Description: A three panel comic. In the first picture a caption says “As a cis person, you have to try really hard to be your assigned gender.” A smiling stick figure responds with “OK.” In the second picture a caption says “As a trans person, you have to try really hard to be your true gender.” The same smiling stick figure responds with “OK.” once more. In the last picture the caption says “What if you let go instead?” The stick figure stares with eyes wide open.
This one made a serious crack in my egg back in the day.
That’s me.
I mean I still have an [M] on my ID card and have the usual boy-bits and features, but I never really cared — or fit in — when I was expected to do well in sports or defend myself against bullies. I always wondered why dudes were expected to wear drab or identifiable sports colors, or the same uniform tuxedo.
But today I am not a man. Man-null. The boolean opposite of man. Enby or agender when I can tick those boxes.
I’ve long turned in my proverbial man card.
The definitions of manhood I had as a kid turned out to be simple adulting by the 90s (everyone is expected to do accounting and housework and late shifts). Everyone not in the ownership class (or their police contingent) are expected to act maturely and be responsible.
Exemplars of men include Donald J. Trump, Matt Walsh, Joe Rogan, Ben Shapiro, Andrew Tate…
…my MAGA loyalist, FOX-news–watching father.
I want to be as unlike these guys as I can.
I have no gender.