(no subject)
At the shelter before every shift we have these little get-to-know-you things where we all say out name and answer some cutesy little question--and say what our preferred gender pronouns are. I expect this last one is included because there appears to be a MtF employee there, but it always gives me a headache. While I am pretty resigned to just playing along with other people' perception of my gender and keeping my issues to myself, when people actually ask me directly, I can't make myself say "she/her." But I don't even know how people pronounce that sie/hir stuff, it feels so artificial and awkward. I've been looking it up online, and apparently there isn't even a consensus about it, there are several different sets of pronouns people have made up. So far I've just said "neutral pronouns, but female is fine," hoping no one will ask for clarification, and so far no one has. But ugh, what if someone does at some point, I don't even know what I'd say. Plus--it's more than a little uncomfortable to be functionally proclaiming "I HAVE GENDER ISSUES" aloud in front of a group of people I don't even know.
...and yet, at the same time, it's almost cathartic to tell SOMEONE.