Demi-Romantic Non-Binary Pansexual: Learning from Micro-Identities in the Classroom

About 36% of Minnesota college students identify as non-cisgender or non-heterosexual, and many are embracing gender and sexual identities other than the traditional LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender). Some of these emergent identities are broadly defined (non-binary, pansexual), but most delineate precise patterns of desire, behavior, and belonging. The proliferation of micro-identities requires professors to move far beyond the basics of inclusivity, such as Don\u27t assume that all students are heterosexual and Don\u27t identify a student\u27s gender based on their appearance , to rethink classroom exercises, exam questions, and even subject matter (does it make sense to talk about a wage gap between men and women, when some people identify as neither?). However, micro-identities also allow professors and students a variety of learning opportunities, especially in the social sciences