advice for a project

[Edge]

I could use some advice for this project I'm doing. I volunteered for a photovoice project on trans people in my province. I have to take pictures that have something to do with my life as a trans person. What I'm wondering is should I do it as a trans guy which I am out as right now? Or should I do it as a genderfluid person which I am wary of coming out as? I know it's a decision I have to make, but I'm wondering what you people think about it and why.

[Ayla]

Both make sense and appear viable.  But from your apparent risk appetite it may be best to do it as a trans guy. This will give you practice for doing something similar if you choose to also do it later as a gender fluid person. As you said, whether this is the best approach is something only you can decide as you have a better feel for where you are at, the situation, the audience, the learning opportunity and the risk/stress/benefit involved with each alternative.

Safe travels

Aisla

[Deleted]

What is the goal? What statement do you wish to make with the photos, concerning you, concerning Trans?

How rigidly binary is your province, how does that affect you or them, how does confronting with Nonbinary truth raise awareness, what risk is it for you?

What do you fear?

What are you proud of?

What will be captured in your eyes, defiance, pride, fear, vulnerability?

Fun to think on.

[Edge]

May 12, 2015 17:37:55 GMT 8 Trinity said:

What is the goal? What statement do you wish to make with the photos, concerning you, concerning Trans?

How rigidly binary is your province, how does that affect you or them, how does confronting with Nonbinary truth raise awareness, what risk is it for you?

What do you fear?

What are you proud of?

What will be captured in your eyes, defiance, pride, fear, vulnerability?

Fun to think on.

The goal of the project is to bring awareness that there are trans people in my province and show that we're regular, diverse people. My goal is that and to promote self actualization.

My province is pretty rigidly binary. We're the last province to still not cover trans health care. Many people still believe in gender roles here. Even other trans people misgender non-binary people. Showing that non-binary people exist would hopefully raise awareness that we do exist. There is no safety risk for me, but it is inevitable that people will think I am less of a guy and/or make assumptions about my personality which I really don't like. Heck, I even get that in non-binary groups.

I fear being seen as less of a man, of false assumptions being made about my personality, being taken less seriously as a trans person, etc.

I am proud of being me.

Pride I hope. Not all the pictures will be of me though. The idea is to also have or only have pictures that mean something to us in terms of being trans. We can get artsy if we want.

[Deleted]

May 12, 2015 20:41:24 GMT 8 Edge said:

May 12, 2015 17:37:55 GMT 8 Trinity said:

What is the goal? What statement do you wish to make with the photos, concerning you, concerning Trans?

How rigidly binary is your province, how does that affect you or them, how does confronting with Nonbinary truth raise awareness, what risk is it for you?

What do you fear?

What are you proud of?

What will be captured in your eyes, defiance, pride, fear, vulnerability?

Fun to think on.

The goal of the project is to bring awareness that there are trans people in my province and show that we're regular, diverse people. My goal is that and to promote self actualization.

My province is pretty rigidly binary. We're the last province to still not cover trans health care. Many people still believe in gender roles here. Even other trans people misgender non-binary people. Showing that non-binary people exist would hopefully raise awareness that we do exist. There is no safety risk for me, but it is inevitable that people will think I am less of a guy and/or make assumptions about my personality which I really don't like. Heck, I even get that in non-binary groups.

I fear being seen as less of a man, of false assumptions being made about my personality, being taken less seriously as a trans person, etc.

I am proud of being me.

Pride I hope. Not all the pictures will be of me though. The idea is to also have or only have pictures that mean something to us in terms of being trans. We can get artsy if we want.

I have a hard time with the less of a man issue.  There's all kinds of stuff there, the Mtf recoil maybe.  It's like me being not girl enough, a makeup competition.  I don't fit into either male or female.

I was caught up in that stuff, until I realized that being a man is about integrity, fighting for what's right, calling bullshit what it is, and protecting the weak.

That to me is a man.  In that sense, my he fits it.  As does yours and they can't minimize that.  Isn't that true?  You speak your mind, confront.  You have strength.  But men also show compassion, they cry, they struggle, usually alone in a crowd.

No a man is about courage and values.  If they think you less of a man, it's because they are.

[Edge]

May 13, 2015 1:08:28 GMT 8 Trinity said:

I have a hard time with the less of a man issue.  There's all kinds of stuff there, the Mtf recoil maybe.  It's like me being not girl enough, a makeup competition.  I don't fit into either male or female.

I was caught up in that stuff, until I realized that being a man is about integrity, fighting for what's right, calling bullshit what it is, and protecting the weak.

That to me is a man.  In that sense, my he fits it.  As does yours and they can't minimize that.  Isn't that true?  You speak your mind, confront.  You have strength.  But men also show compassion, they cry, they struggle, usually alone in a crowd.

No a man is about courage and values.  If they think you less of a man, it's because they are.

Me too. It's undoubtably tied into the whole "You have to pick one or the other or in between, you can't be all of them!" thing, but it is also very much connected to the fact that other people keep trying to put gender roles on me.
Even other non-binary people.
Stop it. I was not raised with your gender roles. I do not understand your gender roles and I never will. I do not understand why people keep confusing gender roles, especially their gender roles which are not mine, with my gender.
Those things you listed have to do with personality, not gender. All of those things could apply to people of all genders.

[Deleted]

May 13, 2015 1:41:34 GMT 8 Edge said:

May 13, 2015 1:08:28 GMT 8 Trinity said:

I have a hard time with the less of a man issue.  There's all kinds of stuff there, the Mtf recoil maybe.  It's like me being not girl enough, a makeup competition.  I don't fit into either male or female.

I was caught up in that stuff, until I realized that being a man is about integrity, fighting for what's right, calling bullshit what it is, and protecting the weak.

That to me is a man.  In that sense, my he fits it.  As does yours and they can't minimize that.  Isn't that true?  You speak your mind, confront.  You have strength.  But men also show compassion, they cry, they struggle, usually alone in a crowd.

No a man is about courage and values.  If they think you less of a man, it's because they are.

Me too. It's undoubtably tied into the whole "You have to pick one or the other or in between, you can't be all of them!" thing, but it is also very much connected to the fact that other people keep trying to put gender roles on me.
Even other non-binary people.
Stop it. I was not raised with your gender roles. I do not understand your gender roles and I never will. I do not understand why people keep confusing gender roles, especially their gender roles which are not mine, with my gender.
Those things you listed have to do with personality, not gender. All of those things could apply to people of all genders.

question...

These qualities of a person...

Not gendered? No longer relevant to gender polarity?

Personally components, no he.she?

Radical thought. Very hard to get.

Forget applying labeling on this.

Question...maternal vs paternal love. Gendered?

Just curious here. Seriously.

Gender spectrum becomes a sphere under this, where of human. Points within of qualities, not male female.

Am I on track with your vision edge?

Thoughts....?

[Edge]

May 13, 2015 4:41:40 GMT 8 Trinity said:

question...

These qualities of a person...

Not gendered? No longer relevant to gender polarity?

Personally components, no he.she?

Radical thought. Very hard to get.

Forget applying labeling on this.

Question...maternal vs paternal love. Gendered?

Just curious here. Seriously.

Gender spectrum becomes a sphere under this, where of human. Points within of qualities, not male female.

Am I on track with your vision edge?

Thoughts....?

No, they're not gendered and never have been in reality although people have thought they were and treated people (especially women) poorly because of it. Some still think they are and still treat people (mostly women) badly because of it. I don't understand how that's radical. Women are just as capable of being strong, fighting for what's right, protecting the weak, being about integrity, etc. They have been for as long as recorded history at least.
What's the difference between maternal and paternal love? Aside from the genders of the people it's named after. What is the actual difference in how it feels and how it's expressed?
For most personality qualities, there is actually not enough of a difference between the genders to say they are connected in any way. There are some, but even then there are often far too many exceptions to paint all the members of a gender the same way.
My vision has nothing to do with gender roles. These personality qualities have nothing to do with gender at all. Not male, female, non-binary, or anything to do with the spectrum. I really, really wish I could stop having to repeat this.

[Deleted]

It takes time for some of us. You may have to repeat a lot...

And as a child abused, I get it.

[Edge]

I've repeated it over and over and over until I've wanted to scream, but it feels like no one ever listens to me. Every time I try to talk about my gender I have to do it all over again. This is why I don't want to come out as genderfluid.

[Deleted]

Must understand...binarism was drilled into our skulls. We older folk are trying to break free of it, here, in this place, and you younger folk hold the keys.

We are teachable, be patient with us as you set us free. That's one of the reasons we are here instead of elsewhere.

It is radical, compared to the 50s, 60s 70s. And I like radical gender.

[Deleted]

May 13, 2015 5:05:16 GMT 8 Edge said:

I've repeated it over and over and over until I've wanted to scream, but it feels like no one ever listens to me. Every time I try to talk about my gender I have to do it all over again. This is why I don't want to come out as genderfluid.

I'm listening...

Also I don't wish to frustrate but I am not satisfied with where we are. I want to learn and understand. I don't like being gendertrapped. I see something new. Breathe and talk, or chill and talk later, you have something I want.

[Edge]

It's the same thing I've said over and over and over again. You can find it in every thread I've made about my gender. Inevitably, someone gets my gender identity confused with their gender roles and I respond the same way every time: that stuff has nothing to do with my gender and it hurts every time people think it does. What will saying it one more time change?

You might be interested in people like Boudicca, Grace O'Malley, Queen Elizabeth II, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Ching Shih, Medb, the Morrigan and other war goddesses, viking shieldmaidens, Hatshepsut, Catherine the Great, and many more that I can't name off the top of my head. They don't have much to do with gender aside from the fact that they are all women.

[Deleted]

It changes what I will say going forward. And I'll read your past posts.

I need to chill at the moment something went down at work and I'm upset.

[Deleted]

Apologies.

Frustration about not understanding and repeating is not under any condition something I wish to cause.

Not by any means, trust me.

Night folks, night Edge.