This monologue about children and transexuality is making the rounds in Euskal Herria because itās been eye-opening for many people. Actress Aitziber Garmendia plays Gorane, a 5 year-old, and her monologue is just gold.
Hereās the translation:
I am in the class of 5 year olds; and in my classroom weāre 8 children, 4 girls and 4 boys: my best friend, Andoitz, is a boy. LucĆa is a girl. Sara is a girl. Haritz is a boy. David is a boy. Nora is a girl. Martina is a boy. And I am a girl.Ā
Well, weāve been told this week that Martina has to change his name. Letās see, the thing is that Martina is a girl name and heās a boy and from now on, heāll be Martin. I like Martin better because it looks a little strange a boy with a girl name. The thing is Martin has always been a boy: when he was called Martina he was also a boy, itās just that we didnāt notice, but now we finally noticed.
Martin doesnāt like to say heās been born in a wrong body because he loves his body a lot, and his body isā¦ super infinite beautiful. And miss Beatriz says there arenāt wrong bodies but wrong ways of looking. But my mom says:Ā āMartina is still very young to know that. Gorane, finish your breakfast right now!ā.Ā
And I donāt understand. If they ask me, I know I am a girl. If they ask Sara, she knows sheās a girl. If they ask Haritz, he knows heās a boy. But when they ask Martin and he says heās a boy, ah!, suddenly heās too young. Why? Why is he young and we arenāt if weāre all in the class of 5 year olds?Ā And besides, wait for what? Right? I mean, until when? The thing is Martin wants to be happy now and not later.
Before, I was playing and my parents and Andoitzās parents were talking, and Andoitzās mom said it was too soon now to know that and that later, maybe, heād change his mind, that it was a silly trend. And my mom told her:Ā āMari Ćngeles, watch what you say in front of the little girlā. They always say the same. And my father:Ā āNo way, sheās playing, she wonāt noticeā but I do notice, know this, that we always notice because we know how to look, listen and think, very often, unlike you. We do know who we are. We do know what we want. Things are easy, why do you complicate them?
Is that being an adult? That? Teaching your children your fear and your ignorance? Then if thatās being an adult, I donāt wanna be one.
And Korito said to Andoitzās mom:Ā āIf he knows heās a boy, then heās a boy. Period.ā And Andoitzās mom:Ā āEnough already! If thereās no penis, thereās no boy!ā.Ā Hello?? Your son has a lazy eye but you have a lazy brain and thatās worse. He needs to have a willy to be a boy? What kind of stupidity is that? Jaime, our school janitor, in an accident - he was in a car crash - he lost his left leg and he had to have his penis removed because it was very damaged. He doesnāt have a willy so now because of that he isnāt a boy? Is he? Would anyone say: ah, youāre no longer a boy because you donāt have a willy? Well, itās the same situation.Ā And then Andoitzās father said:Ā āItās true, what are those nonsenses? Whatās in the crotch? A vagina, right? Then sheās a girl, periodā.
Since weāre born, you teach us that weāre either a blue prince or a pink princess, and quite usually, you donāt realize we are multicoloured people. You want us to limit us to a single colour, and if we only got to choose that colour! But we donāt. Nope. That colour is chosen by our crotch, always: if youāre a girl, pink; if youāre a boy, blue. If you just knew how to look in the eyes, you wouldnāt need to look at the crotch.
My father always says nationality is something that you feel here inside, that heās Basque, not a Spaniard. Well, dad, this is the same: what appears on your ID? What is your nationality, huh? Well then. If you are who you are, I am also who I am, and so is Martin. Thank you very much.
