4 My Pronouns Are They/Them. What Are Yours?

An interview with Lily Zheng by Paige Cohen

Two years ago, I attended a Christmas party at my parents’ house in California. Picture a dimly lit room filled with candles, wine, cheery tunes, and garlands twinkling in the background. I was standing in the kitchen, picking cheese from a platter, when a relative resembling a Disney villain pronounced that I looked more masculine than she remembered. She sipped her drink and cocked her head to the side, taking in my buzzed hair, green vest, and slacks.

“You were a very feminine child,” she said. “You wore little bows and dresses.” She reached her manicured claw toward my plate and snatched a chunk of cheddar.

It had been a long time since I lacked ...

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