Silvertoothed

today I am beautiful

ever shining

despite the hate in this world

with arseholes opining

I sparkle against them

a protest uphill

and still, and still, and still

through sheer will

I am

always glorious

defiant bastard

newly victorious

I exist to spite

spit in the face of ignorance and hate

and burn bright

I am deified in this

atheist and god

in one place

to fly in the face

of the powers that keep me down

I am the smile

to spite that frown

oppress me? I'll beat you

hate me? I'll eat you

compete me? I'll feat you

because today I am beautiful

shining and splendid

animal and human

broken and blended

I'm the always irreverent dream

the unexpected blasphemous scream

the madgod rising unforseen

the silvertoothed heathen feminist queen

-o0o-

Stripped

make no mistake
you should celebrate your skin
I think it's a good thing
this is what a lot of feminism is about
giving women the option
to let their skin out
and it's good
and it's fine
and I love you for it
because your expression frees me
undoes some of the shackles
addressing some of the pain
that feminism tackles
but I'm not like you
my stretch marks won't see the light of day
my skin won't be sky clad
I live behind sunblock and cotton
and you must know, this isn't bad
this is as good for me
as your exposure is for you
my body fills a different space
i'm politicized differently
my body isn't automatic
it's a crime scene
where my fat is criminal
my broken is disgraceful
my sick is invisible
my trans is indecipherable
so I cover up
often more than you expect
I'm not going to equate my struggles
to the politicized bodies of veiled women
their problems extend far past my understanding
and my white privilege makes me oblivious
to some of their needs and struggles
but you have to stand with them
as you have to stand with me
because
stripped is your song
and covered is my song
and sure
by all means
go ahead
show your breasts
show your genitals
rail against the patriarchal machine
your ways are good for kicking up steam
and making wannabe patriarchs scream
how dare you indeed?
and good for you
I get it
make no mistake
bend or break
I'm in it for your sake
but I walk with you clothed
and this is the way I have to be
because my body is politicized differently

-o0o-

I was thinking of Femen's method of protest and how problematic and how racist they can be. I was Googling a lot of different ways nudity has been used by women when I saw this picture:

Dear White Feminists. Don't do this. Coaxing a person out of clothes is as violent as coaxing a woman into clothes.

Don't Dare be Woman

even among queer folk, it is taught

don’t you dare be woman

don’t be femme, she, or soft

they tell you it’s poison

gay guys are told it’s wrong

to effectively unman

kink wrist, and partake

in any feminine action

gay women are told they’re sluts

if they betray any feminine notion

but lesbians are fucked either way

for the crime of actually being women

trans folk are branded cheats

accused of wanting attention

for being frauds and fiends

for cheating the system

naturally the crime is woman

the sin in every religion

embodied in every direction

the worst of every decision

they tell you it’s wrong

on Facebook on Grindr in person

no pansies, no poofs, no femmes

as if that’s the worst that could happen

in patriarchy repackaged

this queer assimilation

is all about fitting in

(and hopefully Caucasian)

because girl is imperfect

and woman is broken

and boy is becoming

and man is salvation

it’s strange how queer folk

fight so hard to be human

but turn around and teach

don’t you dare be woman

-o0o-

Trans-Pride (well at least I am proud)

so I walk about with
     long hair
     eyeliner
     nailpolish
          I look good

and still women
     women friends of mine
     think it's hilarious
          how people call me ma'am sometimes
          even when I'm out of "costume"
     laugh at me
          oh how silly I am
          oh how silly the stranger is
          to mistake me for a woman
               how utterly inconceivable

as if this
     this
     is the worst thing that could possibly happen to me

as if I should melt at the mention of being mistaken for woman
     as if woman is the most shameful thing I can be

I mean this coming from women,
     women who call themselves feminists
          I think you need to rethink your feminism
     if woman is something that you automatically associate with shame

because you've bought hook, line, and sinker into the myth
     the patriarchal myth that male is something to strive for
          and woman is something you should avoid at all costs
     the myth that I have somehow failed to live up to that
          the myth that I have to pick between the two
     man or woman
          as if those are my only options

and the myth that being mistaken for woman
     is the mistake that really hurts
when my friends
     the people who care and love me
          are the ones mistaking me for what I'm not

-o0o-