I've been quiet on this subject and I don't need to write a long piece either. All my life I have pleased others, I was bullied growing up and I am no stranger to labels and name calling. Because of labels and even self labeling, pronouns and such, because I cared what people thought of me, I beat myself up and when I was in my addiction I gave power to these and enter into a dark lonely place of despair. I can't speak for others, but I can speak for myself, I don't care what label or pronoun you want to call me as I own my power; labels have no power in my life unless I will it. My life will be always controversial but I won't be hurt or hide who I am for anyone. I am alive today and out of my addiction, because as a pansexual HIV+ intersex woman Who identifies as androgynous cis I accepted transgender, tranny as a badge of honor in order to belong to myself and in order to belong to others. I fought those words in my life due to my own inept transphobia. I was told not to use hermaphrodite because it was offensive. I am suppose to recognize pronouns such as herr ze zer and what ever someone choses to identify as and I am okay with that, just in return don't tell me what I can or can't use to identify myself. Because I live in my empowerment and my scars are visible badges of honor. I love myself today and no words or labels can take that from me. I'm sorry if words hurt and I get it. But I lived my life and offensive or not, what I call myself or allow others to call me is my business. I chose my power and I encourage others to take back their power just like queer was once negative thing, like HIV was a negative thing, instead of condemning words let's educate and reduce the stigma. If you don't like this post feel free to unfriend me. My life is to busy with more important things than to pacify others. I have too many transgender friends that we tranny as a term of endearment. That is our power.
I simply like being called Kat or Katerina. But I used labels to disempower myself. I was the person offended with tranny and transgender one reason unfortunately I stayed away from trannyshack and divas. For fear of what people think and trying to live under radar I disassociated myself from people because of their identities. I harmed myself, I lost myself, I destroyed the very person I was. Today I reclaim what I fought against. I can not afford to go back into my addiction and that price I must pay is to love myself today and worry about what I think of myself and not what others think of me. Today I live in my empowerment and Love and that's the greatest gift I can give myself. Labels are what I define them to be. Informative, a nuisance at times, an educational tool to reduce stigma and hate
