WWLGD?
Hello Beautiful People!
I have 3 days off work! 3 whole days! AH! I plan on using this time to ease myself into party mode for the up incoming Saskatoon Pride Week. Don’t be mistaken, Pride Week isn’t something you can just jump into willy nilly. No, you must train hard in the arts of drinking and late night debauchery to persevere to the very end of Pride week.
*Cue Rocky Music. Cut to scene of Avery leading a parade of glittery, chiseled men who are wearing 50 dollar underwear and feather boas up a set of stairs*
I would like to address a comment that was sent to about last week’s video. The comment was not about an area someone wanted me to talk more about, it was not about any physical or social changes I have experience. In fact, it had nothing to do with my transition whatsoever.
This was the comment: “you are fat phobic and it’s offensive. i hope you never become a lawyer under the guise of being a human rights advocate. shame on you!!!”
Hmm… really? Really? Me, a “fat phobic”. That makes so much sense, because it wouldn’t be hypocritical of me at all to discriminate against people who do not live up to the unattainable and idealized bodies that society prescribes to us. Really. As someone who has never, and never will, meet the expectations of what a ‘beautiful’ body is I would never turn around and treat someone the way I have been treated. I am sorry if it came across that way in the video.
The reason I get a bit snippy with this comment is because of the second half of it. You guys are open to criticize or comment on my videos, but do not attack me. I want to become a human rights lawyer because I want to make a positive difference for the people I care about. This person apparently thinks this is a “guise”, I am assuming that means they think I want to be a lawyer for the money… again, with the really? Do you know how much 7-8 years of school is going to cost? Lawyers who deal with human rights don’t make a lot of money. If I was going to become a lawyer to work for McDonald’s I would set myself up as a target for you to throw McNuggets and ‘special sauce’ at for all eternity. But I think you should be a bit more careful when you attack someone, because I am not a “fat phobic”. I understand what it is like to go against body image scripts better than most people. Don’t attack your own.
Jeez.
Okay.
Moving on.
I met with Success For The Win from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix on Friday. The paper is running an article about this blog, my transition and Saskatoon Pride. I know Success For The Win through the Saskatoon music scene, and through some friends. I met with Success For The Win (SFTW) for the first time about this article a few months ago during the school year. When we met back then she expressed interest in having a code name for the blog, so I finally thought one up for her. I choose Success For The Win because of something I heard recently, “the best revenge is success.” We talked about some of her experiences growing up in a small town as a talented, artistic, and cultured woman. All of those things are hard to find in small town Saskatchewan and, as you all know, different is not often met with kindness. She was picked on a lot growing up in her small town, and is still considered eccentric there. But here in Saskatoon she is a hit -- she is a successful musician and writer, and she is packed full of adorably awkward charm. I am really happy she finds this blog interesting enough write an article about.
I think the interview went well. You have all watched my videos and have seen that I am not the most articulate person. When I get nervous I tend to stutter more and ramble in incoherent sentences, so I hope that I don’t come across too stupid in the article. But I trust SFTW to make me, and the blog, look good. She said that she is going to take quotes from the blog, which is a good because I am a bit more relax and articulate here.
I will consider the article a success if it is clear that I started this blog as a way to repay all the Trans guys who have made videos before me and helped me when I felt alone. Also, as a way for me to record all the changes I have and will experience. And it wouldn’t hurt if in the article I seem witty, and charming. If a descriptor along the lines of “studly and cute awkward nerd” is used I wouldn’t complain. Just saying. I guess we will all see how it turns out.
The interview should be out sometime during the first week of June, I will get back to you with an exact date. I will also post a link to the Star Phoenix website for those of you who do not live in Saskatchewan.
Time for the video! Excited? Yeah? Yeah! You better be. I am not wearing plaid, or a ball tee in this one. I had to dig through my clothes to find a shirt that wasn’t either of those. I thought only wearing ball tees might confuse people looking at my Youtube channel.
P.S. GLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Oh, Lady Gaga! How I love thee. Your expressive and scary claw will now be my go-to pose in all pictures. This week has been packed full of Lady Gaga. Here in Saskatoon there was a Lady Gaga drag show. It was AMAZING! The best drag show I have ever been too.
Lady Gaga really is the new Madonna. The Queer community is completely obsessed with her. She is so creative and pushes many boundaries. I really respect her for the way she has dealt with the rumours of her being Trans. She was respectful and chill. She didn’t freak out, and act like being called Trans was the worst insult anyone could say to her. She makes the general public think about what gender is, and that is a huge achievement. A lot of people never think about that stuff.
Okay, I need to stop rambling about Lady Gaga. I could go on forever. My new motto in life is now “WWLGD? -- What Would Lady Gaga Do?” Yes. That is all I need in life to be successful.
That is it for this week, Lovely. I will see you all next week for another update, tell your friends!
Okay, I am going to go practice waving my Pride flag while not spilling my beer.
- Avery Eros Finley