« No Comment | Main | Notes »

October 07, 2005

Comments

frog

"I’m so fucking tired of having to do work where most people just exist."

Amen.

dale

Oh, I can't tell you how deeply this resonated with me. I had to post about it.

Friday Mom

"Sometimes I want to exist in a context where my life and my choices are assumed, not explained."

I'm getting the first taste of this ever in my new job. Makes it harder to accept the need for explanation elsewhere, but I celebrate the freedom I now have to explain...even if it often feels tedious and frustrating. It's much so better than passing ever was....

Elissa Malcohn

Found you through Mole. I've been coming out as bi since the 1970s, so can speak to that "bi-invisibility." Sometimes it's all Mary and I can do to convince people we're a couple without adding on yet another layer of education.

But you never know when simple disclosure will help other people with their own identity or with that of someone they know. I've seen it happen. And I believe those repeated, simple disclosures will eventually get us to a place where we no longer must explain ourselves. (One can hope.)

I live in an area where many are widowed -- and a lot of those folks, even those whom my pronouns had confused at first, recognize the value and importance of having a loved one and companion, period.

Pronoia

And that's why I keep coming out, Elissa: because I know that being able to live my life even this freely is because of the great courage and sacrifices of the queers who came before me, who were out when it wasn't safe and wasn't talked about and didn't have allies. Because there are miles yet to walk, and if I can make some other queer feel safer or affirmed or seen, I will. And because, dammit, our lives are lovely and worthy just as they are, and I refuse to let someone else's prejudice limit how I live and express that life.

And I'm lucky: I'm in a city and a job and a relationship where I can be out and outspoken and kiss on the street. It's a great blessing and yet it's what everyone should have.

But Goddess, sometimes I'm just weary of the work.

suzanne

on the matter of repetitive explaining

upon a move from Madison WI (broader scoped)
to the Northeast (provincially narrow minded)
my elder son, 12 at the time,
came home one day to say
he was so tired of being an educational experience
for narrow thinking people
he is
Lithuanian/Black/Blackfoot Indian/Euromongrel
and we claim Tatar
through that invasion of Lithuania
which explains why so many Lithuanians are slightly sallow complexioned
dark haired dark eyed

we think of it
proudly
as having the blood of the four major races
intermingled in his and his brother's veins

he is visibly identified as black

his schoolmates
all white
offspring of doctors and lawyers
constantly told him
he couldn;t have a white mother/black father
as that was illegal

et cetera et cetera and on and on

hence his fatigue
at explaining

seems to me
as it seemed to him
we are all queer
anda if everyone would
just get over the fact
that difference exists and is
in the main beautiful
and healthy (hybrid vigor)
this Other fatigue could be replaced
by great energy

all of which applies equally
to the male/female/bi/trans/hemaphro
differences


udge

Found you via Dale. Wonderful post, witty and moving and with a pinch of anger to spice things up. I'll be back.

kirsten

Hmmmmm....

Definite food for thought here. (I migrated from Mole, also -- glad to have found you).

It's true that it gets tiresome sometimes. I moved to Montreal over two years ago, and you always get the same question when meeting new people: "So, why did you move here...?" And my stock answer -- "Well, because my girlfriend is from here, she's Quebecoise..." Blink. Number 1, I'm admitting I'm queer. Number 2, I'm getting all fancy and PC -- because even though it's the custom here for Anglos to call Quebecers 'French', my girl is not french -- she's Quebecoise. (Just like I'm a New Zealander. Not British.) Anyway, I digress.

What cracks me up, is when people miss the 'girlfriend' reference. You know how some people call their friends their 'girlfriends'? Eg, "Went out on Friday night with my girlfriends..."

Yeah. I should be so lucky.

Just kidding. Married. Deliriously happy. And because of this, coming out over and over and over again -- seems like a small price to pay for a love that I live (relatively hassle-free) and a life that I love.

Ms. P

And while we're all at it -- happy National Coming Out Day. :)

Sfrajett

Loved the coming out post and love the hopefulness of your blog. I will definitely keep reading. Happy Constant Coming Out Day (Year?) to you!

The comments to this entry are closed.