The news out of the College of William and Mary seems like a poetic response to the controversial decision made at Morehouse College last week. Jessee Vasold, a genderqueer student, was elected to represent the class of 2011 as homecoming queen.
What makes this story so great is that Vasold was elected by zir classmates, demonstrating a change in attitude among the younger generation. The college has no gender rules regarding homecoming nominations so there is no potential for revocation.
I read this story Friday evening but didn’t have a chance to post on it until today due to a busy weekend. Vasold is very proud and according to the article has received nothing but congratulations from the other students.
It is worth noting that while the author gets Jessee’s identification (genderqueer) and pronoun preference (ze & zir) correct, she doesn’t use them in the body of the article. Instead, Tsung uses “Vasold” over and over and over — you’ll see.
A big congratulations to Jessee! (pictured here)
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Sometimes in an effort to be different, we get a little too cute, especially with language. I keep having to wonder, if the term “genderqueer” should be taken seriously, or if it is just more ephemeral pop lingo, from a younger generation that doesn’t liked being identified with anything mainstream. I know………being transgendered is anything but mainstream, but I think you get my drift. From the pictures I have seen, Jesse is clearly presenting herself as a female, and not something in between.
Melissa XX
No matter what the classification Jessie falls under, she is one brave human being and Im pround of her. To go out in front of a large group of people and proudly show who we are takes lots of moxy. It takes people like her to move our cause forward.
Well, ze doesn’t always go about campus in female dress; ze presents as male, female, or in-between (if I may be excused for presenting gender as a spectrum from male to female, which Jessee would no doubt correct me on).
-A W&M student and friend of Jessee
Then why not call Jesse she, when she is clearly presenting herself as a female, him when he is clearly presenting himself as a male, and it when it when it clearly can’t make up it’s mind what it want’s to be?
There is absolutely no intent here to be disrespectful to anyone, just an attempt to dispense with cute, albeit very pretentious little pc references. I know what is being attempted here. It is an attempt by fence sitters(people who for whatever reason, can’t make up their mind), to establish a third sex, to accommodate their indecision. But is there really a third sex or are there just a lot of transgendered individuals, who have yet to come completely to terms with who they truly are? “Oh, I think I will be a boy today, and then maybe a girl tomorrow”, just isn’t a realistic, mature plan for any kind of a viable future.
Sorry , but take it from this 61 year old non-0p transsexual, that just doesn’t wash. Regardless of whats between Jesse’s legs, Jesse is either a girl or, a boy. She just hasn’t made up her mind yet. Notice I say “she & her”. That’s because boys don’t dress like girls, and run for home coming queen. Obviously Jesse wants to be a girl. The fact that she sometimes presents as male, or in between, means nothing. Genetic females dress just like boys a lot of the time, yet would never countenance being referred to as ze, or zir, and genetic boys who are not transgendered NEVER EVER dress like girls, with the possible exception of a costume party, or a fraternity prank.
Melissa
Score two for Virginia! My friend Reann was George Mason’s homecoming queen this past year. And, ahem… she did it first. She even got a wikipedia page out of it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reann_Ballslee