Saturday, August 31, 2013

Review: Godless Americana by Sikivu Hutchinson

Sikivu Hutchinson introduces Godless Americana as "a radical humanist analysis" that "provides a vision of secular social justice that challenges Eurocentric traditions of race, gender, and class-neutral secularism", and then spends the next 7 chapters doing exactly that. This book is a call to action, a vision of humanism that decentralizes the white experience and asks the reader to embrace a compassionate sense of initiative within their own sphere of influence.

Page after page, I found myself questioning my position on which issues humanism ought to prioritize, as this book brings up numerous examples of how centralizing the concerns of white secular Americans is to actively render humanism irrelevant to anyone who falls outside that territory. Perhaps most poignant moment was the day I had 2 extra hours to myself to read on the bus, due to my car being in the shop. As I sat there, surrounded by people for whom, unlike myself, this was not their back-up mode of transportation nor a temporary inconvenience, I read about the mobility gap: "Transit-dependency means isolation. It means less access to living-wage jobs, quality schools, affordable housing, and park space... whites generally live in white neighborhoods with greater access to social services, park spaces, and job centers."

How can the reader continue to practice a humanism that does not make efficient public transit a humanist issue; that does not make city planning a humanist issue; that does not make jobs, housing, education, and public health a humanist issue? This book is ready to answer every white-washed "we are all Africans" humanist who can't fathom why Americans of color run back to their churches for support from a Bible which advocates slavery, by questioning the very presumed innocence of whiteness itself. It boldly proclaims that a humanism that is not relevant to people of all races is quite simply irrelevant. I recommend this book for all humanists who have come to expect more from ourselves.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Humanizing Genderqueer 16: Jolene

Humanizing Genderqueer: Lived experiences of non-binary people.

Gender Wins: Recall a happy memory of when you felt most comfortable in your gender or most accepted as your gender by those around you.

Mom helping me pick out men's clothes.

Gender Struggles: Tell about a time when circumstances would not allow, or you had to make sacrifices, to remain true to your gender.

I refuse to grow out my hair because it is going against my true self to have it long. I get called "sir" a LOT because of it though.

Humanist Involvement: Suggest something the humanist community could do to make a positive impact on your personal quality of life.

Don't judge someone on what they look like. If you don't know what to call someone, instead of just calling them "sir" or "ma'am" by their appearance, why not just ask them their name and call them that?

How You Identify (optional): Name, age, gender, location, ethnicity, anything you deem relevant.

Jolene, 28, Pennsylvania, White, Queer

Survey responses shared with permission.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Humanizing Genderqueer 15: Austin

Humanizing Genderqueer: Lived experiences of non-binary people.

Gender Wins: Recall a happy memory of when you felt most comfortable in your gender or most accepted as your gender by those around you.

When I found a group of people who were like me and understood my feelings about societies views of gender and understood how I view my own gender.

Gender Struggles: Tell about a time when circumstances would not allow, or you had to make sacrifices, to remain true to your gender.

When for a long time when I was younger my parents wouldn't accept me because of there religion and I couldn't live or be who I wanted. Also the times when I really don't want to be stared at or have the possibility of being discriminated against so I dress in a gender conforming way at those times.

Humanist Involvement: Suggest something the humanist community could do to make a positive impact on your personal quality of life.

Focus more on sexism, genderism, transphobia, and the negative impact gender roles and the binary have on people who don't fit it. Use science to debunk the notions of gender essentialism and the binary. Educate the public on how religion creates a false and narrow view of what gender is and how there is more diversity than religion wants you to see. Also include all gender and sexual minorities in the dialog of humanism. Just because you support gay marriage doesn't mean you are including all queer people.

How You Identify (optional): Name, age, gender, location, ethnicity, anything you deem relevant.

Austin  femme genderqueer

Survey responses shared with permission.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Does ADHD cause gender dysphoria?

Hi! So I posted on addforums, and kind of made a mess of genderqueer/adhd. Basically someone else said that adhd made her gender issues go away, and she said my gender issues sounded similar as did my adhd. however this made me really dsyphoric and I have been out of control. they also were like you cant start T and adhd meds at the same time. they kept pushing adhd meds, saying I won't know my perception of self until I do. you are like the only person I can find that might have some input.
Oh hi!  Ironically I have too much ADHD to regularly participate in ADD Forums, but thanks for looking me up.
I think they're full of shit trying to push any medication regime on you. Sounds like they're trying to "save" you from being genderqueer or something.
I can see how someone having ADHD might misattribute their social/mental dysphoria to gender dysphoria. I've considered it myself, since when I eat right and get enough sleep, my ADHD symptoms are greatly improved, and incidentally I have less gender-related anxiety as well. What if ADHD is causing the dysphoria?
For her, it seems that was the case, and she's managed to identify the correct cause of her problems. For me, it's that I'm managing my gender dysphoria better when I'm taking care of my mental health reserves. I can deal with being GQ better when I don't have to also deal with ADHD quite so much. Balancing all that is exhausting!
As far as you "can't" start T and ADHD meds at the same time... that sounds like something only your medical professionals can advise you. Outside of general concerns monitoring for unpleasant side effects (two new drugs at once may make it difficult to figure out what's caused by which), I haven't heard of any horrible drug reactions between the two that would prevent concurrent use.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Humanizing Genderqueer 14: Mx. Bear

Humanizing Genderqueer: Lived experiences of non-binary people.

Gender Wins: Recall a happy memory of when you felt most comfortable in your gender or most accepted as your gender by those around you.

When I told my husband I'd come to realize the source of a lot of my discomfort in life is that I'm genderqueer, and I was clearly scared to be having this talk, and he just hugged me and told me this doesn't change us... that I am who and what I am, and he loves me just the same as always.

Gender Struggles: Tell about a time when circumstances would not allow, or you had to make sacrifices, to remain true to your gender.

There are no correct restrooms for me in public places because I feel just as wrong in a womens' restroom as a mens' restroom. I've never been okay with restrooms at school, in the mall, etc in my entire life.

How You Identify (optional): Name, age, gender, location, ethnicity, anything you deem relevant.

Mx. Bear

Survey responses shared with permission.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Humanizing Genderqueer 13: James

Humanizing Genderqueer: Lived experiences of non-binary people.

Gender Wins: Recall a happy memory of when you felt most comfortable in your gender or most accepted as your gender by those around you.

When I came out to a friend as genderqueer, she simply asked me about my preferred pronouns, rather than finding it strange, as I'd feared she might.

Another happy memory is when I bound (binded?) for the first time in public, and no one said anything, which was precisely what I was going for.

[Editor's note: spell check is telling me "bound" is correct. In case you're like me, and didn't know either.]

Gender Struggles: Tell about a time when circumstances would not allow, or you had to make sacrifices, to remain true to your gender.

Whenever someone misgenders me as female (which is all the time as I must present as female to a rather conservative crowd), I get super uncomfortable. I cannot say anything, as most people who misgender me would likely consider me a freak or "confused."

I'd also love for people to call me James as well as my given name, but I'm too afraid to actually do so.

Humanist Involvement: Suggest something the humanist community could do to make a positive impact on your personal quality of life.

Just getting the message out there that genderqueer people exist, and that we don't conform to any one type of gender presentation, so you never can quite tell who might be genderqueer.

How You Identify (optional): Name, age, gender, location, ethnicity, anything you deem relevant.

"James", 21, genderqueer, New Hampshire

Survey responses shared with permission.