there there they/their

Abstract

I believe that gender is a unique, subjective experience. Often we get caught up in trying to prove our experiences are valid, when they inherently are. This piece reflects on one such experience, my own. Finding myself caught between two conventional binaries, femininity vs masculinity and cis vs trans, I began assigning pieces of who I am are to either side. The title, besides being wordplay, is reflective of the self-assurance, patience and compassion that must be practiced in order to ensure a positive experience in the community.