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Embracing My Truth: Life As An Intersex, Lesbian Woman
Every family has its own unique spectrum of personalities, and in mine, I’ve affectionately earned the title of the rainbow sheep. Unlike the proverbial black sheep, who stands out for notoriously defying family norms, I embody the rainbow—a burst of unexpected light, a prism of identity, illuminating each facet of my true self that has for long existed in the shadows. If there’s one constant in the ever-evolving journey of self-discovery, it’s the deep-seated affirmation of my womanhood. From the tender years of childhood to the introspective complexity of my adult life, if I’ve ever identified as anything, it’s unequivocally female. My femininity is not a neatly penned script handed…
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Celebrating Pride Month As An Intersex Lesbian
As the vibrant colors of rainbow flags adorn the streets and a wave of excitement fills the air, I am reminded that June is not just another month—it’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month! This annual celebration holds a special place in my heart as a married intersex lesbian. It is a time for me to reflect on my journey, embrace my true self, and share the love and pride that have shaped my life. Discovering My Identity Growing up, I always felt different. I questioned my place in a world that seemed to be divided into neat boxes of male and female. It was during my adolescence that I came across the…
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Celebrating Amelia’s 36th Birthday
The sky was painted with hues of gold as the sun came up on another glorious day. I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty surrounding me, knowing that it paled in comparison to the woman who holds my heart. Today is my wife’s 36th birthday, and I am filled with gratitude and excitement as we celebrate the quirks that make her the extraordinary person she is. From the moment I met her, I knew there was something different about this woman, who would become the love of my life. Her vibrant spirit, warm smile, and unconventional ways attracted me like a moth to a flame. As our relationship blossomed,…
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The Doctors Laughed At My Body
October 27, 2022 The doctor and his assistant looked at my body and they laughed. They said they had never seen anything like it before, but that’s because it is a rarity. It is a rarity to be born with internal female reproductive organs, while also having genitalia that would typically be considered that of a male. The doctor was primarily interested in examining my breasts and my genitalia. Most doctors I’ve seen have historically approached their exams and questions in similar fashion. The doctor barely listened to my concerns, let alone how I identified from a gender standpoint. He was just looking to see if I had a vagina,…
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The Art Of Saying Goodbye
It’s an awkward feeling – the one you get when you have to say goodbye to someone you don’t want to let go of, be it a friend, colleague, or loved one. If you do not understand the art of saying goodbye, your relationships are bound to suffer. There’s nothing more important than solid relationships in this world if you want to succeed in life. I defied my parents’ wishes and dropped out of college. I was extremely intelligent, but struggled within the modern educational system. Regardless, my parents expected me to pursue an academic degree. I was adamant about not going back. I knew that there was more for…
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I’ve Lived A Life Less Ordinary
Today is the day that I’ve decided to write down all the things I’ve been holding back my entire life. Now is the time for me to finally write about black forests and wolves, the monster under my bed. This is my time, blessed, reverent, I understand. I was born intersex; for the first few years of my life, doctors weren’t sure of my birth gender. My parents decided to name me Thomas, and as I grew, I was effectively raised as a girl, which would have been my choice if I had been asked. Although I attended pre-school as a girl, my father insisted on enrolling me in grade…
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The Gender Binary is an Unnecessary Construct
If you’re unfamiliar with the gender binary, it refers to the idea that there are only two genders and everyone falls into one of those two categories (male or female). It’s an idea that causes unnecessary strife in our society. While the concept is nothing new—people have believed in the gender binary since before we had scientific evidence to support it—it’s still not one without consequences or negative effects on people who don’t conform to it. Luckily, we have generations of scientists and forward-thinking humans who are working hard to dismantle this concept in every aspect of their lives. There are more than two genders and they can be hard…
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What It’s Like To Be Born With Female Pseudohermaphroditism (Intersex)
My name is Thomas, and I was born with a condition called female pseudohermaphroditism, which is an intersex condition. My condition means that while I was born with functioning female set of internal reproductive organs, I also had normal-appearing external male genitalia. After a doctor encouraged me to intentionally cause myself harm because, as they were concerned, “people like you should not exist”, I decided to write this article to educate, inspire, and inform those who are curious about my intersex condition. This condition is what caused my external genitals looked more like those of a boy than those of a girl. However, it wasn’t until I got my period…
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In Some Forgotten Dream
I walked away from an almost 30-year relationship with someone I called my best friend for many years. What hurts the most is that I will forever remember the last thing that people say to me as they are leaving. When I met him, we were both enrolled at an all-boys boarding school; my father had forced me to attend because he thought that by doing so, his daughter could be molded into a son. Our last conversation was about how he saw himself as the most successful person from our high school graduating class, and that nobody from our class was nearly as successful as him. I of course…
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In Another Set Of Chances I’d Take The Ones I’ve Missed
I used to write in riddles, and I used to write in rhymes; my body ached to write the words, the prose is what kept me alive. I write into the dark veil of the night, and in another set of chances, I’d take the ones I’ve missed. All the times in which I spoke into the silence, and whenever I do it seems I don’t speak, except to cry out and wait for an answer. I came into this world alone, marked in constellation, and when all else is gone, I will still be here. There’s a ceiling in the darkness, I am but a lifeless face that you’ll…
