__________________________________________________
First of all, sorry that this is so long, it's just really
important to me.
I know that you know me as “[Birth Name]” from the
attendance list for [class]. I’m writing you this email so that I can let you
know before the next semester starts that I’d rather you not call me that
anymore. I’d rather you call me [Name]. You see, I’m transgender, and [I say
that Em is short for Emerson but you can say what you want.]
[I’m not exactly transgender as in FtM, or female-to-male
transsexual .I’m transgender as in FtA, or female-to-androgyne. That basically
means that I’m completely androgynous, and that I don’t wish to identify with
either gender, because the gender I identify with is technically in-between
male and female.] *or you can just explain what transgender means*
And yes, this does mean that I go by different pronouns than
most people would think. This part isn’t the part that I’m pushing most, since
it just confuses people. But it would help a lot with the dysphoria if you at
least tried. And trying is good enough. Basically, my preferred pronouns are
gender-neutral. To be specific, I prefer xe. And this is how it’s used: Xe
laughed. I called xyr. Xyr eyes are blue. That is xyrs. Xe likes xyrself.
[Pronounced zee, zer, zers] It’s pretty simple, once you get the hang of it.
But if it’s too confusing, I’m fine with male pronouns.
But all you really have to do is at least try to call me Em,
and try to use gender-neutral pronouns, or use male pronouns. Being called by
my birth name all the time doesn’t help with the dysphoria at all. It’s okay if
you slip up or anything, people do that a lot. But it would mean a lot if you
at least tried.
Oh, and if you don’t know what dysphoria is in reference to
this, since most people don’t, it means a strong disconnection from yourself
because your mind feels one way but your body is another. It’s one of the worst
feelings in the spectrum of human emotions.
If you want more information on androgynes, here’s a link:
http://gender.wikia.com/wiki/Androgyne
And more about the gender-neutral
pronouns:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender-neutral_pronoun#Modern_solutions
Thank you so much for your understanding. :)
See you in class!
So basically when you email your teachers about this, you
just have to tell them that you go by a certain name and tell them to use
certain pronouns. If you’d like you could include links, like I did. I was the
first transgender student to come out in my high school, so I had a lot to
explain. I also had a lot to explain since I’m FtA, not FtM, which is what most
people know about.
Also make a point to see the teachers before class starts,
such as the morning before school starts, or the passing time right before
their class.
And do not forget to double check what their email is. I
spelled my culinary teacher’s email wrong and she never got it. I also hadn’t
checked with her, so she called out my birth name and I wanted to hide under
the desk.
Good luck with your coming out guys!
Love, Emerson <3
