Tried expressing my frustration over the implication that I don’t belong in trans spaces now that I pass— immediately shut down by masc NB people.
Edit: I think I’m going to turn off notifs. I really ought to try and sleep. But I’m leaving this up because I think the conversation was productive and it did help me process my feelings a bit better. I’m certainly calmer. Anyways, I really appreciate you guys.
Preface: I will not stand for enbyphobia. I’m just tired of people who do not share my experiences speaking over me because I try to be very mindful not to do so myself. This post is about projection, and not about who “deserves trans spaces more.” So don’t you even start or I swear to god I will just take the post down rather than have to deal with that bs. Ok? Ok.
“If you look like a cis/het man, people are going to think/behave as if you’re a threat and you have to just deal with that.”
Would you tell a trans person that since cis people feel threatened by their presentation that it’s warranted, and they should just get over it?
I’m sick of people making jokes about how until they knew me they didn’t like me or were afraid of me because I fucking wear boots and cargo pants. One woman at my local lgbt center makes a point to bring this up EVERY time she sees me. What happened to not making assumptions? And then to be told maybe I should just dress differently if I don’t want to be seen as a threat. I don’t WANT to. I fought my whole life to be allowed to look and dress how I’m
comfortable, but MY comfort will apparently never ever be a priority.
If I’m in a TRANS exclusive space, just politely minding my business or catching up with a trans friend there, odds are I’m also fucking trans. Think about it for just TWO seconds I beg you. Sometimes I can’t tell if it’s that people don’t know I’m trans and are afraid, or they do assume I’m trans but resent me for wanting to present in a way they perceive as toxic. I don’t know.
No safe spaces for me I reckon, because a camo shirt is too fucking scary. I hate being trans sometimes, it’s so goddamn lonely. Obviously I don’t want to make people feel unsafe. I will go as far as to paint my nails as a means of subtle flagging to hopefully avoid these kind of interactions from happening as frequently, and it’s actually like 75% effective, even just black which is my go-to because it makes my tattoos pop lol. But that’s as far as I’ll take it. Because I’d much sooner stay the fuck home than change how I dress for any damn one ever again. I thought other trans people would understand, but they really just don’t. I’m the one who has to be willing to prioritize others’ feelings by showing up as someone I’m not or not at all, instead of them prioritizing community by sucking it up when not every trans guy looks like Boy George (which is rad, but just not
me.) Jesus pole dancing Christ do I feel alone sometimes.
(And don’t tell me lgbt spaces just aren’t worth bothering. Please. I wouldn’t care/try so much if I didn’t really need community right now. But I do.)