Gender I

I had the opportuntiy to read a fascinating book by Helen Boyd. If you have any interest in who we are as people, it's worth the time to read this book and think about gender. I have trans friends who you wouldn't know are trans unless they told you. While they're not, as they say in the community, stealth, they're not out. It's the adage within the community once you transistion, and identify as a transperson, you're always one. It's the reality of being.

And here's the kicker. While we may like to distinguish ourselves from transgender people, using the biggest umbrella definition of transgender, we're all to some degree a mix of sexes and genders as we all have male and female hormones which keeps our mind and body alive and working and we all have cross-gender aspects of ourselves. There are no gender-unique behaviors - excluding the obvious physical and sex differences. Being transgender is simply the degree our gender expression isn't what society expects with our birth sex.

Why the discussion? I don't know but it's part of being human, being thinking out loud person, my like for diversity in people's expression and presentation, and my thoughts on life and people. I like to see the diversity of people, and while I don't usually photograph them because I believe in people's privacy, photographing events such as the Seattle Pride parade provides the opportunity to see the diversity.

My point? Fairly simple and easy. Acceptance of people. Being a Taoist, that's not too hard for me. Well, there are some who take a lot of work to accept, but it's about seeing them as a person, and like them or not, they exist as you and I, born into this world as they are and growing up with their experience. Would you be much different if you were them? Maybe, but we can't tell, so why not just accept them as people? Is that so hard?

It's not if you just relax about gender. After all we're all composites of genes and experience, the ole' nature and nuture thing, so we all come out different changing as we go. As Martin Luther King said, "Judge people by the content of their character.", and not their presentation. You never know who'll meet and get to know unless you try. And by all means read the book by Helen Boyd. It really makes you think about who you are in the world.

And the person in the photo? I'll leave it to you and ask if it really matters?