Explorative, affirming birthday week

It’s mid-summer. After almost a year of paperwork and emailing back & forth with the Italian Consulate in Chicago and the City Hall of the city where I was born back in Europe, I have finally received the communication that I didn’t dare hope for: “Your sex change has been accepted and your gender amendedContinue reading “Explorative, affirming birthday week”

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”

Compartmentalizing — Decompartmentalizing?

I tend to compartmentalize my relationships: friends with whom I walk&talk or meet for tea or dinner or movie night; friends with whom I go out dancing; running buddies; climbing buddies. And sometimes, friends with benefits, with whom I usually share little more than sex and some emotional and/or intellectual connection.  It wasn’t always thatContinue reading “Compartmentalizing — Decompartmentalizing?”

Flow-of-consciousness thoughts & feelings on my unmet relational needs

My mind likes to have something to focus on. Or something to obsess about. And periodically, it obsesses about “having a boyfriend” (whatever that may mean for someone who is aro-ace). I often – more and more often – think that the importance my buddies have for me or the affection I feel for themContinue reading “Flow-of-consciousness thoughts & feelings on my unmet relational needs”

Two reasons that are hard to let go of

With all the genuine attention and affectionate gestures/behaviors I’m getting from several people in the gay men’s chorus, including even physical affection when I open/loosen up, why did I get so hung up on that one guy with whom I hooked up?  After all, he’s not the only one who’s shown me interest, he’s notContinue reading “Two reasons that are hard to let go of”

I’m not a “hot guy”

The first time I hooked up with the gender-expansive gay guy from the chorus, he said to me just twice, “You’re a hot guy”, and it felt extremely affirming to me. I don’t see myself as a “hot guy” but hearing it explicitly from a gay man is validating of my gender-identity. At least inContinue reading “I’m not a “hot guy””

The asexual hookup

[Trigger warning: sex/sexuality.] I am asexual.  I know I keep saying this over and over again. But I feel I have to — and this irritates me and pains me — because I’m feeling invalidated by people over and over again, with some of the usual gaslighting that ace people so often get, e.g. “maybeContinue reading “The asexual hookup”