I’ve been with MC for the past 3 1/2 years. Since we’ve been together, she has seldom said more than a sentence or two about her gender identity, usually saying “I don’t know what I am” or “I’m just MC”. I was supportive of this, understanding that you don’t need some a definitive label to describe your experience with gender.
This afternoon, when responding to a message on OkCupid, MC elaborated on her gender identity more than she ever has in the past. She asked me to read it and is allowing me to post it on here.
“For me gender is more of an exploration of comfort and feminism. I have always been a tomboy and prefer wearing jeans that have pockets large enough to fit my wallet. I think I will always ID as a woman because I believe that the term is about community and unity. The last time I wore a dress was for a drag show, before that for a charity performance and before that for a short stint in Catholic elementary school. For me gender is about questioning something that for most is believed to be a given - you are limited to a binary option that isn’t even an option.”
MC’s emergence of a description for her gender is just another example of the broad, non-linear ways that people can experience gender: Some people have labels, others don’t. Some people used to have labels and no longer do. Some people never had labels but now do. Some people have labels and always will. Some people never had labels and never will.
(PS - The “PROOF” written across her photo is just “proof” that she’s awesome, not that I was too cheap to purchase the sea lion encounter photos from the website)
