I am not ‘elitist’, I am not ‘woke’, I am nonbinary: How social exclusion experiences shape mental health outcomes of nonbinary youth

Drawing on three community samples of Belgian and Dutch youth (Ns=337-2225; age=10-29 years; 21.9-52.1% ethnic minoritized youth; 56.8-74.2% with parents who attained higher education), this study examined (1) demographics of nonbinary youth and (2) social exclusion as a key mechanism underlying disparities in mental health. Across samples, nonbinary youth were consistently older and more likely to come from lower socio-economic and ethnic minoritized backgrounds. They also reported higher levels of social exclusion, which fully accounted for the observed mental health disparities between nonbinary (and other minoritized) youth and their peers. These findings directly challenge the widespread notion of nonbinary identities as ‘elitist’ or ‘woke,’ while underscoring the detrimental effects of social exclusion on the mental health of historically minoritized youth.