Lesbian/feminist, activist, novelist, poet, playwright utilizes wonderful surfing metaphor to describe gender fluidity: “Like surfing, we balance ourselves in the curl as we perceive that wavy space between the binaries.”

So hot right now.

Our sport of kings/queens is, as you know, ripe-to-bursting with metaphorical juice. The control, patience, skill it requires. The forever long learning curve. The elements beyond human control that must be navigated. Waves, man. Waves. Surfing has been used to paint richly poetic pictures in business, medicine, relationships, science, internet technology, etc. but this morning I stumbled upon its most fabulous employment yet.

To describe gender fluidity.

For the dull and dense, gender fluidity, as defined by Harvard Health, “refers to change over time in a person’s gender expression or gender identity, or both. That change might be in expression, but not identity, or in identity, but not expression. Or both expression and identity might change together.”

Very hot right now and recently written about by Jewelle Gomez, a lesbian/feminist, activist, novelist, poet and playwright in the San Francisco Bay Times using our surfing as expressive vehicle.

Shall we read together?

Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved people and screen characters whose gender was somehow undetermined. The popular terms now are “gender fluid” or “non-binary.” Finally, we have words for thinking about the exciting tension that is aroused (and I use that word deliberately) when male and female genders seem to overlap and refuse determination. Like surfing, we balance ourselves in the curl as we perceive that wavy space between the binaries.

That wavy space between the binaries.

Gorgeous.

The piece continues, examining various television/movie characters who exhibit gender fluidity and the tension that society can feel when “things are not presented in a box” before ending thusly:

Many people feel uncomfortable “not knowing” when all the expectations are subverted. My feeling drawn to that “not knowing” doesn’t mean I would rid the world of other gender presentations. I just think it’s valuable to allow yourself to feel what it takes to stand on uncertain ground and make evaluations based on only what you learn from a person in the moment and not based on societal preconceptions. It’s a kind of balance, again like surfing, but without fear of drowning.

And there you are.

Something to think about today while you are out grom abusing.