30. Who is the transgender person who has influenced you the most?
Hm. That’s a tough question! I know that finding and befriending other non-binary/trans/gnc Muslims (especially ones that veil) has really been such an important thing for me and who i am as a person.
I think though wrt to trans Muslims that have influenced me that Nabi H. Ali (hiranyaksha here on Tumblr) has been one, not just with regards to gender and sexuality but with art. A couple years ago I sent him an anon about struggling with veiling (because I liked veiling and it was important to me, but since I tend to be perceived as masculine with my voice/face/facial hair I worried about how people would see me) and his advice to keep veiling if it makes me happy really stuck with me.
How would you explain your gender identity to others?
(already answered)
What do you wish you could have shared with your younger self about being trans?
I know this is my standard answer but: thinking ‘I think it would be cool to be nonbinary’ is not offensive to nonbinary people, it’s not minimising their experiences and may in fact be an indication that you are nonbinary (I know the common phrasing is ‘symptom’ rather than ‘indication’ but I don’t think phrasing it like it’s a disease would have helped me personally). Also, masculinity is not inherently toxic and you’re allowed to admire some elements of both masculinity and femininity without needing to adopt an aesthetic that doesn’t feel right.
What do you wish cis people understood?
Oh, many, many things, but mainly that trans people are human as well, and it costs £0/$0 to treat someone with basic respect and dignity.
Hehe, I work at a grocery store and sometimes people will be totally confused because of how I present. Guess my face combined with my current hairstyle and name does that? I don't know.
I've had it before where I was bagging up groceries and someone is talking about me, and she goes, "he-" and just stares at me then goes "she?" And kind of balks before she's like "I'm sorry, Ryan!" She was a very sweet woman, I liked her. I told a coworker about it and she was like "aw, that's unfortunate! I think you're lovely!" But I didn't take any offense so all was well.
Another time I had to pull in carts (which sucks because we have to do it by using a long cable and pushing six around, which is really difficult to steer and requires a lot of stamina) and there was a coworker who was waiting for them so he could sanitize them and I brought a string in and he goes "thanks, Mr. Ryan!" (Just to be a goof) and as I'm walking away I hear, "Ryan?!" He apologized when I came back and then I told him I identify as nonbinary and actually loved it when that happened. He asked if I was a Scorpio. I was very amused.
While I don't identify with she/her or he/him, it's always affirming that I'm presenting differently when someone thinks they got mixed up. People are, unfortunately, going to assume I'm a binary gender, so whenever I can cause just a teensy bit of confusion, it's actually kind of strangely affirming.
Ooohhh this yellow shirt and jeans that were the first i got exclusively from the men's section. I never liked clothes that were like yellow or lilac idk, but today I feel like I would rock a pink shirt :D
My pronouns are she/her and they/them but I prefer they/they mostly. I just think that's because I like using the fact I'm really nice to force people to be inclusive.
5. What makes you feel validated.
It's pretty stupid but people calling me thir/tham it's both funny and considerate
7. Favorite trans meme/bit of trans humor
Assigned Bitch At Birth
12. Favorite trans headcanon?
Either Cathy Parr being non-binary or Abby Bominable being trans ✊😔
20. Do you have a comfort item?
My seven dragon plushies because I've had most of since I was but a babpie
25. What's your favorite part of being trans?
Well the gender binary was created by The White Man™ so I see it as a form of decolonization for myself uwu
3. what is your gender presentation like? I’m into cardigans and chinos, painting my nails, keeping a short beard, florals, navy and olive. so like soft masc with some fem thrown in.
4. what is your Gender Euphoria Outfit? I love button downs. I hated wearing them before top surgery and now that they lay flat, it’s excellent.
5. what makes you feel validated? being seen as an attractive dude. being called sir over the phone (I get ma’amed a lot, even now).
6. top five favorite parts of your body (n why you love them)?
7. favorite trans meme/bit of trans humor? I love that trans is also short for transportation and so many companies are called trans ____. the other day I saw a semi called TransLand. so good.
8. how did you pick your name? it took me a while to settle on a name. I wanted something common enough to not stand out too much. I ended up going down the list of popular boys’ names for the year I was born and Seth stood out for some reason.
9. what does your name mean? Seth was the third child of Adam and Eve (after Cain and Abel). Abrahamic religions usually see him as a gift to Eve after Abel was killed. Set/h is the Ancient Egyptian god of chaos, the desert, trickery, a bunch of stuff. He’s the one who killed Osiris (whomp whomp).
10. do you have any trans pride merch? I have a shirt that says “does this shirt make me look flat?” and a leather pin that says trans is beautiful. I think that’s it.
11. recent happy trans moment? I’m not sure about a moment, but in the last year or so I’ve been kind of expanding my gender feelings to recognize more of the queerness that I feel. as I get older I get less binary. :)
12. favorite trans headcanon? a while back I wrote a trans Ginny Weasley drabble, I still like that idea. not sure about favorite.
13. favorite canon trans character? Angel from Pose.
14. favorite trans blog(s)/trans blogger(s)? my first favorite was artoftranslin ess and I think I’m going to stick with that.
15. favorite trans celebrity? Laverne Cox or Ezra Miller.
16. song that gives you Big Trans Feels? ooh, I’m not sure.
17. something you wish you could tell your younger self? stop worrying so much about if people like you. don’t be afraid to be weird.
18. what would your Ideal Fashion Look be? cuffed jeans, cardigans, floral button downs, boots.
19. (how) does your gender relate to your sexuality? yeah, it’s all tangled up.
20. do you have a comfort item? probably my phone so I can text Sarah.
21. what makes you feel euphoric? when clothes fit.
22. what genre of media would you love to see more trans characters in? all of them.
23. claim something as trans culture. uhhhhhhh. naps?
24. give some love to your trans friends/mutuals
25. what’s your favorite part of being trans? I think being queer makes it easier to stretch your identity, try new things, see other perspectives.
1. what is your gender? - I am a transgender man! (Well, a man depending on when you think a fella comes of age but, uh, male)
8. how did you pick your name? - My name is Mason James (Lastname), I went through so, so many terrible names before I decided on Mason, which is actually what my parents would’ve named me if I was born cis! James is my Grampa’s name, and he’s someone I really look up to. It’s not exactly a theme in my family to be named after relatives (Well, it sorta was on my Dad’s side, but that’s died out), but I wanted to do something to remind myself of him. I’m glad I did! JJ (my nickname) was what I wanted to name a toad, but everyone else hated the name. I got attached, and now I just say it’s short for James.
9. what does your name mean? - Like the definition? Uhh, Mason means "One who works with stone" and James means “"supplanter,“ one who follows.” (I just googled them lol) But what they mean to me is already answered!
17. something you wish you could tell your younger self? - Ooh, just one? I’d tell myself that the world can change in an instant, and while it’s scary, you are tough and you can adjust. Nothing ever stays the same. You’ll make it through, and be all the better for it. One day you’ll wake up with your entire life in flames, but you will get up and rebuild, and one day you’ll stop working to look around and find you no longer recognize the ruins of what once was, but you’ll be glad because you wouldn’t change what you have now for the world. Basically, things change, life is hard, keep going.
