<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Isaac Amend – We The People</title> <atom:link href="https://www.gaysonoma.com/byline/isaac-amend/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com</link> <description>Voice of the LGBTQIA+ Community in the North Bay</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 12 Jun 2024 19:31:19 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <item> <title>Elon Musk & ‘X’ Are Dangers to Society</title> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com/2024/06/elon-musk-x-are-dangers-to-society/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Carnivele]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 15 Jun 2024 19:28:21 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Everybody's Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Features]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gaysonoma.com/?p=33143</guid> <description><![CDATA[Elon Musk is officially a danger to society. As of mid May of 2024, X.com, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has started banning accounts that use the word “cisgender” or “cis,” deriding it as a slur. For those who don’t know, “cisgender” refers to any person whose gender aligns with the genitalia they were […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- wp:themify-builder/canvas /--> <p>Elon Musk is officially a danger to society. As of mid May of 2024, X.com, the platform formerly known as Twitter, has started banning accounts that use the word “cisgender” or “cis,” deriding it as a slur. For those who don’t know, “cisgender” refers to any person whose gender aligns with the genitalia they were assigned at birth. Erasing the word “cisgender” from tweets, or X.com remarks, ensures that gender nonconforming people can’t articulate the bigotry they feel in this world. </p> <p>Musk has been notorious for his transphobia. It didn’t just start in mid-May of this year. In June of 2023, during Pride month, Musk liked a bunch of transphobic tweets. For instance, he promoted the Matt Walsh documentary, “What is a Woman?”, which was a film in transmisogyny. </p> <p>Moreover, in July of 2022, Musk’s transgender teenage daughter sought separation from her father because he was hateful toward her and bullied her because of her gender identity. In December 2022, Musk tweeted “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci,” mocking the words that transgender people need to enunciate who we are. This wasn’t the first time that Musk mocked pronouns. </p> <p>Musk is becoming increasingly dangerous toward trans people, especially as X.com takes on a new dimension — turning into a warped platform that spews conspiracy views, including right-wing thoughts that trans people shouldn’t exist, and other ultraconservative opinions. </p> <p>What adds heavy weight to the danger that Musk poses is the relative success of his companies and the wealth, measured in dollars, that he carries on his shoulders. SpaceX is valued at around $180 billion, and Tesla is worth approximately $571 billion. The more wealth Musk accumulates, the more power is attached to his transphobia. Already, he is consciously allowing employees within his companies to mock transgender people. Having a CEO who openly teases a marginalized population is a recipe for that company to tease said population as well. </p> <p>As a former small business owner, I’m actually a huge fan of Musk’s work. The billionaire is brilliant beyond belief, and, after being bullied in school in South Africa, earned degrees in physics and economics from the University of Pennsylvania. At one point, he was working so hard on one of his first startups that he often slept in the office and showered at a local YMCA. In interviews, it is clear that Musk borders, if not embodies, genius. His intellectual prowess is second to none. </p> <p>Additionally, the mogul has been open about his diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome and bipolar disorder. It’s impressive, to say the least, that Musk has racked up all of these accomplishments despite having these diseases of the mind and body. He has vocalized his use of ketamine therapy, for instance, in treating his bipolar, which is a ballsy move to make as CEO. </p> <p>Unfortunately, though, Musk just won’t stop with his transphobia. He is making X.com a non-democratic place for sponsored conspiratorial speech, and banning words is the farthest thing from freedom, which is a virtue he claims to embody. </p> <p>Many scholars of Elon have noted that he lives in a distorted reality, and I have to agree with that sentiment. Banning “cisgender” from X.com is certainly a distorted thing to do, and should be looked upon as a danger to society. </p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Amend</strong> is a writer based in the D.C. area. With two poetry books out, he writes for the Blade and the Yale Daily News. He is a transgender man and was featured in National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” documentary. He serves on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Contact him at <a href="mailto:isaac.amend35@gmail.com">isaac.amend35@gmail.com</a> or on Instagram at: <a href="https://instagram.com/literatipapi">@literatipapi</a>. </em></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Understanding trans identity from a therapy perspective</title> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com/2024/01/understanding-trans-identity-from-a-therapy-perspective/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Carnivele]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sat, 27 Jan 2024 13:47:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Top Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gaysonoma.com/?p=31894</guid> <description><![CDATA[The trans identity has been written about extensively from a political perspective. Many columns in the Blade, and other outlets, speak of gender ID laws, barriers in trans healthcare, pronouns, trans representation in state legislatures and eventually Congress, and the legality of offering trans children hormone blockers, among other treatments.  While speaking of politics can […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!-- wp:themify-builder/canvas /--> <p>The trans identity has been written about extensively from a political perspective. Many columns in the Blade, and other outlets, speak of gender ID laws, barriers in trans healthcare, pronouns, trans representation in state legislatures and eventually Congress, and the legality of offering trans children hormone blockers, among other treatments. </p> <p>While speaking of politics can be good, it’s equally important to understand trans lives from the perspective of someone with a social work degree — or, in other words, from an emotional and therapeutic perspective. </p> <p>Trans people, simply put, face many emotional barriers in life that others usually don’t have to encounter. Let me list several here. I don’t have an MSW, but will try my best to articulate these problems in detail. </p> <p>First and foremost, trans people face lots of change: change in personality, change in appearance, change in passing versus not passing. Whether we like it or not, change invariably means that we have to act differently in the environments that surround us, and when we change as people, we also have to change our behavior and relationships with others. I like to tell friends this saying: “Change is inherently uncomfortable, and change is painful. Moving from one place in life to another means there is lots of growth, but also room for lots of loneliness when you have reached a new personal destination.” </p> <p>As someone who changed from being a cis female to a man who fully passes as one — and never gets mistaken as trans — this transformation invariably affected my relationships with others. Suddenly, I was expected to make friends with other cis men, some straight, and forming these new relationships took lots of work and necessitated more personal growth. While change can be good, it is also hard, and few others know what it feels like to have to shuffle friendships. </p> <p>The second emotional barrier trans people face is one that is almost instantly recognizable: our love lives. To be very frank, trans men often go from being an object of sexual desire, as cis females, to being men who repulse many people away. Others view our bodies as disgusting and something to avoid. Many lesbians like to avoid trans men and think that sleeping with us is some form of betrayal to their own community. If trans men are interested in men, we face the problem of wanting to sleep with people who statistically assault us more, and can be violent and degrading to our bodies. Trans people also sleep with people who want to keep our dalliances secret, which shames us into thinking that our bodies are not something to be proud of, but rather monstrous things that can only exist underneath the sheets, and not outside of bedroom doors. </p> <p>The third emotional hurdle trans people face is that of passing: some of us pass extremely well, but others don’t. There is conflict within the trans community between those who pass and those who don’t. Some in the community view passing as another sign of betrayal to those of our own kin: trans men who pass fully as men are often excluded from queer events or groups. Cis people might think that it’s a choice for us to pass well, when in reality passing is often a result of genetics, as people with thicker jaw lines and more muscle can naturally adopt the other gender better. Passing is a source of envy and jealousy, and ignites fault lines within our community, when in reality, we need less rupture in our community in order to survive as one whole group. </p> <p>The fourth emotional obstacle trans people face is job security, and managing emotions in the workplace. As a transman who passes well and is never mistaken for gender nonconforming, I can say firsthand that it is easy to never have to talk about being trans at a job. In fact, it usually serves us well to not talk about our transness in career settings, as gender variance is something that cruelly detracts from our career prospects, and rarely adds to career growth. Unfortunately, most workplaces are laden with colleagues — usually male, and usually older — who are transphobic to some extent. Navigating these difficult relationships requires a lot of emotional labor that can otherwise be put into finishing memos, leading meetings, and scaling the corporate ladder. But instead, we’re left to fight old crusty men in cubicles. </p> <p>There are many more emotional hurdles we face, which can be described in other columns. As stated, it is critical to understand trans lives through an emotional lens, comprehending the difficult feelings we face with friendships, romantic relationships, and other facets of daily existence. </p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Amend</strong> (he/him/his) is a trans man and young professional in the D.C. area. He was featured on National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution’ in 2017 as a student at Yale University. Amend is also on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Find him on Instagram <a href="https://instagram.com/isaacamend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@isaacamend</a>.</em></p> ]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Reproductive rights are intersectional</title> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com/2022/08/reproductive-rights-are-intersectional/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Carnivele]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 15 Aug 2022 09:38:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Columns]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Top Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gaysonoma.com/?p=26652</guid> <description><![CDATA[Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24. Six conservative justices chose to remove a person’s right to an abortion. The decision uprooted much of America and caused women to feel like their bodies were an unsafe place to live in. Regulation of women’s bodies by a conservative cohort of mostly […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content--> <div id="themify_builder_content-26652" data-postid="26652" class="themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-26652 themify_builder tf_clear"> </div> <!--/themify_builder_content--> <p>Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court on June 24. Six conservative justices chose to remove a person’s right to an abortion. The decision uprooted much of America and caused women to feel like their bodies were an unsafe place to live in. Regulation of women’s bodies by a conservative cohort of mostly white men is wrong.</p> <p>Recently, the Biden administration issued an executive order that will reverse the fateful Supreme Court decision so that women may still have access to abortion services. I hope these efforts succeed.</p> <p>Despite the potential reversal, it needs to be made clear that abortion, and all reproductive rights, are an intersectional issue. Countless Instagram posts, memes, captions, and news articles are talking about how women will suffer. Women will most definitely suffer from a reversal of Roe v. Wade, but transgender men and other nonbinary people will suffer too.</p> <p>Transgender men are fully capable of having pregnancies. It is imperative that people remember our right to an abortion as well. Many transgender men either forego going on testosterone therapy for a while to have a baby or choose to become pregnant before starting hormone therapy. This is fine and a perfectly normal process to opt into.</p> <p>Transgender men also deserve legal and affordable access to Plan B pills, just like all women should. Much of our body still works in the same way that a biological female’s would, despite doses of testosterone.</p> <p>Tangentially, trans men also partake in the medical conversation about contraceptives and other medicines that prevent STI infection. Trans men who choose to have sex with men need affordable access to condoms and birth control.</p> <p>They also need safe and affordable access to PrEP, which prevents HIV transmission. Recent federal guidance will make PrEP free, or borderline free, which is a step in the right direction. Gender nonconforming patients should also ask doctors about any differences in PrEP’s effects on bodies assigned female at birth versus those assigned male at birth.</p> <p>All sorts of people — women and others — are threatened by the Supreme Court right now. The conservative cohort of justices sitting in D.C. is simply ruining America’s future.</p> <p>The treatment for ectopic pregnancies and septic uteruses is an abortion. People have already been dying because they can’t access these safe and legal abortions. The cruelty being inflicted on these bodies is unrivaled.</p> <p>But it’s time we include all sorts of genders in the conversation on abortion.</p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Amend</strong> (he/him/his) is a transgender man and young professional in the D.C. area. He was featured on National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution’ in 2017 as a student at Yale University. Amend is also on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Find him on Instagram <a href="https://instagram.com/isaacamend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@isaacamend</a>.</em></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>U.S. must resettle LGBT refugees</title> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com/2021/10/u-s-must-resettle-lgbt-refugees/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Carnivele]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 13 Oct 2021 08:08:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[International]]></category> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Top Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gaysonoma.com/?p=23655</guid> <description><![CDATA[At the end of August, the last U.S. passenger plane disappeared from Afghanistan’s horizons. The Taliban had finally taken control of the entire country after several days of battles and fire within the capital city. The leaders of the Taliban declared a new state of rule from the presidential palace formerly occupied by President Ashraf […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content--> <div id="themify_builder_content-23655" data-postid="23655" class="themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-23655 themify_builder tf_clear"> </div> <!--/themify_builder_content--> <p>At the end of August, the last U.S. passenger plane disappeared from Afghanistan’s horizons. The Taliban had finally taken control of the entire country after several days of battles and fire within the capital city. The leaders of the Taliban declared a new state of rule from the presidential palace formerly occupied by President Ashraf Ghani. </p> <p>Soon after the Taliban’s taking of Kabul, Afghan men and women panicked in troves to the airport to flee oppressive rule. Getting a ticket onto an American bound plane was like winning the lottery for many Afghans. </p> <p>Canada declared it would help resettle 20,000 Afghans, purposefully including LGBT Afghans among that mix. Canada made its intention to resettle those who would suffer tremendously under Taliban rule: Gay and trans folk, and any other kind of queer person, among a few other marginalized groups. </p> <p>In early August of 2021, when the Afghan crisis was unfolding, a group of Democratic senators urged Biden to prioritize LGBT refugees. This group of senators, including Amy Klobuchar, wrote a letter to the State Department asking them to explain in greater detail a statement that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made regarding LGBT asylum seekers. </p> <p>In February of 2021, President Biden signed a memorandum that instructed U.S. agencies to ensure the rights of LGBT persons around the world. After that memorandum was signed, the State Department under Sec. Blinken said that it would make an enhanced effort to protect LGBT asylum seekers. </p> <p>But the group of senators, in their letter, are still asking what has specifically been done to protect LGBT asylum seekers. What new steps has the Biden administration taken? And specifically, what steps has it taken to protect these LGBT refugees in Afghanistan? </p> <p>It’s time that the United States not only resettle Afghan refugees, but purposefully make it part of its mission statement to resettle LGBT people. Although, since 1994, the U.S. has acknowledged asylum claims based on homosexuality, during the latest Afghan crisis, the Biden administration never made any intentional effort to prioritize LGBT folk as refugees. Biden never came out and aggressively prioritized LGBT Afghans. </p> <p>Under Taliban rule, gay people are killed and thrown off buildings. Under the former Afghan administration, being gay was a punishable crime and LGBT folk who were outed were sent to jail. </p> <p>Taliban rule also spells disaster for trans people: Being trans is not even an option in Afghanistan, where the Taliban would surely kill trans people as well as those who are gay. </p> <p>Article 130 of the Afghan constitution implements Sharia law, which bans homosexuality. In these cases, men who have sex with men or women who have sex with women can be put to death. Moreover, Sections 645 and 646 of the constitution punish intimacy between two women with jail time. </p> <p>Some recent victims of Taliban rule describe how the Taliban is asking LGBT folk to identify others in the LGBT community within the country. They are promising a safe rite of passage to those who identify members of the queer community. Such targeting is inordinately cruel—asking members of the LGBT community to turn on each other. </p> <p>The Biden administration, armed with a liberal agenda, should create an LGBT refugee resettlement initiative. Some details about this kind of initiative have to be ironed out—take, for instance, the issue of metrics. How would the U.S. accurately assess someone’s LGBT status? If you were to argue that this initiative already exists, then I must ask—where is it? Where are these concrete steps that Biden has taken to make the lives of LGBT Afghans safer? Has he given a speech on this topic? </p> <p>Perhaps the administration can start by reaching out to LGBT nonprofits in these uncertain regions—Rainbow Railroad, is, for instance, an organization that helps LGBT people in the Middle East find better lives in safe countries. Other groups in countries such as Jordan help smuggle trans people to safer countries, such as Turkey. Preexisting LGBT citizens who seek help from these nonprofits can be identified by the Biden administration to come to the United States, seeking a safe rite of passage. </p> <p>Afghanistan serves as an example to help LGBT people who suffer in crisis. It’s high time that the U.S. government not only acknowledge LGBT asylum seekers, but place them on a pedestal, along with other groups who are immune to abuse. </p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Amend</strong> (he/him/his) is a transgender man and young professional in the D.C. area. He was featured on National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution’ in 2017 as a student at Yale University. Isaac is also on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Find him on Instagram <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://instagram.com/isaacamend" target="_blank">@isaacamend</a>.</em></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Living in a post-gender society</title> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com/2021/09/living-in-a-post-gender-society/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Carnivele]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 12 Sep 2021 13:32:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Top Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gaysonoma.com/?p=23347</guid> <description><![CDATA[In the tail end of National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” documentary, Katie Couric interviews Hari Nef, a trans model. Hari Nef is a beautiful trans woman, who has debuted at New York Fashion Week and acted in the TV show “Transparent.”  “So what are you hoping the future will bring,” Couric asks Hari.  Hari says,“I want […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content--> <div id="themify_builder_content-23347" data-postid="23347" class="themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-23347 themify_builder tf_clear"> </div> <!--/themify_builder_content--> <p>In the tail end of National Geographic’s “Gender Revolution” documentary, Katie Couric interviews Hari Nef, a trans model. Hari Nef is a beautiful trans woman, who has debuted at New York Fashion Week and acted in the TV show “Transparent<em>.” </em></p> <p>“So what are you hoping the future will bring,” Couric asks Hari. </p> <p>Hari says,“I want a gender chill future. I want a community, a society, a world, that just chills out. About the freaking gender thing!”</p> <p>Hari Nef couldn’t be further from the truth. </p> <p>The more we expect young people to conform to a male or female, the worse their mental health will be. </p> <p>Society’s obsession with gender reinforces the notion that gender is some intrusive, ubiquitous, significant force in children’s lives that should dictate their every move and influence their world views. The more we impress gender as an outsized influence in children’s lives, the more harmful it becomes in their brains. </p> <p>In reality, gender actually shouldn’t matter that much—if at all. The notion that there is “feminine” clothing and “masculine” clothing is slowly becoming outdated, as more women wear suits to party functions, as more men wear earrings and get manicures, and as more people come out as nonbinary. </p> <p>There’s nothing inherent about being transgender that makes trans folk suicidal. What instead makes trans folk suicidal is society’s weird fetish with gender and the massive influence it has on our lives, starting when we’re just kids. Society has taught many people that being transgender is some strange anomaly and fluke of nature, when in reality having feelings of gender nonconformity is actually quite normal and abundant among the population, and has existed since the beginning of time. </p> <p>Trans people have existed since inception. In the 4th century AD, a Roman priestess was found in North Yorkshire. She was born male but took on a female role as a priestess to the goddess Cybele. Buried artifacts revealed she was trans. </p> <p>In the 18th century, Chevalierr d’Eon was a transwoman who was a French spy and diplomat, having fought in the Seven Years War. Chevalier d’Eon lived a decorated life and snooped on Russian forces. </p> <p>During the Civil War, a Union soldier named Albert Cashier was originally born a woman. Albert lived as a man until his death and was buried with military honors. </p> <p>In current society, the Fa’afafine are a third gender in Samoa. Born as men, they traditionally veer toward effeminate appearance and style. The Fa’afaine community, deemed a third category of sex, allow individuals to explore their femininity without being persecuted by Samoan law. </p> <p>Unfortunately, some Americans tend to forget that being trans is a natural thing. It’s going to take a lot more activism to arrive in a post-gender world. While the Republican Party tramples on trans kids and prevents trans people from participating in sports, LGBT folk are forced to fight back and speak about their gender, almost nonstop—just in an effort to exist. </p> <p>Separating the world into two gender binaries—male and female—is extremely harmful for the human brain to handle. </p> <p>Living in a post-gender society means that one’s gender identity will be a casual topic of conversation with a friend—and not something that tears one apart from their family. Living in a post-gender society means we’ll do away with toxic gender reveal parties. Living in a post-gender society means all employees will use pronouns in their email signatures without second thought. </p> <p>In the 1950s, policemen across America punished men for dressing like women and even sent them to jail for this reason. Now American society is slightly decent enough not to do this (although police still victimize trans women). </p> <p>In the 1950s, the U.S. government outed and fired people for being gay, let alone trans. Now American society is decent enough not to do this. </p> <p>In the 2020s, the GOP is harassing poor trans youth who want nothing more than to not be bullied at school. </p> <p>Fifty years from now, in what ways will we be more decent as a society? What issues will we look back on in 2020 with disdain? </p> <p>The entire notion of male and female might be a good starting point.</p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Amend</strong> (he/him/his) is a transgender man and young professional in the D.C. area. He was featured on National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution’ in 2017 as a student at Yale University. Isaac is also on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia. Find him on Instagram <a href="https://instagram.com/isaacamend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@isaacamend</a>.</em></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> <item> <title>Leave nonbinary people alone</title> <link>https://www.gaysonoma.com/2021/03/leave-nonbinary-people-alone/</link> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gary Carnivele]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Sun, 21 Mar 2021 08:47:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Opinions]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Perspectives]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Top Stories]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.gaysonoma.com/?p=21855</guid> <description><![CDATA[Lately, there has been a wave of online commentators who mock nonbinary people. Bloggers, TikTokers, and other posters make fun of an entire population of well-meaning people who lie somewhere “in the middle” of the gender spectrum.  On TikTok, @feelinmiz2.0 does a mocking dance in a fake doctor’s suit, stating “Notice how the Pr0n0uns in […]]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content--> <div id="themify_builder_content-21855" data-postid="21855" class="themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-21855 themify_builder tf_clear"> </div> <!--/themify_builder_content--> <p>Lately, there has been a wave of online commentators who mock nonbinary people. Bloggers, TikTokers, and other posters make fun of an entire population of well-meaning people who lie somewhere “in the middle” of the gender spectrum. </p> <p>On TikTok, @feelinmiz2.0 does a mocking dance in a fake doctor’s suit, stating “Notice how the Pr0n0uns in your bio do not alter your genitals.” In July 2020, Elon Musk tweeted “pronouns suck.” In September 2020, Canadian commentator Debra Soh wrote an article titled “How the Nonbinary Trend Hurts Those with Real Gender Dysphoria.” </p> <p>Defamation of nonbinary people is everywhere in the media. </p> <p>Nonbinary people, born either biologically male or female, don’t feel like they are female, but they also don’t feel male. Some nonbinary people feel more “masculine” than others, while other nonbinary people feel more “feminine.” Other nonbinary people feel like there is no spectrum at all, and that there are infinite genders, just as there are infinite ways to be a person. </p> <p>Nonbinary people generally face many more obstacles than individuals who choose to fall on the binary, as either male or female. For instance, they can be in a constant battle against society to “pass” — or appear as either gender. Choosing clothes and a style of presentation that is androgynous or mixed, they can be misgendered all the time. Nonbinary people can also struggle with what gender marker to use on passports or driver’s licenses. </p> <p>Additionally, individuals who do not pass as either male or female have a harder time finding employment. Research from the U.S. Census Bureau found that the unemployment rate among transgender workers is two to three times higher than the U.S workforce.</p> <p>Now that “nonbinary” has come into the public consciousness, and entered the public discourse, many cisgender people feel threatened, or scared, of nonbinary. Even in my personal life, I run into close friends who laugh at the first mention of nonbinary. It seems to be a typical reaction: chuckle at how silly the idea feels. Sometimes, these people are progressives, and they have liberal views. But they still don’t understand nonbinary. </p> <p>The general public seems to understand binary transgender people a lot better — people who fall as either male (transman) or female (transwoman). This is because our way of presenting falls in line with theirs. </p> <p>The moment our way of presenting falls out of line, and the moment we question the cisgender world view, the public starts to laugh. </p> <p>There is some pretty simple logic behind accepting nonbinary people as valid: </p> <p>• If you were color blind, and could only see black and white, you would not state that people who saw colors did not exist. </p> <p>• If you were a straight man, and only liked women, you would not question that gay men existed. </p> <p>• If you were dyslexic, and had a difficult time reading words, you would not question that other people had an easier time reading words. </p> <p>• If you grew up cisgender, and there were people — thousands of them — who said they did not feel like either gender, why would you decide to suddenly mock them? What bearing does it have on your life? </p> <p>• If you have laughed at nonbinary people, do us a favor and be quiet. I have three words for you: Leave. Them. Alone. </p> <p>Laugh at other things, like how there was a fly on Mike Pence’s head during a national debate, or how chihuahuas are hilarious creatures when they’re angry. Just don’t laugh at us. </p> <p><em>CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this piece included a reference to an article titled “Why I Will Not Be Using Your Preferred Pronouns” in The North Coast Journal. That piece was satirical. The Blade regrets the confusion.</em></p> <p><em><strong>Isaac Amend</strong> (he/him/his) is a transgender man and young professional in the D.C. area. He was featured on National Geographic’s ‘Gender Revolution’ documentary in 2017 as a student at Yale University. Isaac is also on the board of the LGBT Democrats of Virginia, <a href="https://twitter.com/@isaacamend" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@isaacamend</a>.</em></p>]]></content:encoded> </item> </channel> </rss>