Gender heritage: The case of nonbinary households in the United States

Little is known about how non-binary genders shape the distribution of household labor: a space that remains largely segregated along the gender binary. This article presents qualitative findings from households where at least one romantic partner identifies as non-binary. Between 2023 and 2025, I combine 80 hours of longitudinal interview data and field notes from visits to 22 primarily-monogamous and white households to understand how nonbinary identity affects household labor. I argue that “gender heritage”—the experiences of binary socialization—exerts greater influence on relational practices, like housework, than gender identity. Specifically, AFAB partners in relationships with AMAB partners are more likely to take on the majority of cognitive labor in the maintenance of their household and relationship. I challenge the assumption that non-binary identities translate into interactions wherein one’s experience evades influence from assigned gender. Rather, it is binary gender heritage that strongly predicts the distribution of historically gendered household labor burdens.