Summary: Kelsey Beckham is an agender
teenager. They grew up in Michigan, and struggled with people using
the “default” pronoun of “she,” given that Kelsey was born
with female anatomy. Another issue they faced growing up in such a
community was the speculation that they were dating their best
friend, since both of them have short hair. Lastly, and most
importantly, their mom finds Kelsey's gender difficult to understand,
although she is trying. Currently, they are in college, where they
plan on completely embracing their gender identity.
Connection to Health Class: We recently
talked about bullying, the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community, and
National Coming Out Day, all of which apply to Kelsey's life.
Questions: Do you know anyone who
doesn't identify within the gender binary? If so, how does it affect
your relationship with them? If not, how would it? Alternatively, have you ever
considered a non-binary identity? Have you even heard of gender
identities other than male or female (no, transgender doesn't count)?
If I knew somebody that was trying to hide their true gender binary, I would support there decision to come out or to support them with trying to build the courage to say something about their gender.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean "hide their true gender binary"? If you're born with certain organs, that does not determine your gender in the slightest. You're not truly a man unless you identify as a man, whether you have the genitals or not. Kelsey in the article is not a woman, despite their anatomy. They are agender. They're not "hiding their true gender binary."
DeleteI actually know a lot of people who don't conform to the gender binary, myself included. I've heard of many genders in between the traditional binaries, including transgender and intersex. I think while I still identify with the gender of a female, I do dress and act differently than the female stereotype would. I have a friend who is questioning their gender and is not out yet, and I fully support whatever decision they make. Honestly, getting hung up on gender stops a person from seeing the true personality of a person.
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