Tag Archives: queer

Removing filters: an honest view and another hard lesson

Two weeks ago, after a half-marathon trail race where I wore my “Trans Pride” shorts that have hearts with the trans flag on the butt cheeks, a guy (cis-man) came up to me and said, “I like your shorts, especially the hearts with the trans flag on the butt. I was running behind you forContinue reading “Removing filters: an honest view and another hard lesson”

South Dakota solo trip — Afterthoughts

I’m back from my solo trip in South Dakota, I got back yesterday late afternoon.  I was on edge for the first two thirds of the trip because after about half an hour of driving a whining/whirring sounds started, the pitch getting higher as I sped up, which indicated that it was something rotating, likeContinue reading “South Dakota solo trip — Afterthoughts”

South Dakota solo trip — Day 1

I made it to South Dakota for a few days of a solo trip to camp, hike, and trail run in the Black Hills & Mt. Rushmore area.  Funny the things one thinks about while driving alone for hundreds of miles.  Towards the end of my drive today, I found myself counting the number ofContinue reading “South Dakota solo trip — Day 1”

My people — Queering relationships

Four guys in a picture. Four smiling young men. The fifth is the one with the good camera and photographer skills, taking the picture.  One is Russian of Ukrainian ethnicity; one is French with a German surname; one is part Italian, part American, part English, part German. They’re different heights, different builds; they have differentContinue reading “My people — Queering relationships”

Wonderful validations & liberating clarifications

Last night, I went to the birthday celebration of one of the more outgoing & friendly people in the gay men’s chorus, joining folks at a queer club.  Overall, I really had fun and the night felt affirming and liberating in several ways that are still making me glow now.  Fortunately, my closest nonbinary transmascContinue reading “Wonderful validations & liberating clarifications”

The important, painful reality of my being ace-aro & autistic

‘[…] Most of us are haunted by the sense there’s something “wrong” or “missing” in our lives — that we’re sacrificing far more of ourselves than other people in order to get by and receiving far less in return.’  [from Chapter 1 of the book Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price] Although seemingly “superficial” andContinue reading “The important, painful reality of my being ace-aro & autistic”

Sweet belonging: a beginning?

A 72% dark chocolate-raspberry bar and a small white envelope with my name on it. Inside, a pretty card with three dangling light-bulbs: “It means so much to have someone here who understands being different in a lot of non-visible ways and also is just so genuinely kind.  Here’s to as many cycles as weContinue reading “Sweet belonging: a beginning?”

Heaviness

I’m feeling sad. It’s a heavy sadness, a dark heaviness that has been weighing on me since Sunday.  I’m feeling sad and exhausted, and almost everything in my life now feels heavy and joyless. On Sunday, I had signed up to race in a local 10k run that has had a nonbinary category for aContinue reading “Heaviness”

“Black rights are queer rights & queer rights are Black rights”

Some valuable excerpts from the article “Civil rights leader David Johns is fighting to reclaim the future for Black & queer America” in LGBTQ Nation: “ “People forget that democracies have to be defended by each generation and that education is its midwife.” … “Culture wars are manufactured to drive wedges” within coalitions working towardContinue reading ““Black rights are queer rights & queer rights are Black rights””