Gender Dysphoria Isn’t In The Body Or The Brain/Just Ask The Ladies

Sometimes I hear trans people talk about gender dysphoria and I wonder

“What is that?”

I made some episode about it forever ago I don’t even remember what I said.

Probably something along the lines of the same shit I’m about to explain.

Nowadays, to me

Gender dysphoria, is the feeling

Of being in the wrong gender’s socialization.

I don’t really think it’s that helpful

To acknowledge

My “body’s” dysphoria as a thing that is

Separate, pure and somehow

Not tainted with body dysmorphia and other complexes.

I don’t think my experience socially

In the world, as a gender, is free from

Other implications either– however

I don’t think it’s fair

To say that gender dysphoria

Comes from the body– Or–

Even the mind. Honestly.

I think gender dysphoria is what happens

When someone treats me like a lady

Because that is a thing

Just ask all the ladies

Who prefer being called ladies

Instead of women!

Gender dysphoria is the sensation I experience

When I am at conflict

With my gendered socialization

I don’t really think it’s possible for trans rights

To progress any further

Until trans people acknowledge sex discrimination, as well as

Gendered socialization, as things that

Our world lives with, and will continue to live with

For ages.

Gendered socialization

Is when I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about

And the guy I’m working with

Screams at me about it lmfao

Gendered socialization

Is when I was pre-t, pre-top surgery

And the guy I’m working with

Rolls his eyes, shrugs, and gives up–

Does it himself.

Gendered socialization is everywhere

All the time, constant

To deny gendered socialization

Is to deny gender

To say that my gender dysphoria

Is my problem alone, that my gender identity

Relies on shit like pronouns

Do you see where I’m going?

My gender identity relies mostly

On the socialization I experience in the world, and partly on me

Being myself, authentically.

If someone chooses to treat me

With feminine socialization

They are a transphobe and it’s not subtle to me any more

It’s a massive difference.

If someone reads me and responds

Naturally and authentically

As I have seen other people talk to men

To me, I understand that to be

Amazing.

Anyway, I think gender dysphoria

Affects your mental health tremendously

But that isn’t the same

As being a condition caused by you, your feelings, your body,

Your “identity”–

It’s the pain of being misgendered by your social treatment,

Which can be flared up by discrimination

As subtle as tone, cadence, or feeling.

TBH the best way to explain it besides

Chivalry, is watching the scene in Queer Eye

Where Tan France meets his first trans man.


Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe to the Blog

Subscribe Here!

Join 582 other subscribers

Archives

Follow me on Twitter

%d