I was speaking with my mother yesterday who was born in 1936 and is pushing 90. Hence her knowledge of certain issues is limited even as she has come a very long way in her acceptance of diversity.
She sometimes calls what I do "dressing" even as I live authentically because of her limited vocabulary but I correct her and say transgender. Yesterday I might have made a breakthrough when I explained that in a sense it's like being reversed in your brain. Then she says:
"You are a woman in a man's body" to which I respond yes of sorts. I have always been this way adding that our clinical understanding of gender dysphoria is still very much incomplete.
"But you like women" she adds emphatically.
Then I use the example of my lesbian niece who loves women but is also feminine. I explain to her the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation.
People from her generation eventually get it after things are explained to them. They had other issues even if everything aligned with societal norms because everyone has something.
It doesn't matter that she doesn't comprehend a subject matter I have been exploring for years due to its intimate impact on me. She just needs to accept which she very much does.
It's all that matters.
They never taught us in school that sexuality and gender identity are different. That has caused so much trouble and anguish.
ReplyDelete-Christina
They explained very little
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