We are the kings and queens that were promised…

So, on occasion, in order to try and help cis folks understand how I feel (even back when I used it as a hypothetical when talking trans issues with people while still in the closet), I give them this little thought experiment. I thought I’d share it, because maybe you can use it yourself. I find it does help our cis friends have some ground to stand on to understand what it’s like in our minds:

A quick note on the vocabulary used: I know that some of the things I’m saying might seem like I’m confusing gender and sex for some out there. In fact, I’m trying to both cater and educate cis persons, so I’m purposefully using language I think will help them understand. It’s kind of a “crawl before you can walk” thing. It’s designed to get them to think about the issues, not get hung up on the words. That can come later.

You wake up tomorrow morning, and your body has become biologically the opposite gender. Do you, in your own head, think you’ve suddenly *completely* changed genders? Or do you know, in your head, you are the gender you were the day before, and your body is wrong?

Sometimes people dismiss it, mind you, but all in all, I find it quite a useful tool to have in your hip pocket.