gender

I remember the body I envisioned for myself: “Strong-looking” (not strong), “toned” (not bulky), “healthy” (trim). Image: Thinkstock.

How Trying To Take Up Less Space Landed Me In Physical Therapy

I don’t remember when I started holding in my stomach. [...] It’s hard to trace a habit so ingrained that I don’t know it exists. Until I’m lying on a table and her hand rests at my solar plexus and she tells me to let go. I can’t. I don’t know how, or not yet.

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The one person I thought I could trust, the one person I thought would accept me, turned her back on me.  Image: Thinkstock.

I Came Out As Trans To My Best Friend In Middle School — And She Rejected Me

When you have a best friend, you expect to be able to tell them anything and for them to love you unconditionally, without judgment. At least, that’s what I felt about my best friend in sixth grade. She was like an older sister to me; of course she would stick with me.

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The one person I thought I could trust, the one person I thought would accept me, turned her back on me.  Image: Thinkstock.

I Came Out As Trans To My Best Friend In Middle School — And She Rejected Me

When you have a best friend, you expect to be able to tell them anything and for them to love you unconditionally, without judgment. At least, that’s what I felt about my best friend in sixth grade. She was like an older sister to me; of course she would stick with me.

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I have a hard time believing that men can be victims of domestic violence, and I know that my stepfather Joe is at the root of my problem. Image: Lechon Kirb/Unsplash.

My Abusive Stepfather Made Me Think Men Can't Be Victims Of Domestic Violence

Although I hesitate to admit it, I have a hard time believing that men can be victims of domestic violence, and I know that my stepfather Joe is at the root of my problem.

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Even when I make a conscious effort not to apologize for my mere presence as a woman, it's incredibly difficult to avoid. Image: Scott Webb/Pexels.

Joining A Gym Made Me Realize I'm Failing At Feminism

For the first time in my life, I realized how much time I’ve spent tip-toeing around what I have inherently felt was a “man's world”: from the gym to simply being able to walk down the street knowing my body would be judged.

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Being queer is about demolishing binaries. Image: Pixabay.

7 Things I Wish People Understood About Being Queer

Even a Google search will conflate “queer women” with “lesbian.” So the first and most obvious thing I wish people understood about being a queer woman, is that we exist.

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I learned a lot from that man. Image: Thinkstock.

What My Single Dad Taught Me About Gender

People sometimes blame my dad for me being transgender. In their view, I guess, my father being a good dad is the reason I don't feel comfortable in my own skin and battle gender dysphoria. To my mind, this makes no sense. I will say, though, looking back — I did learn a lot about masculinity from my dad.

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