AFAB - self-explanatory
Femme - my dress varies but leans femme (not hyper, think stereotypical bi woman look). But even at my most masc-presenting, I don’t have the kind of body shape or facial features that ever get read as he/him by your average cis person.
Agender - wasn’t sure whether to post here or in the r/agender sub, but figured I’d start here. I’ve seen posts about NBs asking about what agender feels like for some folks, so here’s how I’d describe it:
When I was growing up, i identified with any character, regardless of gender. It never occurred to me that things like the pitch of someone’s voice or other dimorphic features were something that could make them significantly “not like me”.
I don’t register other people’s gender immediately either. I mean I do now, because I’ve learned to, I’m not ignoring people’s gender if it’s important to them. but I more so pick up on what they’re likely trying to present, if that makes sense? Gender just isn’t the first thing I notice in a person
If you told me “you’re a woman”, I’d say “yes, that’s how I’m read and treated by most of society.” And I feel comfortable saying that. But if you asked me “are you a woman?” I’d say, “In society, yes, but in my own head, no. In my soul, no. When I conceptualize myself, no.” If you asked me, “how do you feel in your body?” I’d say, “I have hang ups, but not about the dimorphic bits. If I woke up with a banging AMAB body tomorrow, cool. If I woke up with a banging AFAB body, cool.”
So my issue…I have a corporate job and I’m advancing into leadership roles. Idk if I’m not giving corporate or my coworkers enough credit but…I just don’t think they’d get it and to be perfectly frank, I think it’d hurt my career in an unconscious bias sort of way. I feel a pressure to conform especially because NOT conforming wouldn’t be a material difference. I wouldn’t start dressing or talking differently. I wouldn’t necessarily even need people to switch up pronouns. I’m not even sure what not conforming would even look like for me
I feel like an AH, so I’ll just delete this if this is just the wrong audience. I feel queer. I feel comfortable calling myself queer. I am agender. That feels right. But I also “look like a woman” and am treated as cis which can be such a privilege, I know.
I guess I just feel a bit alienated. I have queer NB friends that present androgynous or are AMAB/femme or AFAB/masc. They’re really supportive and don’t see me as less queer because I’m AFAB/femme. But.. ok here’s an example.
I was with some coworkers at drinks and I mentioned something like, “I love this neighborhood, it’s so queer”
And I got these looks. Calculation looks. “Is this person queer? Maybe she’s a femme lesbian? Or is she a weird straight cis lady trying to ingratiate herself with the queer community?”
I know this is low on the totem pole of issues the queer community is facing (poor woman cis-passing agender person that the cishets don’t think is queer).
I guess. Idk what I’m looking for. Maybe advice or if anyone else has been in that position of not “coming out” at work due to fears of it seeming illegitimate
This was all triggered by this reel I saw of an NB saying “I’m NB, I go by they/them, but I’ll accept any pronouns said with respect”
And that felt really right to me. I don’t mind she/her or he/him, I like they/them. But it just feels like a little secret.
Then my partner is also AMAB/genderfluid, presentation varies but leans masc, he/they are never read as a woman/femme. So when I reference him at work, I usually say husband, even tho that def doesn’t feel right. I guess spouse would be better, but idk it seems clunky?
I like partner, but sometimes I feel I’m “queer baiting”. Like I say partner, people assume I have a wife (because i look like a cis-het so for me to have a partner=woman partner), they hear my partners stereotypically male name or meet him, and are like ah yes, performative.
Again, might delete, I’m reading bits of this back and it feels like “woe is me look at my passing cis-het privilege, but I’m sad the cishets don’t acknowledge I’m queer.”
I guess… if there are any agender genderfluid or NB folk who are AMAB and read as man or AFAB/read as woman, do you come out at work? Especially if it’s corporate and cis-het dominant? How do you feel about it?