L is a 19-year-old transgender male, who has experienced a transformation into a new gendered world that has opened his eyes to the culture that promotes toxic masculinity.
“People are disenfranchised with the concept of the American Dream now and have a little less hope that it’s a real thing. I know I do.”
Remaining skeptical of the American Dream as a social concept to promote nationality and gender roles, L speaks on his experience that has led him to discard these notions and concepts, and to try to live his life unphased by the roles he is assumed to fill as a man.
L’s American Dream
There is a certain genuine attachment of L’s dream to passion for simplicity in his desired future;
“I want to be a doctor. I want to spend five days working and spend the weekend with my future family, I want to go on hikes. I don’t think about ‘oh I want money and Dior shoes.’”
L describes his own American Dream, something he explains to be less attainable because of who the concept is truly built for. He explains that the true audience of the American Dream are cis-gendered white males that have every opportunity to achieve their dreams as our society revolves around their presence as a dominating force within the patriarchy.
“It seemed like everything was possible, it seemed like the world was ready for me to stomp on it.”
L describes his childhood growing up as an upper-class young girl before his transition. After realizing he was transgender, L’s world, and his American Dream, was completely shattered. All of a sudden, he was required to relearn gendered norms, gendered idiosyncrasies, gendered tasks, just to be accepted.
“Who gets to deserve the American Dream, who gets to fight for it, is something mirrored in how sports are such a big part in the media dictating the roles of men.”
L believes men are upheld to the standard patriarchy has created that asks men to achieve the American dream through toxic masculinity. L has begun to feel the pressures of providing for a family, being a traditionally “masculine” male who says and does “horrible things” to assert their masculinity, even as he was raised without this perception when he was a child. Now, L’s American Dream may feel defined by the dictation our society has established for the way men must act.
Regardless, he has worked to discard the concept all together as a means to reach true happiness and contentment through his own personal desires to become a doctor and raise a family as fulfillment for his American Dream.
L often spends time in nature as an attempt at escapism from daily social constraints.
L is…
- 19 Years-Old
- Male, Trans Man
- White
- Wealthy
- Straight
