I know at least five or six, but there's only one who's interesting enough to talk about. In high school I bonded with a very femme guy over a shared love of fashion. We would go to thrift stores and try on dresses together, then go home and do each other's makeup. He didn't think of himself as a woman, and neither did I; we were just dorky theater kids messing around. I distinctly remember him telling me once that he "couldn't imagine not having a penis".
We remained friendly for a few years after high school and gradually lost touch. About a year ago (a good ten years post-graduation), he messaged me out of the blue to tell me he was transitioning and to thank me for the role our friendship played in "cracking his egg". I sincerely hope he is happy. But it makes me sad that someone who by his own admission does not experience physical dysphoria feels the need to medicalize his gender non-conformity. In a different society, he could have been a successful drag queen or makeup artist.
I miss the age of true gender benders. I don't know if we'll ever get it back. It used to be so campy and fun and genuinely subversive. In 2021, it's a rigid, humorless caricature of itself, reinforcing the stereotypes it was once instrumental in breaking.
We remained friendly for a few years after high school and gradually lost touch. About a year ago (a good ten years post-graduation), he messaged me out of the blue to tell me he was transitioning and to thank me for the role our friendship played in "cracking his egg". I sincerely hope he is happy. But it makes me sad that someone who by his own admission does not experience physical dysphoria feels the need to medicalize his gender non-conformity. In a different society, he could have been a successful drag queen or makeup artist.
I miss the age of true gender benders. I don't know if we'll ever get it back. It used to be so campy and fun and genuinely subversive. In 2021, it's a rigid, humorless caricature of itself, reinforcing the stereotypes it was once instrumental in breaking.
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