Raccontando il genere senza limiti con Francesca Menghini

This is Sven "“Just like a lot of things in our world, gender is made up. It’s not biological, it’s artificial. People get to choose their own identity, their own levels of ”masculinity” and ”femininity”, instead of just taking on the ‘M’ or ‘F’ they got assigned at birth. I’ve always felt out of place, not being one of the boys but never one of the girls too. Until I learned I didn’t have to fit in. I’m the creator of my own life. I get to decide what to wear, what to do, what to be and to me, that’s powerful.”

This is Sara "“The word ‘fluidity’ is key to me in understanding gender and sexuality. As I came more into my queerness in terms of sexuality, I started to come into my own concept of gender in the sense that it felt absent or sometimes fluid. I feel comfortable in my gender expression, but not in the label of woman or man. Why label it at all? I felt such relief to realize I do not have to conform to made-up binaries and I wish the same kind of freedom was available for everyone. Shave off your hair, grow it out, wear different clothes, use pronouns or not at all, celebrate and above all, respect the unique experiences of all.”

This is Hemel "“I formed a relationship with beauty before I ever formed a relationship to gender per se. I realized that what kept me from transitioning for a very long time was not fitting within the idea of what beauty was. This is gender-conforming. ⁣⁣ I came to the conclusion I wanted to medically transition for real. I wanted to heal from the physical drain that my curvature and being taken for a woman all the time. When that happened, a lot of people tried to put me back into a box of gender-conformity of maleness, where I was also uncomfortable for a long amount of time. ⁣⁣ I think that there’s a lot of humanness and the presence of both yin and yang denied to trans people. We are either expected to stay the same or completely want to be a hundred percent the other.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This binary thinking is not good for cis people. It also adds a surreal layer of pressure onto trans people. ⁣⁣Transgender burn-out is so real of an issue that nobody really talks about. The act of having to keep up a hyperconforming narrative as to make sure everyone knows ‘you’re happy now’ while denying yourself complexities and a life that has nothing to do with gender. Denying yourself nuances and sadness or even regrets, things you don’t like about transitioning.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I still have a lot of anxiety around the acne on my face caused by testosterone. Of course, it’s been worth it. I feel more comfortable in my skin than ever. Although the fact my skin is screaming, full of infections, every time I look in the mirror is so stressful. I also get a lot of stress whenever expect me to do or like certain ‘male’ things.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I think a lot of people could really gain from hearing that trans people know what it’s like to be both. We know what it’s like to be perceived as both. Even when we’re not comfortable with being both.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ That’s how I feel about my transness.”

This is Juul "Before I started testosterone and when I started testosterone I was in a lot of doubt about top surgery. ⁣ I was like ‘I am not a trans man but people see me like that. A lot of trans men undergo top surgery. Wait, if gender dysphoria exists, gender euphoria also exists’.⁣ ⁣ I started thinking a lot about my boobs (I always have). Then I came to the conclusion ‘my body is perfect as it is. My boobs are beautiful’ and I already want to have nipple piercings for a long long time. I can be masculine and have boobs’. When I decided that, a wave of pure bliss hit me. ‘ I am not gonna undergo top surgery if I think my boobs are beautiful’. Then I got nipple piercings 3 days after I came back from my holiday to Italy. ⁣ Now I have a beautiful baddy queer chest with nipple hairs, nipple piercings and boobies. I love it so much. I felt like I can take on the world and still feel like that when I look at them.”⁣