Background Nonbinary people may rely on queer communities to resist cisnormative erasure and shape their sense of identity. However, transnormativity within queer communities may repudiate nonbinary identities. The Master Narrative Framework informs our understanding of how cis- and transnormative narratives are negotiated within queer communities, but no study has yet applied this framework to specifically study nonbinary identity formation. Better understanding of nonbinary identity formation is a key task for clinicians and researchers to offer appropriate care to these populations. Aim The study aimed to understand trans + intra-community processes and their impact on nonbinary identity formation, exploring dominant master and alternative narratives and developing further recommendations for research in this under-studied area. Methods Grounded in a constructionist framework and feminist theory, the study used photovoice. Ten nonbinary individuals were trained on photovoice and participated in focus groups and interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Findings identified four prevalent master and alternative narratives: The different one: master narrative of imposters; and the three alternative narratives of To be queer is to reject the norm; To be nonbinary is to appear androgynous and To be queer is to go out. Participants’ identity shifted and took shape in response to their lived experience of these narratives; however they resisted the pressure to present an unchanging identity. Discussion Results were presented in light of previous findings. Further research is warranted on nonbinary identities that looks beyond deficit-based understandings and nuances processes of identity formation and narrative creation.