“Are you going to check out that pride event going on?” Robert asks, shoving your shoulder.
You push back and scoff. “Why should I? All of that shit is so confusing. I wouldn’t even know what to do.”
Robert shakes his head. “Come on, Ryder. What’s so confusing about it? Are you [[gay]] or something?”
“Pfft,” you shrug. “Does it matter if I was? I’ve been [[questioning]] for a while but I don’t fucking know.”
“Well, maybe we can go find out.” Robert says, grabbing your hand and pulling you towards the gym.
[[Enter gym.]]You look around the gym and notice a variety of tables and activities accompanying them. There’s face painting, a large roll of paper with markers to draw on, and a wall plastered over with posters that covered multiple flags and their meanings. You can see the [[transgender]], [[non-binary]], [[asexual]], and [[intersex]] flags, but those are the only ones you recognize.
“Did you want to take a look at the posters?” Robert asks, noticing your gaze on the wall.
“[[Sure]],” you say and walk over there.Transgender: Someone that doesn’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth.Non-binary: Someone that doesn’t identify within the gender binary. This can be different than androgynous, as someone who is non-binary can physically present in any way. They often use they/them or neo-pronouns, but can also use binary pronouns. Asexual: Someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction. May or may engage in sexual activity such as intercourse or making out.
Intersex: Someone that is born with sex characteristics of both males and females.
“Hey,” a person with bright purple hair greets you as you stand in front of the posters. “Have you gotten any of the free lemonade they’re handing out?”
“The what–” you start to say before Robert sprints towards the lemonade, leaving you behind.
You huff to yourself and take a look at all the flags.
[[Cisgender]], [[Ally]], [[Lesbian]]... I know these. But all of this seems so confusing and complicated.
“Do you want me to explain the sections of labels on the poster for you?” The person asks you.
You nod. “Yeah, I didn’t even realize there were [[sections]].”
Cisgender: A person that identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth.
Ally: A person that supports the LGBTQ community.
Lesbian: A feminine or female person that loves other feminine or female people. (Generally women loving women.)
“Well, there are sexual orientation [[labels]], like [[pansexual]] and [[bisexual]]. There are also gender identity terms, like [[agender]] and [[genderfluid]].”
“Hmm, what about something like [[omnisexual]]? It seems so similar to pansexual…”
The person laughs, “Yeah, a lot of them can be pretty similar but the differences do matter to people!”
“I see.”
You both sit in a moment of silence until Robert runs back with a half-drunken lemonade and a cupcake.
“I see you found the snacks,” the person says with a smile.
“Yup!” Robert says excitedly, “Have you been given’ Ryder the ol’ rundown on all this?”
“For the most part. Were there any other terms you were confused by?”
[[You think for a moment.]]Terms to go back on:
[[gay]]
[[questioning]]
[[transgender]]
[[non-binary]]
[[asexual]]
[[demisexual]]
[[aromantic]]
[[genderfluid]]
[[demiboy]]
[[demigirl]]
[[demigender]]
[[pansexual]]
[[bisexual]]
[[omnisexual]]
[[Lesbian]]
[[Two-Spirit]]
[[Ally]]
[[Cisgender]]
[[agender]] Pansexual: Someone that is attracted sexually and/or romantically to everyone regardless of someone’s gender identity.
Bisexual: A person that loves both masculine/male and feminine/female individuals. This can sometimes expand to be attracted sexually and/or romantically to everyone depending on the individual's perspective on the label.
Genderfluid: A person whose gender varies over time. They feel like a woman for some time then feel like a man for some time. Agender: Someone that doesn’t experience gender.
Omnisexual: Someone that is attracted sexually and/or romantically to everyone that accounts for someone’s gender identity.
“I don’t understand [[Two-Spirit]]. And [[aromantic]] makes sense, but [[demisexual]] feels odd to me.”
“Well, it’s okay to be confused by it all. These terms are genuine experiences people can have and it’s okay if you don’t relate to them. As long as you respect people’s wishes, it’s okay to take some time to process it all.”
You take a look at the [[demigender]] flag and ponder for a moment.
“Thanks for explaining everything,” you say and turn away with Robert.
“So, any epiphanies?” Robert asks, finishing his lemonade and throwing it in a trash can nearby.
“Well,” you scratch the back of your head. “I was looking at the term [[demiboy]], which I thought would suit me. Then I saw [[demigirl]] and something clicked. I’m not sure what that means for me, though.”
Robert grabs your shoulder and squeezes it. “It’s all good, buddy. You can take all the time you need to figure that shit out. I’ll be here for you.”
You smile at him. Maybe learning more about all this is exactly what you needed to find yourself. At very least, you learned more about other people’s experiences. What could be better than that?
[[labels]]Two Spirit: An Indigenous/Aboriginal person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit.
Aromantic: Someone who doesn’t experience romantic attraction. May or may not engage in romantic activities such as public displays of affection and cuddling.
Demisexual: Someone that is sexually attracted to someone only after they create an emotional bond with them.
Demigender: An umbrella term for nonbinary gender identities that have a partial connection to a gender.
Demiboy: A person that identifies as part male and part something else. This can look like someone who identifies as male and non-binary or agender, where their feelings of gender fluctuate.
Demigirl: A person that identifies as part female and part something else. This can look like someone who identifies as female and non-binary or agender, where their feelings of gender fluctuate.
Gay: A masculine or male person that loves other masculine or male people. (Generally men loving men.)Questioning: A person that is still exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This exploration doesn’t have to conclude with being outside of being cisgender and/or heterosexual.
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