Don't Know / Not Sure

Once upon a time, I used the phrase in a context I swore would get me in trouble.

It involved a survey I filled out on sexual health and in the demographic information the respondent was asked about their gender.  Besides the usual male and female they also had FTM, MTF, genderqueer and a few others that I don't recall.  I quipped, "Where's 'Don't know / Not sure?'"

Immediately after saying that I feared that I would be subject to a tirade along the lines of, "How DARE you even THINK about making such a comment on someone's gender you,  you,  you MICROAGRESSOR!

And someone is probably saying that as they read this.

Anyway, the response I actually got was, "Hmmmm, maybe we should put that choice in next time."

And there will probably be someone who will be happy about having their gender identity acknowledged because they are still figuring it out.

So what brought this on?

Well, I was reading another article about kids who do not identify with their biological gender.  This one had a theme of these kids needing puberty delaying medications to keep from going through the trauma of puberty until such time as they can start hormone therapy.  I'm passing on that debate, but I did notice something.

All the kids in the article (and many like them) were Anglo.

Aren't there kids of other ethnicities dealing with the same set of issues?  Yeah, I know the answer is, "Of course there are," but the media doesn't seem to portray their struggles.

So hopefully I did my part in noting the lack of diversity on this one.

The Online Dating Nightmare

Not for me on this one, because my posterior got saved.  Woo hoo!

First, my housemate is really into looking for persons to have encounters with via several online dating sites.  I'll peek, but I have no intention of making it the main source.

Anyway, he chatted with this guy and the guy was arrogant and presumptive of certain things. I got the blow by blow after the conversation.  Guess who is on my feed on a dating site?  Bingo.  I decided not to pursue based on the conversation.

And at the rate online dating is going, I am going to do the logical thing.  Wander around and say hi to the people who flash gang signs at me.  You never know who they know.

A Twofer. Counting Blessings and Getting a Look from the Inside.

Saturday night was interesting.  I spent it with the guy I told you about in my post Karma Wins.  It was a fun evening and I really enjoyed getting to watch Family Guy with a fan.  I also met the husband, and was reminded what I was going through with Rick.  He was gracious in offering up his guest Casita for me to spend the night (and I needed it too as a surprise expense came up.)

Anyhow, he lives near San Diego State and I woke up at the insane hour of 4.00 AM to get the 215 Rapid to Downtown to get the trolley to Iris Avenue and the connecting bus to the storage locker to grab my stuff and head to Palm Springs.

This bus runs hourly and I wound up with a 40 minute wait for the next one.  Five minutes into the wait two Border Patrol officers offered me a ride to the Trolley (Beyer Blvd which is one stop down.)

That was an interesting ride.  I learned a little about their job and office banter and they learned more about the life of a frequent flyer as far as border crossing is concerned.  I even gave one of them the gay male perspective on their developing mustache.  The also appreciated the props I gave for PedWest.

And let's face it.  Behind the Kevlar vests, cops are people too.

Anyway, I promise to pay these forward.