A Transgender Tale: Slandered As ‘He’ and Affirmed As ‘She’
The joy of being referred to Three Times (as) a Lady. Better than a Commodores concert!
The transgender community is rife with stories of being misgendered.
I have had the experience of being misgendered and being referred to with incorrect pronouns. Whenever I have been misgendered, I have always felt diminished as a person. It leaves a lasting mark stating that my identity has been rejected.
But being addressed with the appropriate pronouns is uplifting beyond words. It is similar to the old saying that the word people love to hear most is the sound of their name.
It was not until recently that I finally understood how true the statement is. The key is that when you identify with your name, you love to hear it. If you have no connection to your name, hearing it does nothing for you. If you feel a weight in the pit of your stomach when associated with the gender of your name, it is like being slandered.
Intentionally referring to someone in their presence using the incorrect pronouns is more than using an inappropriate word. It is a repudiation of who they are as a person. It is rude. It is mean-spirited. It is misinformed. Being…
