Them/Us/Me/Them/Us
The real queer me, standing up
Over the last almost 4 four years I have tried to answer the question James Finn posed in this week’s Prism & Pen writing prompt.
“Who the hell are you?”
Prior to these past four years, I thought I knew. I was a straight, cisgender male. I was like everybody else. The cisgender world was my world… but I always felt a little out of place…ok a lot out of place but 60 years of socialization, testosterone and cisgender reinforcement kept those thoughts in a tight little box surrounded by very deep walls of denial.
The LGBTQ community was always THEM not US.
Then BANG!
Gender dysphoria hit with all of its emotional and soul-searching fury. From suicidal thoughts to weekly therapy to transgender support groups and, sadly for you all, endless writing, I find out that my ME is with THEM and it is now US and I like it.
I am part of the LGBTQ community.
I am still fighting my sexual orientation against my wired gender but this turmoil has put me in touch with the most generous and caring community I have every had the pleasure to be a part of. If gender dysphoria was the cost of entry, then I believe that it was worth it.
