content/trigger warning: transphobia/discrimination, police brutality
I'm an agender person. That means I don't identify with any gender. Shouldn't be a big deal, right? Well, to many people, it is.
My therapist doesn't believe there's such a thing as agender - she believes that there are only two genders: male and female. She also said that I have "sexual identity disorder". It made me feel invalidated, like my gender wasn't real.
Unfortunately, my situation's not unique. Many trans and gender nonconforming people have had to jump through hoops to get the proper health care they need. Just check out the Twitter hashtag #TransHealthFail. You'll see what I'm talking about.
It's crucial for transgender people to get the health care they need because it's vital for their well-being.
Kayden Clarke was an Autistic trans man who had a service dog and was often seen with him on his videos. Kayden wanted to start hormone replacement therapy - testosterone - but his therapist told him he couldn't start HRT until his Autism was "fixed".
That statement sent Kayden into an emotional tailspin. In one of his Youtube videos, he talked about how Arizona, his home state, had one of the worst mental health systems in the country.
One day Kayden was having a crisis, so a relative called the police to check on him. The police say that Kayden brandished them with a knife, so they shot him and killed him.
While covering the story of Kayden's death, various media outlets misgendered and deadnamed him. This is bad because the rest of the country will know who he really was - a young man with a big heart.
To prevent other tragedies like Kayden's, we have to make sure trans and gender variant people are getting the proper healthcare. It is critical to our safety and well-being.
Showing posts with label agender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label agender. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
I'm Not a Man or a Woman
I'm gonna cut to the chase: I'm not a man or a woman - I'm agender. Here's my story:
I always felt anxiety whenever someone called me a girl or used she/her pronouns to describe me. It just didn't feel right. But at the same time, I didn't want to be called a boy or have people use he/him/his pronouns to describe me either. I didn't know there were people who used they/them/their pronouns, so I just stuck with she/her for all these years.
I played with both Legos and Barbies as a kid, but I was especially drawn to the Barbies because of their long hair and cool fashions. There was this one time my mom bought a football, but it was for my cousin, who's a guy. I was pretty upset about it. I wanted to play with the football too.
Clothes weren't really a big deal for me until forth grade, except for the fact that I NEVER liked to wear dresses or skirts. My mom and my aunt would always say things like, "Oh, you look so cute!", but I was always like, "No, no, NO!". Dresses were just never really comfortable for me - and I don't owe anyone an explanation for that.
About fourth grade, like I said, I didn't feel pressure to be "trendy" until around that time. This girl said that my clothes were babyish, and that people were going to laugh at me. At the time, I was wearing patterned shirts, such as those with checker prints and stripes, leggings and sweaters with cat screenprints. I was already feeling like a freak, and I didn't want people to laugh at me, so shortly after the girl said that, I asked my mom to take me to JCPenney to buy me some "cooler" clothes.
When I got to high school, I wanted to wear name brand clothes like Aeropostale and Hollister, but I was such a large person, I couldn't fit into those clothes. I was crushed.
I tried so hard to fit in and be a "typical" girl that I fell into a deep depression that seemed to last forever. Honestly, what delivered me from that depression was the love and grace of my Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would probably be a mess today.
I also met people who identified as nonbinary and transgender, which helped me figure out who I am. I'm agender, and my pronouns are they/them./their.
That's all for now. Have a blessed day!
I always felt anxiety whenever someone called me a girl or used she/her pronouns to describe me. It just didn't feel right. But at the same time, I didn't want to be called a boy or have people use he/him/his pronouns to describe me either. I didn't know there were people who used they/them/their pronouns, so I just stuck with she/her for all these years.
I played with both Legos and Barbies as a kid, but I was especially drawn to the Barbies because of their long hair and cool fashions. There was this one time my mom bought a football, but it was for my cousin, who's a guy. I was pretty upset about it. I wanted to play with the football too.
Clothes weren't really a big deal for me until forth grade, except for the fact that I NEVER liked to wear dresses or skirts. My mom and my aunt would always say things like, "Oh, you look so cute!", but I was always like, "No, no, NO!". Dresses were just never really comfortable for me - and I don't owe anyone an explanation for that.
About fourth grade, like I said, I didn't feel pressure to be "trendy" until around that time. This girl said that my clothes were babyish, and that people were going to laugh at me. At the time, I was wearing patterned shirts, such as those with checker prints and stripes, leggings and sweaters with cat screenprints. I was already feeling like a freak, and I didn't want people to laugh at me, so shortly after the girl said that, I asked my mom to take me to JCPenney to buy me some "cooler" clothes.
When I got to high school, I wanted to wear name brand clothes like Aeropostale and Hollister, but I was such a large person, I couldn't fit into those clothes. I was crushed.
I tried so hard to fit in and be a "typical" girl that I fell into a deep depression that seemed to last forever. Honestly, what delivered me from that depression was the love and grace of my Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, I would probably be a mess today.
I also met people who identified as nonbinary and transgender, which helped me figure out who I am. I'm agender, and my pronouns are they/them./their.
That's all for now. Have a blessed day!
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