Can someone explain non-binary - seriously?

[SinceYouAsked]

If you look at my avatar and info, you'll notice I'm an old guy. I grew up in the 50s, 60s and very early 70s. When I grew up, there were guys and girls. They were he/him and she/her. There were some who were homosexual, but they were still he/she.
Then I became aware of people who liked to cross-dress. The he/she thing became a little more fuzzy, but they still preferred one or the other. Then there were those who actually changed gender. (Chastity / Chaz Bono was the first high-profile person I'd heard of.) And there are those who are bi-sexual. All still he/she; still one gender or the other. I've been able to wrap my head around all these, even if I don't always understand it.
But I really don't comprehend this whole non-binary, it/they thing. What does that mean? How can you not be one or the other? To anyone my age, "it" is a somewhat rude reference to someone who has been neutered through castration or hysterectomy. And "they" is a plural pronoun that does not apply to a single individual.
So, can someone explain it in terms I can understand?

[Kaneki05]

Basically Non-binary are just Both but chose not to identify as either. So genderfluid but don't accept a he or she. It would be impossible to be no gender cause that's like saying I am nothing if so then you wouldn't have any qualities of any gender but's that impossible and there will be qualities of both Genders in someone who say's there Non-Binary.
So I don't know how to explain it better than just someone's who's Genderfluid but don't accept a tied label.

[MTC29]

I'm roughly your age and I don't know.

I have a gay friend, as well as a (former) lesbian colleague. I have always supported the gay and lesbian community.

When it became LGBTQ, an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning, it became something I was no longer interested in.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

Its someone who doesn't identify with any gender. They don't feel like a boy or girl basically.

Genderfluid identifies as both or one or the other at times and feel comfortable in any gender at different times.

These two are based on identity and have nothing to do with who they want to hook up with sexually as others have suggested.

[SinceYouAsked]

Thanks for the explanation. Both you and @kaneki05 used the term genderfluid. That is a new term for me. But it seems self-explanatory. I don't get it, but I think I understand now.

[Ez-Bri-Z]

You're very welcome. I dont expect those who don't experience it to understand and we don't really have to. We can just be supportive of those who do.

[DizzyDesii]

I dont even try to understand something I dont support. But I assume its people who dont want to be labelled as male/female nor gay/straight and will date anyone regardless of that persons born gender/chosen sexuality as well

[Aelleden]

Bro i'm 26 and I don't get it either, just call em whatever they want, as long as they are happy it's what matters :)

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

It's just made up nonsense, pay it no attention.

[Iron_Man]

Mental illness bored with their life looking for a dramatic change and they won’t find what they’re looking for

[joeldalton]

Hopefully this will clear it up: They are mentally-ill attention seekers who get validation online for pretending to be non-binary.

[Anonymous]

Don't try to understand it, because a soon as you think you do, they'll change things and your head will explode.

[Anonymous]

The simple answer is...

People with mental issues who want to feel unique.

[Anonymous]

People who have a bit of mental illness or people who want to be special such that they identify if this particular mental illness. All you need to know is that these people will insist you call them "they" and all you have to do is say nah and go about your day. It's a youth fad that will be lame in 5 years.