Because I refuse to accept that 45/46 is a failure
This week just gone has been a bit of a bummer for me. I've had a bad case of what I've heard described as "boymirror", in conjunction with The Fear.
Sure, I could just go back to being a guy and not have to worry about so much of this shit ..... But could I ever really be happy that way? Which way is "letting the side down" worse?
Still, it looks like I've turned the corner, so I'm going to treat myself to some proper girly stuff. And review it. Watch this space!
This morning's Metro featured a particularly obnoxious advertisement for Sainsburys.
The text reads "I like red lollies and green lollies. But not yellow ones. Girls like yellow ones."
I find this hugely problematic because it is a symptom of the way the gender binary (and hence, sexist attitudes in general) is being instilled into children from birth. The thing is, there really are boys who think that they are not supposed to like things because girls like them.
If this is what five-year-olds think, and it goes unchallenged, what sorts of sexist drivel might they be spouting by the time they are older?
If you also find this offensive, you may wish to contact the following people:
Advertising Standards Authority Ltd,And, as dirty as it makes me feel to have to say this, you may also wish to shop at Tesco.
This is sure to ruffle a few feathers among religious types, but I think it's absolutely the right decision from the German courts:
German court rules circumcision is 'bodily harm'
There will doubtless be complaints from those parts of the muslim and jewish communities that have not yet joined the 21st century, and possibly even accusations of anti-semitism. I really hope, however, that the German authorities have the courage of their convictions.
Some -- well, most, I suppose -- boys do actually want to grow up into men, and to deny them the choice of whether to keep everything as Nature intended (you know, so they can actually enjoy a wank or a shag) is just barbaric.
And less with the bogus health and hygiene arguments. It might have made sense in the desert in Biblical times, but not in modern Europe. A foreskin is self-cleansing if you drink enough. And if you don't want to contribute to the spread of AIDS -- in fact, every time you ever have sex at all unless you plan to get pregnant -- you should be wearing a condom.
It's as though I have been asking for lozenges to try to treat a sore throat, all the while overlooking the fact that my throat is sore from screaming in pain because there is a nail through my foot.
My way of dealing with my transgender situation was to throw myself into the maleness assigned to me at birth, in the hope that I would somehow outgrow the thoughts I had that I wanted to be a woman.
The problem is not my own reaction to my assigned-at-birth gender; but actually my assigned-at-birth gender itself.
Sometimes, it's hard enough to present convincingly as your identified species, never mind your identified gender.
We explained to the other kids at the school that [still using boy name]'s body was that of a boy but in his brain he was a girl. We said _____ was just happier being a girl than a boy. But the other kids haven't batted an eyelid.
