QUEERLY TRANS
Writing Prompt: Tell Your Story with Different Words
A “Logan’s Corner” Writing Prompt
KP_the_writer and I have been talking a little lately about the intended primary audience of Queerly Trans.
Though we absolutely welcome all readers, we’re particularly excited about reaching readers who are just beginning to question their gender or who may not even know that they are trans and queer yet. We want this to be a space where queer trans people are able to see our own stories and realize, maybe for the first time, that we aren’t alone.
I only began to realize that I was trans because I read a book called Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity that was edited by Micah Rajunov and A. Scott Duane. I had never seen stories like that before. It was as if some of those authors were inside of my head and knew my secrets. In reading the stories of other non-binary trans masculine people, I realized that I had made a lot of incorrect assumptions about words like transgender and non-binary.
I had never questioned my gender because I assumed that all trans men looked and acted masculine at all times.
I had never questioned my gender because I assumed that all trans men looked and acted masculine at all times. At the time, I had long hair and fit a lot of feminine stereotypes. It didn’t occur to me that I could be an effeminate, queer man and that I was expressing that side of my manhood in that moment.
It didn’t occur to me that, as with cis men, trans men come in all shapes, sizes, hair styles, clothing choices, voices, and behavior profiles.
It didn’t occur to me that, as with cis men, trans men come in all shapes, sizes, hair styles, clothing choices, voices, and behavior profiles.
Labels like transgender, non-binary, and queer got in the way of my self discovery in those early days because of the stereotypes that I had in my head of masculinity and androgyny holding narrow definitions that I couldn’t shape myself into under my circumstances at the time.
All of the new vocabulary got overwhelming very quickly.
As I tried to answer these difficult questions, I couldn’t make sense of these seemingly esoteric terms. A couple of years into my transition, words and acronyms like HRT, T, cis, enby, and GNC have become second nature. When I went to my first trans and non-binary support groups, I had no idea what anyone was talking about!
For this writing prompt, let’s make a writing that sets every label and common queer trans vocabulary word aside. Let’s describe a queer trans experience without using any of these words.
I’ve already responded to this writing prompt by writing about my experience of grieving loss of access to a family member essentially because my wife and I are both queer and trans. I lamented that this family member might only know my deadname and not my real name. I managed to tell this story without ever using the words trans, queer, deadname, or any other vocabulary word commonly used exclusively in our community. This was a deliberate writing choice.
I managed to tell this story without ever using the words trans, queer, deadname, or any other vocabulary word commonly used exclusively in our community.
I challenge you to share one of your stories in a way that is as accessible as possible to someone who has limited direct exposure to our community, but who may desperately need access to our experience to understand their own.
Here are the responses we’ve received so far:
If you are interested in publishing on “Logan’s Corner” in Queerly Trans, please carefully read and follow all of our guidelines:
That said, you should never feel like you need to publish with us to get our full support for your writing!
You are always welcome to just tag me by typing @ and “logansilkwood” anywhere in your writing and selecting my picture. This will send me a notification to read your work. Then, link back to this prompt anywhere in your writing, so that I can support and promote your work by reading, clapping, commenting, and linking your writing here!
I also promote all writing prompt responses on Twitter under @logan_silkwood. Feel free to follow me and retweet your work!
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Ayven Alexander, locke besse, Mx. Marie Chase Lewis (They/Fae/She), Jymi Cliche, Justice Faye Dazzle, KP_the_writer, Nova Grace, Emma Holiday, Michelle Paquette, Amber Poe, Logan Silkwood, Jenny Starr✨, 💜 Victoria Quinn 💜, Kristy Westaway, Kitty Whitemore, Anabelle Weissinger
