In big and small ways, we need to stand in unity against the injustices that were inflicted upon our people yesterday by the GOP. We need to stand together with those affected by the executive orders that were signed as soon as the new administration was sworn in.
Though I was born with both male and female attributes and, after surgeries were performed, was assigned male at birth (he/him), I always knew that I was female (she/her).
Physically, I did not fit neatly into the binary at birth. I was not fully developed as a male or a female. I was physically androgynous, a literal they/them. Throughout my life, my body kept trying to correct the mistake the doctors made when I was born. Unfortunately, they forced testosterone on me in an attempt to push my body back into alignment with the wrong end of what they saw as a binary set of choices.
This past year, I finally had my gender fixed on my birth certificate, my driver’s license, and other legal documents. I am finally legally recognized as a woman (she/her) by the government, which means I may not be affected by the executive order that declares that there are only two genders.
This presidential act was a direct attack on androgynous and nonbinary people. These are my friends and chosen family that the GOP are attempting to legislate out of existence. I will not stand for this blatant phobic behavior. I will stand in unity with my enby siblings by using they/them pronouns in my speech and my writings to refer to myself, until the day that this order is rescinded and the dignity of self-determination is restored to the American people by our Federal government.
I hope you will join me in this act of solidarity as I stand up for those who are being forced to assimilate with a societal construct that does not fit them or reflect their lived experience.
Until this hurtful gender-related executive order is rescinded, I will loudly stand in solidarity with my intersex and enby siblings.
…and the hateful words written on that piece of paper THEY signed yesterday can and will not stop us from exercising our right to free speech.
~ elr
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