Discouragements

by Kelly Karoly and Al Olsen

"You've changed, and not for the better."

I haven't changed, I've just realized.

"Women/men can dress that way. You're just hung up on gender roles."

It's not just about the way I dress. It's how I inherently feel.

"I'm curious what your chromosomes would be if your blood was tested."

Me too, I guess, but now I wonder if you'd still respect my gender identity if my chromosomes were proven to be XX/XY and matched my "parts."

"Doesn't that just make you a tomboy?"

...Don't you think I'd choose to be a tomboy over this weird gender if I could??? It would be easier, would it not? With as much of this discouragement as I have to face when trying to explain myself in a way that cisgender people don't, I'd choose it in a heartbeat.

"I didn't raise you to be this way."

I hope you raised me to be myself and to stand up for myself, because that's what I'm doing.