a poem about my experience yesterday
after the St Patricks Day Parade in St Paul
when I was walking back to my car about 3pm
in the afternoon wearing a nice skirt and makeup
greyish/greenish wedges and a turquoise blouse
Drag #2
No! No! No way! No! he screams at me
By this time I'd gotten used to walking on the sidewalk
in the grey/green wedges - just slightly greenish
but it seemed appropriate for St Patricks day
NONONO you are not a woman NO WAY!!!
at the parade a mother with her children looked at my blouse
and said "it's not really green!"-it was a very funny thing to say
and I laughed (it was turquoise -I don't have a green blouse)
it was nice that she said that and that she, her husband and
children sat next to me during the parade,
You're a man! You know that don't you?
she shook hands with the Mayor of St Paul
I was a few feet away, the Mayor looked in my eyes and nodded
but he did not shake my hand, and I didn't offer it,
but I respect the Mayor
Let me see your COCK! she screamed from the window of the bus
I'd worn the wedges before at the Gay90s drag competition
but not out on the sidewalk and it had taken a mile or two
walking around during the day to really get used to the
difference between wedges and heels
Dude you're a guy!
but I walked purposefully and my stride was even and
deliberate -it was important not to feel fear and I didn't
something my brain was wired for - to walk confidently,
purposefully, gracefully, not to fight, not to run
just to walk away - gracefully
Hey Honey,
Hey you, the faggot
I'm talking to you!
I hold my purse close to my side, hold my head up and walk on
You're disgusting
Only 6 more blocks to go........
honestly I'm still a little rattled from yesterday,
I might have to call my therapist, it was stupid
of me me to put myself in that position, that and
my mom wants to go to dinner and talk about
trans things now that I cam out to her a few
weeks ago and I'm feeling like things aren't going so
well and I'd really rather not talk about trans stuff right now
I wish it would all just go away -I might go out
jamming tonight in boy mode -see if I can just
have a good time playing some music -
Really... exactly what DID you expect in Minnesota?
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, I personally know two
ReplyDeletetrans women who have recently been pretty
seriously assaulted in the Twin Cities,
on the other hand, since I started going
out dressed as a woman, I, personally, have not
had to deal with any serious threats of a physical
or verbal nature - so while I know these things
commonly happen in Minnesota, it was the first time I
had to deal with it on such a personal level - I don't
mean to imply that I'm better than anyone else -I'm
just saying when this stuff happens to you personally,
it's scary, that's mainly what I'm trying t say.