—

I bought a tote bag a year ago, but finally, I have been brave enough recently to wear it in full force.

Slung over my shoulder, like a woman does.

I identify as male. But damn, it’s just part of me. (What we must do is re-define men.)

What sucks is that I get worried about what other people think in spite of it being so natural inside.

Also, it’s practical. I carry around a lot of things – my ex could tell you about the times that I carried around a box my senior year in college, I needed to/preferred to have so many items with me at the same time.

It was just the job for a tote bag.

It’s interesting that when I battled gender dysphoria, I only donned it a few times – while I was living in a progressive city.

Having reclaimed my manhood this spring, I’ve worn it more often.

It’s not too crazy – it’s not pink or leather, nor the bag part too close to the strap, like a handbag.

But these are for women (as of now).

Screw that. It makes my soul do a happy dance — and I need those dances.

And it really shouldn’t be a big deal anyway.

I hope that my brethren out there would join me and buy a tote (or take it out of their private residence, if many of us are honest with ourselves).

Given what we have learned in this Trump era, it may be good to be self-conscious about any signal of a redefinition of gender. But I think I’ll be OK, and so would you.

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Be braver than me. My tote’s blue. Do fuschia!

—

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