How Do You Identify?
Kain: I identify as a queer/bisexual/not straight, polyamorous, kinky, non-binary trans man. The words I use for my identity are really reflective of the fluid way that I approach my identity, and I know that my understanding of it may shift and change in the future. My sexuality and gender are just one big grey area a lot of the time. he/him and they/them pronouns.
Evelyn: I identify primarily as a Two Spirit non-binary transfeminine individual. As for my sexuality, I’ve always kinda leaned closer to demisexual with biromantic tendencies. My pronouns are she/her/hers and they/them/theirs.
Why Did You Decide to Start This Blog?
Evelyn: My major deciding factor was that I wanted there to be another Indigenous voice in the queer community. Furthermore, I wanted to provide an example for people to see that financial upbringing and age isn’t a factor in not undergoing transition in any way, shape, or form. Granted, there are certainly people out there on Tumblr and the like who are much older than me (and in fact, one of them even inspired me to finally start my own transition), but I hope to provide another experience into the pool.
There is also the fact that I’ve wanted to be a little more of a vocal part of the queer community by speaking about my experiences in life and how things have changed as I’ve grown. That, and I also wanted to actually put my English degree into some form of use, and writing has always been my strong suit.
Kain: I wanted to start writing this blog with Evelyn because writing has always been an important medium for me, and recently, I’ve been feeling the need to share my story in some kind of verbal format. Evelyn and I have been on a kind of joint gender journey since our sophomore year of college and she seemed like the right person to keep writing alongside.
Additionally, the narratives of other trans masc people really helped me figure out my identity as a non-binary trans man and I wanted to get my voice out there, because at the end of the day, I want to help people ground themselves in their identities. Maybe it’s the English major in me, but I believe that stories and words can make a difference in the world.
Why Is Talking About Your Identity Important to You?
Evelyn: For me, talking about my identity is important because people in my life have struggled with understanding my identity, or have chosen to erase aspects of my identity when talking about me. I figured that the best story is one that comes from the person themselves, and the best way for me to do that is to actually talk about my journey as things have gone and will be going in the future. I would like people to at least see (or read, in this case) my growth as a human being.
Kain: I talk about my identity. A lot. Being queer and trans is a very critical part of how I experience the world. However, education and connection are also really important to me and talking openly about my identity allows me to connect with other LGBTQIA2S+ folks. I also get to use my identity as an educational resource for folks who have questions about the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Is that exhausting? Sometimes, but I really value those educational conversations.
A Gendered Experience 