[aquila]

I’m a genderqueer-identified college student collecting some information about the views of other gender-variant people for a research paper I’m working on. If you decide to respond to (some or all of) the following questions, I will keep all identifying information confidential.

How (if at all) do you identify: in terms of gender identity? sexual orientation? In terms of other identities that you see as relevant? What does this identity mean to you? (For example, if you identify as transgender, what does that mean to you? Because people define this and other terms differently, I wish to better understand not how others define it but how YOU define – or don’t define it – for yourself.)

Are there barriers that restrict your way of expressing your gendered self and/or living and participating in different aspects of life? (This could have to do with policies or other barriers in the workplace, housing, school, medical care, partnership rights, legal issues, insurance issues, or any other area of life).

If you do encounter obstacles in expressing yourself or otherwise living as you would like to – in terms of gender identity and/or expression or related areas – what are these obstacles?

How, if at all, do you try to overcome them?

What do you think could be done to reduce or eliminate those barriers so that you could openly express your gender how you wish?

Please feel free to share other information that you think is important and relevant. My hope is that what I learn from you all can be used to raise awareness and help to create an environment of respect and greater freedom of gender identity and expression. I believe that every little bit can make a difference.

If you would like, I will share (anonymously) the responses I get from other people so that my study may help to connect people and discussions having to do with our gendered bodies and lives.

Feel free to email me with questions or criticisms. I hope that this can be a learning experience for us all.

Thanks for reading!
-aquila

[gennee]

Hi, Aquila. My name is Gennee (pronounced Jenny) and I am a transgender heterosexual transvestite. I have been a TV for six months and I am not ashamed of it. I read your message and I am interested in knowing how your project worked out. If you need more info from me please feel free to drop a line. Thanks.


Gennee