always been people who did not fit into strict gender roles, and that it was not always condemned. It also acts as a public archive of images of these people to give visual representations of what non-binary looks like. It can be used for other people's research and reference.
Disclaimers:
Beyond Binary includes people from the past who may have been transgender, but not people from the late 20th to 21st century. This is because in the past, we didn't really have the same concept of what it means to be transgender. Therefore, it is not always clear if someone labelled as a "cross-dresser" was actually transgender or even non-binary. For example, there are many cases of females dressing as men in order to fight in war, but it is hard to tell if some were women who wanted to join the military or if they were actually transgender men. It is possible that some of our "Bad-ass Women" from history did not consider themselves women at all.
Due to this ambiguity, possible transgender people from the past are included. To summarize: historical transgender figures or possible ones will be included, current transgender people will not.
This is also not a definitive list. The cultures included are probably not the only ones who recognize third (or five) genders, but they are the ones I was able to find. Many of their "third gender" categories seem to fit more into the western, modern definition of a transgender women, but in some of these cultures they are seen as a gender all their own with their own societal roles. It shows that perspectives on gender vary across culture, and that it is not as deeply rooted as "man or woman."