I will let the video (and my anxiety-driven higher-pitched voice) speak for itself. A warning: It is an assault narrative – it is not explicitly violent, but it may trigger strong emotions/memories (far too many people have had similar experiences).
Please watch before reading the short passage that follows (and let’s just ignore the thumbnail all together :D).
I had lived 37 years presenting as a man without ever being a target of assault. And the times I had faced the possibility of violence, it had not been the sort of predatory behavior as I describe in the story, grounded in the power imbalances our society creates around gender.
The experience described in the story occurred after spending fewer than 24 hours total in public with a feminine presentation. That contrast – 37 years, 24 hours – should speak volumes.
To end on a happier note, here’s the Instagram post where I publicly came out as genderqueer (for anyone wondering what I look like as a pretty princess :D)