LGBT supporters who don’t know me well may ask “What do you preferred to be called?” By which they mean: do I like to be referred to as a female or male?
Do I mind this question?
No.
I LOVE THIS QUESTION.
It lets me know there are people out there who actually care about your preference beyond the social binary.
Do I mind this question?
No.
I LOVE THIS QUESTION.
It lets me know there are people out there who actually care about your preference beyond the social binary.
Personally, you can call me sir, ma’am, she, her, he, him, blah blah blah … all that. I have tendencies of both sexes in my self-expression. Granted I don’t wear dresses, but I also do not like to leave my hair or nails undone – sounds like a metrosexual male in a female’s body. Somewhat recently I’ve found that I do not fit into ANY of these definitions and some would call me a Gray/Grey egg, which I don’t particularly care for.
My literature teacher had a lot to say about the American dream and how it’s affected by these categories we create. Now when I went into this class I liked categories because they helped me know a person before I truly knew them – thanks to the friggin prejudice taught in my family’s household. In a few months after her class, I realized I don’t fit in a category and neither does anyone else! My friends and I all float between the categories American society has set up for us.
It can be confusing for people who are used to basing their ideas off of stereotypes and such. I used to be one of them so I completely understand the struggle. My freshman year, all I knew was LGB … everything after that was unknown to my little mind. Now I’ve opened my mind to other people’s lives and discovered much more than I thought possible. Through observing their lives, I’ve learned more about myself and have almost fully discovered myself.
Before all this I explored lives of those who identified within the defined categories in our society. I favored some more than others, but I always knew I never loved one category exclusively. It’s hard trying to base one’s self off of one category completely. For example, being a masculine lesbian may require 24/7 aggression and dominance. Maybe that’s why I never stayed exclusively with one clique in high school and especially not in college.
Categories are not necessary, but knowing one’s personal preference is important before making any hasty decisions. Every single person is like a snowflake and even twins aren’t truly identical.
Categories are not necessary, but knowing one’s personal preference is important before making any hasty decisions. Every single person is like a snowflake and even twins aren’t truly identical.