I identify as… genderqueer but I will always have a strong affiliation with womyn because I have and will always be seen as one. A hopeless romantic, a smart ass and an adventurer.
As far as third-person pronouns go, … I find myself avoiding them when I have to refer to myself. Others usually use female ones and I don’t mind, I am a bit honored to be seen as a womyn. If I do get a male pronoun I don’t mind unless they decide they made a mistake and become clearly uncomfortable. I feel as though if I used ‘ze’ and ‘hir’ it would be too difficult for others and even myself.
I’m attracted to… The softness and strength of womyn’s bodies. Intelligence and biting humor. Someone who understands that sometimes I am weak but that I like to be seen a strong.
When people talk about me, I want them to… Love me, hate me, do whatever just do it because of what I have done or said not because they don’t understand me. Know that ignorance and fear is no excuse.
I want people to understand… That it is okay to be confused, even I get confused.
About A.J.
A 20-year-old student, a psychology major, a leader for my campus LGBT group who loves to be the one with the megaphone and leading the chants while marching through the street.
I wish my body was like my gender most days. You know, wake up and go, “Well I’d like to have a penis today. Or I’d like to shed this masculine frame for some rough femininity. Or fed up with the concept of choice, opt for neither, and walk proudly through the streets.”
Mister and Miss Potato-Head have the good life. They change as much as they’d like while keeping their basic form, that potato-like lump. So yeah, I wish I was a sex-shifter. But when you tell people that, they kind of gasp awkwardly and reply, “Why?”
And I usually reply, “Well don’t you ever get bored being just a girl (or a guy)?”
I’m a genderforker working on a paper involving queer genders & menstruation. It is so difficult to find resources! Has anyone seen anything? A study? A little bit from a book (nonfiction or fiction)? Or maybe you’d be willing to share your story with me? I know that menstruating is a big deal for me because of how it conflicts with and sometimes confirms my gender ID. Does everyone else just deal with it and not give it much thought? What’s up?
You can feel free to email me at genderclear at gmail dot com if you have any comments you don’t want to share publicly.
I identify as… biologically female genderqueer. i love being physically female; i think my body is beautiful. it’s the gender categories that i dismiss.
As far as third-person pronouns go, … i will answer to anything. i’ve gotten “sir’d” pretty regularly since i was 10. i also got “male” written on a speeding ticket once. the unisex pronouns (ze, hir, …) are interesting, but i like reading them more than saying them.
I’m attracted to… anyone with whom i can have a conversation of worth. i love intelligent people, accepting people. i think the human body is a remarkable work of art. i respect bodies, i find the aesthetic of a person extremely appealing. sexually, i’m open to anyone i find attractive. i don’t really agree with having an exclusive relationship at this point, though.
When people talk about me, I want them to… not talk about me, preferably. but if they must, then it’d be great if they discussed my sense of humor, talents as an artist and drummer, and my intelligence.
I want people to understand… themselves and their relationship to everyone and everything else.
I have a random childhood memory of my mum taking me to the hairdressers’. I remember the hairdresser saying to mum: “What I can’t stand more than anything is when girls go ’round looking like boys!”
Aiesu is a manga collection of short stories about intersexed individuals and their lives. All the stories have the characters making a safely ambiguous place for themselves in a highly gender binary world and it filled me with such warm, fuzzy feelings! Especially the story beginning at chapter 13 which is why I posted a link to that one. They’re all self-contained so it makes no difference where you start.
You can call me… Añgel, or if ya can’t say it, Angel
I identify as… a biofem-queer-dyke-genderqueer-andro-switch, anti-racist, pro-sex feminist, geek, lover, friend
As far as third-person pronouns go, … I prefer ze & hir but I usually get she…
I’m attracted to… cis-women, transmen, genderqueers, transwomen, dykes, bois, people, humans, and pretty much anyone who isn’t cis-male-identified with all that nasty male privilege
When people talk about me, I want them to… stop and really think.
I want people to understand… that gender is a many-flavored dish.
About Añgel
Añgel is 19 years old and a freshman in community college and looking for a job and to get the hell out of hir small town. Ze enjoys meeting new people and giving hugs. Ze loves good books, good friends, and adventure. Ze’d love to meet you.
I am a female genderqueer of sorts with small breasts. I have no plan to go on T, and I seem to bounce back and forth between wanting big boobs and wanting a male chest. This changes day to day, even hour to hour.
I thought a good solution would be to get top surgery and get some breastforms for when I want them. But now that I’m looking more seriously into it (next year maybe) I’m getting a little freaked out… It’s only been in the past several years I’ve felt this way- I was totally fine with puberty, no problem.
I’m worried that maybe I’m idealizing the male and female forms- that I have unrealistic expectations of how I’ll look. How do I figure out my true feelings?
Interestingly, I find that I get more positive reactions from others when I’m cross-dressing than I do otherwise. People are politer and friendlier and tell me they like what I wear. Perhaps they just see me as a novelty — I wear old-fashioned clothes (and am not very androgynous) — but I appreciate it anyway.
