Performances, voices, and meanings: reconceptualizing identity play in the construction of the non-binary self

Ana Rigel, Bruno Felix, Ana Carolina Júlio
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21529/RECADM.2025015

Abstract

This study examined how non-binary individuals construct their gender identity through identity play. Based on grounded theory and the analysis of 47 narratives, three main forms of play emerged: mindplay (cognitive and vicarious), cosplay (virtual and physical), and storyplay (narrative and performative). These forms of play unfold in a non-linear and co-constructed manner, marked by cycles of reflective pauses, preparation for identity activation, and ongoing exploration and experimentation. From these dynamics, we propose an empirical-theoretical model of gender identity awareness as a situated, fluid, and dialogical process—modulating the degree of clarity, confidence, and agency throughout the identity trajectory. The study repositions play as a continuous, polyphonic, and insurgent practice in the lived experiences of non-binary individuals. By grounding this model within the Brazilian context—shaped by both symbolic and material risks—this research contributes to the decolonization of theoretical frameworks and to the expansion of classical models of identity development and gender performativity


Keywords

gender identity; identity play; non-binary; identity; identity construction

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