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How do you identify?

Paul
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

I'm wondering if some of our topics are difficult for people whose triggers are sexuality, labels and the thought of someone finding out about them. Seeing as this is a safe place for us all to express how we feel;

How do you identify? "Straight but experimenting and confused" is completely OK we don't mind or judge!

Is sex or sexuality a trigger for you? Would you like to share further thoughts and feelings about your triggers or bad experience?

 

Paul

3 Replies 3

Gruffudd
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

I think these are good questions. I'll try.

I tend to identify to others if at all as being gay. That in itself can be a bit of a trigger because it makes invisible that I don't identify strongly with gender. When I come across someone strongly masculine or feminine even in writing it is daunting for me, I feel fear. That doesn't come from nowhere because that strong gender identity has been associated with the most horrible things in my life so far. So I probably should start saying genderqueer more often. 

Rob.

Ampersand
Community Member

Indeed these are good questions!

In a nutshell, I identify as a somewhat gay transman. If given the opportunity to elaborate, I'll likely explain that I am attracted to men, and that I am a female to male transgender person, possibly transsexual. If given even more time to elaborate, I'll explain that while I find men and masculinity pleasing to the eye, I have never experienced sexual attraction. I suppose I could consider myself asexual given that description, but I'm still somewhat uncertain as to whether or not that label is truly fitting.

The topic of sex (as in the act of) can be uncomfortable for me in that I have personally never participated in it nor desire to, though I'll admit to some curiosity on it. I think it is also uncomfortable for me as my body does not yet match my mental view of myself, in that I still posses secondary sex characteristics that I am very much uncomfortable with. Perhaps when I am more comfortable with my body the idea of sex wouldn't be so awkward, though there's also a possibility that it wouldn't change regardless of my relative comfort.

In relation to sex, the topic of pregnancy and abortion can be triggering for me as it is often discussed with copious amounts of the words woman, women, female and other such feminine inclined words. I am not a woman, yet there is a very real possibility that I could become pregnant as I still posses certain reproductive organs that I don't want, nor need. That these topics are almost always discussed in a one sided, gender binary enforcing way makes me feel like my identity is being erased, that my body's functions aren't important enough to talk about, despite being similar to what a woman could experience. I worry that other people like me hesitate to read information that might pertain to them because it could be even more triggering to them than it is to me. I can stomach reading stuff like that as my brain tends to auto-correct things to a more neutral stance, yet others could be so off put by such phrasing that they miss out on care that could potentially be important to their bodily configuration.

In regards to sexuality, it is not a triggering topic for me, though I usually avoid going into too much detail as I feel like I have very little experience on the matter to discuss the topic in any meaningful extent.

Paul
Blue Voices Member
Blue Voices Member

Hey Ampersand

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings. I always find it fascinating to learn how others feel and think about all topics sex, sexuality, gender and identification. It breaks apart my pre-conceived ideas about, as you've mentioned the idea of gender as a binary.

Having said that, I'm very open and accepting of all forms of gender expression and definition, that's why I like having my social conditioning broken apart.

I can understand how sex (the act) can be a trigger given how you explained how you feel. Again, thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings.

Paul x