For my Sociology of Gender class, one of the books we're required to read is My Gender Workbook by Kate Bornstein. I'm not a huge fan of the book, but welcome the ways in which Bornstein challenges people to look beyond the gender binary. Anyway, in the book, Bornstein speaks about how ze asked people to define themselves. Ze asked over a hundred people, "who are you? what are you?" and then recorded the responses ze received. All of the responses are completely label driven. Femme. Butch. Bi-gendered boychick. Trans. Dyke. Fetishist. Queer. It is amazing to read the many ways in which people define themselves, drawing on self-identity, society's perspective, sexual attraction, and desire. There were a few responses that I circled because they really struck me. One of which, I would like to share here. So, here is my favorite response, of all 107 that Bornstein recorded in hir book:
"What am I? It depends.
When I speak of Brandon Teena, a transsexual man who was raped and then murdered because he dared identify as a man while possessing a vagina, I am a transsexual man.
When I speak of a transsexual woman who is being excluded because of her past, I am a transsexual woman.
When I speak of a pre-op transsexual who is being hurtfully categorized by the shape of the tissue between his or her legs, I am a pre-op transsexual.
When I speak of a post-operative transsexual who is being denigrated as the destroyer of his own body's integrity, I am a post-op transsexual.
When I speak of those who dare not reveal the pleasure they derive from wearing clothing reserved exclusively for use of the opposite sex, I am a transvestite.
When I speak of those who are regarded as degenerate because they find certain items particularly stimulating of pleasurable fantasy, I am a fetishist.
When I speak of those who enjoy games of erotic power exchange, I am a sadomasochist.
When I speak of those who prefer the same sex to the opposite for intimacy, I am a homosexual.
When I speak of those who open their arms to intimacy without restriction based on sexual polarity, I am a bisexual.
When I speak of any woman who is being hurt because she dares o challenge or seek respect, I am a sister.
When I speak of any man who is being hurt because he dares to prefer sensitivity to durability, I am a brother.
When I speak of any person who is being hurt because they do not identity as either man or woman, I do not identify.
I am all of these things. In being so, I make a difference where and whenever difference is being used to make hurt."
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