What does being gender fluid mean to you?
It simply means that my gender identity changes over time.
What are your thoughts on the concept of gender?
Gender IS a social construct, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t real.
Language is also a social construct. So are morals. But it doesn’t mean that those things aren’t valuable.
Do you think society as a whole would function differently if no one was assigned a gender at birth?
It would definitely be different, but I don’t think abolishing AGAB should be our main goal. I think that assigning children “male” or “female” is okay as long as they are respected if they say their AGAB doesn’t fit them.
What genders are you fluid to/from?
I switch between many genders, but I don’t like to micro-label my identity every time it changes. Instead, I gauge how I’m feeling on the scale of “Am I male, female, both, or neither?”
Do you consider yourself non-binary?
Yes, for two reasons. The first is that genderfluidity is under the non-binary umbrella. The second reason is because I tend to feel non-binary genders more often then binary ones.
What are your preferred pronouns and how did you decide?
I prefer they/them pronouns, but I’m okay with any.
How would you describe your sexual orientation?
I am pansexual and I describe myself as “gender-blind,” meaning that I don’t have any gender preference.
Do you feel dysphoria? What is dysphoria like for you?
I experience both body dysphoria and social dysphoria that changes with my gender.
Have societal pressures ever made you question/suppress your gender-fluid identity?
Yes, very much.
Why do you think it’s difficult for some people to grasp the concept of gender-fluidity?
I think cisgender people have a hard time understanding trans people in general because they don’t pay as much attention to their identity. I once heard someone describe it this way:
Non-cis people have a rock in their shoe. They grew up assuming that it was normal for your feet to always hurt, until they realized it wasn’t. Cis people tell them that it’s nonsense. They say it’s impossible for one to have a rock it their shoe. But they don’t know because they’ve never experienced it themselves.
How did you start to come to terms with your gender-fluid identity?
I first learned about genderfluidity on the internet about year ago. I was immediately terrified, because I related to it SO much. I turned off my phone and tried to forget that the word “gender-fluid” existed. I had lived my whole life thinking that I was a girl, and I wasn’t ready to accept that I was anything else. But slowly, after weeks of it sitting in the back of my mind, I got up the courage to Google Search the term again, and I never turned back.
What bothers you in the LGBTQIA+ community?
Gatekeepers. People like Transmedicalists, members of the LGB Alliance, etc. who attack siblings of their own community.
What are your thoughts on labels?
If you want a micro-label, use one! If you don’t want a label at all, you don’t need one! Labels are tools to describe your experience. They aren’t boxes you are supposed to fit into.
What would you like to say to people who question gender-fluidity as a gender identity?
Please, read my input about my thoughts on the concept of gender. Educate yourself.
What are things to NOT say to a gender-fluid person?
Please do not ask us what gender we are every half hour. Some people do not like to label themselves all the time, and others take a while to determine what gender they currently are.
What would you like to say to anyone who is gender-fluid or wondering if they are?
It’s totally okay to change! The whole point of genderfluidity is changing, so just be who you are day by day and don’t care about consistency. Human beings are complicated.
Do you think sexuality, romantic attraction and gender identity are things that people are born with, influenced by upbringing, or both?
I think that people’s sexuality and gender can definitely change, but it changes naturally. I don’t think it’s possible to convert someone to a different identity.
What’s it like being queer in your country/society?
The United States is just passing more transphobic laws every month. One day I hope to move to Canada.
What would you like to say to queerphobic people?
I have a whole essay full of 24 links to research results that show homosexuality and being transgender are 100% natural, wanna see?
Who are your favorite gender-fluid celebrities or characters?
Okay, this probably sounds very childish, but Alex Fierro from the books by Rick Riordan. Yes, I am aware those books are for middle schoolers, lol.