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Politics and Activism

Don't Force Me To Pass

Just because you don't understand doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.

Rylan Harvey
Sep 13, 2016
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
34
Don't Force Me To Pass
Flickr

Being trans, I'm often battling the internal monologue of "You should try to pass" and "There's no way that you'll ever not look like a girl." Which... it sucks. A lot.

Being trans and "passing" is often the goal. But what about the trans people outside of the male/female FTM/MTF binary? Like genderqueers, gender non-conformists, agenders, genderfuckers, non-binaries, demiboys, demigirls, etc.? Why are we forced to "pass" as one end of the nonexistent binary?

If someone takes one look at me, they automatically assume I'm female. They use she/her pronouns, tell me I'm not dressing lady-like, ask me to grow out my hair. The only problem is I'm extremely vocal about being trans.

Why do we force individuals to be "either one or the other"? I am not one. Or the other. Or both or neither. I shouldn't need to dress or act one way or the other just to make you feel more comfortable. I am who I am and will always be that way, regardless of how you feel.

I am not tumblr; my gender is real. Just because you've never heard of someone identifying as demienby doesn't mean that my gender doesn't exist. Please respect my identity. Just because you don't understand doesn't give you the right to be an asshole.

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