Skip to main content

A word's worth

Ivan Coyote on gender pronouns earlier today:

I have never cared too much about what you call me.

I’ve never been too hung up on labels, mostly because there are so few that stick properly to me, not to mention the fact that most adhesives give me a nasty rash. I can’t even tolerate a cheap band-aid.

Four decades of straddling the gender fence has taught me many things. I have learned to tolerate being called things that I really am not.

I have come to an uneasy truce with the fact that there are not really enough gender pronouns, boxes on government forms or safe bathroom stalls for people like myself.



Labels:

Comments

  1. ViviBlueJuly 1, 2010 at 8:09 AM

    "...female bodies can look like just about anything their owners want them to."

    Today, I needed to hear that. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. DexJuly 1, 2010 at 10:56 AM

    It's so true!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TrannySaurus Rex: Take 2

Transtastic shirt that my friend, Nick James , made for my birthday. Thank you, Nick!
46 comments
READ MORE »

Political Trananigans

The political trananigans I've discovered in Utah are vast and abundant. Just the other night, for example, I attended a trans-specific lobbyist training that was presented by Equality Utah and we had another transtacular activist meeting. Go red state go! I decided to go to this training since, well, the prospect of lobbying has always been an intimidating one to me. Not just because it sounds very foreign and daunting, but, on another level, I’ve worried that my presence would do more damage to a cause I care about than aid it just due to being gender variant and having a more non-LDS-looking appearance. Even if I spruced up, I’d worried that an LDS (Latter-day Saints/Mormon) representative, for example, wouldn’t be able to relate to me in any way, shape, or form and could even be afraid of me. I feared that it would be an entirely ineffective – even potentially damaging – experience. I’ve been feeling differently about this lately, though. On one level, being out has boos...
14 comments
READ MORE »

Institutionalized Sexism & Family Lovins with a Sprinkle of Woe

A few weeks ago my grandpa called and invited me to play on the extended family softball team. I've felt a little nervous in regards to writing about extended family, but I'm going to convey my perceptions and feelings as clearly as I can, while respecting anonymity! I've mentioned my cute little ol' grandparents here a few times - about how they're both refreshingly supportive of me, especially given the generational barriers between us. My cousins n' aunts n' uncles n' whatnot have also been good, in general, when it comes to being friendly and respectful towards me and my partners. I don't get to interact with them all too often and when I do it's usually maybe a few times a year around the holidays. They interact with one another a great deal, however - presumably due to having more in common (most are married, have children, etc.) All n' all, I feel super uber fortunate to have the support and acceptance that I DO have. It's es...
19 comments
READ MORE »