30 day genderqueer challenge

[suzifrommd]

Day 15

15) How do you deal with gendered things? Clothes shopping, bathrooms, forms, etc.

Clothes shopping hasn't (up to now) been a big deal. I never really cared how I presented as long as I was neat and clean. But lately...

Bathrooms. Hmm. Never liked men's bathrooms (though never thought about that as a gender issue until right this minute) but always just sucked it up and used them.

Forms? I'm comfortable calling myself a male because I've got male parts and that's what most people think of when they say male. I prefer to allow a definition of male that includes male-bodied mix-gendered androgynes and makes them as welcome as any other male-bodied folk.

[Edge]

15) How do you deal with gendered things? Clothes shopping, bathrooms, forms, etc.
Clothes shopping: I make sure I'm wearing a binder when I buy guy's clothes so I know how they hide my chest and I make sure I wear a bra when I buy girl clothes, so I know they fit my chest.
Public bathrooms: I can't avoid them, so I use the female one, but I would rather there was a unisex bathroom available.
Forms: I avoid answering gender questions on forms. They usually don't care anyway. If I absolutely have to, I say female because I'm faab.
Only other gendered activity I can think of involves being in a relationship and that hasn't come up yet.

[Pica Pica]

15) How do you deal with gendered things? Clothes shopping, bathrooms, forms, etc.

I tend to go with the path of least resistance.

I like to decorate myself though.

[Your Humble Savant]

Ack, I keep falling behind with this.


10) Are you taking any steps to physically transition?
Nope. I like my body, it's just that I like putting on a presentation that doesn't match my body.

11) Your first experience with a GSM organization or event
Do Prop 8 protests count? If not, then the formation of the Gender Umbrella club at my college with my pals 

12) Discuss your relationship with the term transgender
-shrug- Doesn't apply to me. 'm genderfluid.

13) How has your family taken it or how might they take it?
Those that I've told have taken it just fine.

14) Are you part of the Gender and Sexuality Minority community?
I'd say so, yeah.

15) How do you deal with gendered things? Clothes shopping, bathrooms, forms, etc.
I use my biological gender (female) for all things legal. Everything else depends on my fickle whimsy 

[Julian]

15) How do you deal with gendered things? Clothes shopping, bathrooms, forms, etc.

If there's no one around, I'll use men's bathrooms and fitting rooms. Otherwise, I'll use the women's room. It's not a huge deal to me, but I do like it when I find gender-neutral bathrooms.

On forms, I tend to leave the gender option blank if I can. I've found some online job applications have a 'prefer not to answer' option, and I'll use that if it comes up. If absolutely forced to pick a gender I'll pick female and not feel too bad about it.

All clothes are fair game. I've been known to buy from the men's, women's, and boys' sections, since those sections have clothes that I fit in. The perceived gender of the clothes matters less than the way it fits and looks.

I don't care anymore about the perceived gender of the things I use nearly as much as I care about being gendered. If that makes sense.

[aleon515]

15)How do you deal with gendered things? Clothes shopping, bathrooms, forms, etc.

There are some gendered spaces I have really gag at. For instance, I was at a restaurant and at an adjoinging table was a bridal shower. EW! Shopping, I don't really mind the gender on this. I shop everywhere. I think it's the dressing room. No one has ever said anything to me in a negative way re: shoppign in the wrong department. I am irked by going into anythign labeled "women", but there is no way I could go the other way.  I haven't thought about them that much.

--Jay Jay

[suzifrommd]

16) Name some media you connect with queerly


Pretty much all of it.

My favorite musicians are all women. My favorite movies feature strong independent women. My favorite authors are all women's writers. I like watching women's sports on TV.

[Pica Pica]

16) Name some media you connect with queerly


Pretty much all of it.

My favorite musicians are all women. My favorite movies feature strong independent women. My favorite authors are all women's writers. I like watching women's sports on TV.

Are women queer then?

I don't even understand the bloody question, I think this one is nonsense.

Some times I parallel read two books at once, bouncing from one page of one to one page of another. It's good when the two books are on a similar subject as it gets different angles, but when you do it with different books about very different things it creates ideas - I imagine that is a rather queer way to connect with media.

[Edge]

16) Name some media you connect with queerly

I don't even understand the bloody question, I think this one is nonsense.

Ditto. "Queerly?" Um... I act like a fangirl which is normal, but I suppose is unusual when I do it as a guy. I connect with certain books like American Gods in an unusual way.

[suzifrommd]

Are women queer then?

Kind of "queer" preferences for a middle-aged balding guy, wouldn't you say?

[Edge]

Kind of "queer" preferences for a middle-aged balding guy, wouldn't you say?

They are? That hasn't stopped any middle aged guys I know...

[suzifrommd]

They are? That hasn't stopped any middle aged guys I know...

No, hasn't stopped me either. Being queer never bothers me.

[Edge]

No, hasn't stopped me either. Being queer never bothers me.

No, I mean it's not queer. It's normal.

[ativan]

My favorite normal is Abby Normal. 

Ativan

[aleon515]

>My favorite normal is Abby Normal. 

>Ativan


6) Name some media you connect with queerly

I don't relate to this topic at all, but I relate to the above.

--Jay Jay

[suzifrommd]

No, I mean it's not queer. It's normal.

Comforting to hear you say that. I feel like such an anomaly in so many ways.

Edge, do you know lots of straight guys who are mostly into women's media? That would be very encouraging. I don't know any male-bodied folk who go out of their way to listen to Pink or Taylor Swift, watch romantic comedies, or read those paperbacks with pink covers.

It would be very interesting to me to hear your experiences if you're willing to share them.

[Jamie D]

Day 16

16) Name some media you connect with queerly

I am flummoxed by the challenge.

[Edge]

Comforting to hear you say that. I feel like such an anomaly in so many ways.

Edge, do you know lots of straight guys who are mostly into women's media? That would be very encouraging. I don't know any male-bodied folk who go out of their way to listen to Pink or Taylor Swift, watch romantic comedies, or read those paperbacks with pink covers.

It would be very interesting to me to hear your experiences if you're willing to share them.

My dad likes women musicians like Dar Williams and Sarah McLachlan (he used to sing "Ice Cream" to me ). I don't know what his friends listened to exactly, but they shared the same tastes in music. A friend I used to have and his father both like The Dixie Chicks. My ex really likes The Gilmore Girls (although he is a little odd in other ways and may not be 100% straight, but he does have a crush on Lorelei). My ex's tough guy friends like Benny and Joon (granted, it is of a way higher quality than most romantic comedies). Another ex (bi though) likes Pink although that was because the colour pink turns him on and he thinks she is hot. I know more, but can't think of them off the top of my head.
It doesn't involve any "going of their way." My ex did get a few raised eyebrows about The Gilmore Girls, but that's about it.

[suzifrommd]

My dad likes women musicians like Dar Williams and Sarah McLachlan (he used to sing "Ice Cream" to me ). I don't know what his friends listened to exactly, but they shared the same tastes in music. A friend I used to have and his father both like The Dixie Chicks. My ex really likes The Gilmore Girls (although he is a little odd in other ways and may not be 100% straight, but he does have a crush on Lorelei). My ex's tough guy friends like Benny and Joon (granted, it is of a way higher quality than most romantic comedies). Another ex (bi though) likes Pink although that was because the colour pink turns him on and he thinks she is hot. I know more, but can't think of them off the top of my head.
It doesn't involve any "going of their way." My ex did get a few raised eyebrows about The Gilmore Girls, but that's about it.

Thank you for that. Helps me feel like I'm not so one-of-a-kind.

[Jamie D]

Day 17

17) How do you, or would you, deal with being misgendered?

That's not possible.