Squid has just started high school in what is probably the most progressive high school in the country. He’s been giving his pronouns as he/him/they/them – and most are assuming he’s non-binary, despite him explicitly telling them he’s cis, but wants to be an ally. The fact that the teachers are supportive is great, but we have a lot more work to do.
And yesterday, he said he’s noticed that people speak to him differently depending on the gender they presume him to be. If they think he’s female, they tell him his name is “pretty”, and if male, he gets told it’s “interesting”.
Disco Knitter 
Interesting hey! I am so amazed by the way society has been brainwashed ‘taught’ over the years to respond in a certain way? I often get mistaken for non binary, even male, depending on what I wear, because my hair is VERY short, people often feel VERY at liberty to INFORM me “it’s an easy assumption to make, because I have a mans haircut? I get fuming some days, but other days, if I have the energy & patience to educate, I do, other days I am in tears of frustration at the sheer ignorance and how people BLINDY go ahead making these assumptions and what’s worse so MANY do not WANT to learn. Disrespect or what! Good on Squid for plunging in at the deep end, he is amazing. A few years back all this it got me thinking that I really don’t identify with being any one ‘gender’ I never have, I suppose I’m rather more gender fluid in many ways, I’m very happy not to have a ‘label’ but it seems we are destined to be labelled, I just want to be a kind human being.
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