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Pondering Gender

Michelle at Quasifictional has a post up about gender and some of what she has learned in the recent past since getting turned onto the Trans-ponder podcast hosted by Mila and Jayna (you girls rock, and your podcast never disappoints!)

Michelle includes fascinating links about gynecomastia, a condition of enlarged male breasts, including the story of a Christian man with the condition who has struggled to know how to respond. Really great stuff, thought provoking and mind expanding. (She even refers to Inga Muscio, my shero)

Yesterday I spent the day in NYC and got to talk to several people about my Transfigurations play and the shift that I have taken to move away from my role in telling my own story as a former ex-gay to focus more on gender issues. There's been great injustice against trans people among LGB folks and lots of misinformation.

After two days of wet and cold weather, I have put on my PJs and crawled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a new book, Capote in Kansas: A Ghost Story. The prose is weak but the story is strong so far.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I think it is so strange that so few GLB-people gets how gender issues affects their every day lives. In many ways I think gender issues should be more important for GL and maybe B-persons than us TS:s

Most transsexual persons are gender unnormative for a couple of years, then we fit in and most of us ends up heterosexual and gender normative. But most GL-people goes for most of their lifes outside the gender roles.

Still we T-people are looked down upon for trying to change the view on gender.

I just don't get it.

But I am happy you and a few other GLB:s are getting that it is important stuff.

--alexander resare
Anonymous said…
It's not only GLB people that don't get the gender stuff. Straight people almost never think about it... why should they? It doesn't affect them in the same way. That doesn't make it right, it just means that people rarely deal with issues that don't affect them, either directly or indirectly.

As for the PJ's thing... I have been in my Pj's since 5pm. Why should I bother getting dressed again? I prefer to consider them loungewear!!! ;)
Anonymous said…
Straight people? What is that? I don't get it. Are you referring to stick figures? They are usually done with straight lines.

--alexander resare
Michelle Galo said…
Stick figures, hee hee.

In all seriousness though, Alex, I'm starting to dislike the term "straight." It just seems to support that kind of hetero-normativity we do not need...

Peterson, thanks so much for the link. I'm happy that thoughts were provoked!
Anonymous said…
I will discuss it all with you. But we need to take a fika sometime soon mr Peterson. When are you available?
fika? did I hear fika? Yes, tomorrow at 2 pm Eastern Standard Time. Stockholm or Hartford?
Anonymous said…
heheh stick figures... I am far from being a stick figure!! More Jessica Rabbit crossed with the Vicar of Dibley I think.

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