All of those come to mind and those are comments I have heard before.
Sometimes I think like in a simple way of saying it, the intersections of identities become so overwhelming that there is no time to think about your dream.
YOU ARE A BOY, YOU SHOULDN’T THINK LIKE THAT.
YOU SHOULDN’T TALK LIKE THAT.
WHY ARE YOU STANDING LIKE THAT?
WHY ARE YOU HOLDING YOUR PHONE LIKE THAT?!
R is…
- 20 Years-Old
- Genderqueer
- Black
- East Asian
- Middle Class
- Pansexual
Author’s Note
This is R.
When asked what R’s American Dream is, she responded, “My American Dream would be having the feeling that I could leave… and not feel like a bad person for leaving all of the people who don’t have the opportunity to leave America.” R dreams of doing everything she can to ensure safety and comfort for her loved ones, so that they do not have to experience the hardships she has faced. R stated “It is hard to be black. It is hard to be queer. It is hard to be biracial.” Society’s perception of her identities and the identities of people around her, have made her wary of leaving. She does not want to leave behind people who are “still suffering”.
This comic addresses R’s gender identity. Even though Aspen has an American Dream of her own, she finds it difficult to realize this dream with the knowledge that she and millions of others are still not being accepted for their identities.