Riley Comes Out As Genderqueer
Riley looked at herself in the mirror and scowled. Anger stamped his foot. "We're so angry- and I don't know why!"
"Is it the zits?" asked Disgust. "Cause I'm totally with you there."
"No – well, that too, but – we don't need this either." Riley threw off her pink flowered sweatshirt angrily. She gazed moodily at her closet. "Everything here is so girly," she muttered. "Duh," said Disgust with a flick of her hair. "We're a girl!"
"I've been scared to admit this", whimpered Fear, "but, you know, I don't think we are. Look –it's not just the hockey. We can be a girl and like that sort of thing. But some of us feelings are guys and some are women, and we're all part of Riley. So I think Riley isn't a boy or a girl – she's both. "
"Can you be both?", wondered Disgust.
"Let's ask the Internet!", chirped Joy. "The Internet knows everything!" After stumbling through several pages that had Disgust working hard at the controls, they landed on the Wikipedia page for genderqueer, and it was Joy's turn again. "That's it!", she shouted merrily. "That's what we are!" But Fear was soon back around. "What's the matter now?", asked Joy.
"Now", said Fear, "we have to tell their parents."
Dinner was particularly good (despite the broccoli) but Riley ate very little. "What's wrong?", asked Dad.
"It isn't wrong," said Riley hesitantly, "but I'm just not sure you'll take it the right way."
"Well, what is it?", asked Mom with as much encouragement as she could, not quite managing to hide the fact that Fear was at her controls.
"Well", said Riley, "you know I've always liked my name. And I know now that I like it because it's not made for a boy or a girl. Which is good because – um – I'm not either. I mean, my body is like most girls, I know that, but in my heart and my mind I'm both a boy and a girl. And I looked it up, and it turns out this is called being genderqueer. So I'm genderqueer. And, um, I just wanted you to know that. And because of that, it doesn't really make sense to use she and her when you talk about me, and so I would like it if you would use them and their instead. So that's all." Riley smiled, but Fear was at her controls too.
Riley's parents looked at each other. They both knew there was only one answer; the only question was who would say it. By plain luck, it was Riley's dad who spoke first. "I'm really happy to hear this, Riley. Because it means that we've been good enough parents that you would feel safe sharing this with us."
Her mom nodded. "I can't say I wasn't surprised. But I can say that we support you and accept you." She paused. "But you still have to eat your broccoli."