Beyond the binary: Gender diversity offers freedom, say Pride P.E.I. Festival panellists
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — When Amirah Oyesegun was a baby rising up in Nigeria, there have been no limits based mostly on gender. Oyesegun may run and play, with out worrying what individuals thought.
Then, Oyesegun reached puberty and their dad and mom began speaking about “issues a lady doesn’t do.”
Playtime was over. However the containers adults put Oyesegun in didn’t really feel proper.
It left tough questions for Oyesegun to face alone: If I’m not a lady, what am I? A person? Plastic?
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Oyesegun went by way of a few 12 months of a “tomboy section,” opposing the female expectations, however that simply felt like appearing.
It got here time to go to college, and Oyesegun moved to Charlottetown to check diet on the College of Prince Edward Island.
Through the first week, Oyesegun picked up some pronoun pins at a scholar occasion, “she/her” and “they/them” — simply in case.
As Oyesegun made buddies on the Island, they lastly got here to know what had felt so flawed about having womanhood imposed from exterior.
No, they weren’t a person and definitely not plastic.
“Ultimately I got here to a spot of consolation. However to ensure that me to additionally unlearn gender as a assemble, I unlearned all the pieces as a assemble. So, for me, gender range additionally means quite a lot of unlearning and with the ability to dismantle methods of oppression inside myself,” Oyesegun mentioned at
The P.E.I. Satisfaction Pageant gender range panel was held July 20 on the Black Cultural Society in Charlottetown.
“To ensure that me to additionally unlearn gender as a assemble, I unlearned all the pieces as a assemble. So, for me, gender range additionally means quite a lot of unlearning and with the ability to dismantle methods of oppression inside myself.”
Amirah Oyesegun
World perspective
Oyesegun joined Andy Glydon, Siddharth Acharya and Fortunate Fusca to debate their experiences as non-binary and gender numerous Islanders – individuals who don’t determine as both a person or girl.
King Kxndi, the moderator for the panel, requested what gender range means, what it’s wish to be part of social change and what sort of large image progress nonetheless must occur.
For Oyesegun, embracing gender range means liberation from the inflexible society white colonists compelled on locations like Africa and India.
Earlier than colonization, Nigeria was probably the most numerous nations on the earth with a inhabitants of round 206 million that understood gender in a extra advanced means than simply women and men, Oyesegun mentioned.
Acharya, a panellist who moved to P.E.I. from India, mentioned that they had discovered comparable complexity in studying Indian mythology.
The gods of the Hindu pantheon, for instance, present the fluidity of gender all through historical past in India, Acharya mentioned.
For Acharya, embracing this historical past and really being gender numerous is about merely being oneself – with out having to cease and take into consideration conforming.
“I don’t really feel like I ever felt the necessity to conform to something,” Acharya mentioned. “Ever since I used to be a child, ever since my sister used to decorate me up with femme garments, since once I was three or 4. To my dad and mom, it was like, ‘oh it’s this cute boy, you realize, being cute.’ However I used to be like, no, that is simply who I need to be.”
Queer illustration
In response to a moderator query about altering social norms, Glydon spoke in regards to the toll one can really feel from being an advocate — and simply being oneself as a queer individual in P.E.I.
“I grew up right here. I left for a bit. I got here again; I left; I got here again. It’s … exhausting, to be trustworthy.”
Whereas Glydon advised the viewers issues do get higher as queer individual, it was a tough begin.
Lastly, after transferring again to P.E.I. for the final time in 2018, they noticed a shift.
“There was a big change within the make-up of the people who find themselves current right here.”
For Glydon, seeing a rise in queer illustration has been highly effective, whether or not within the media with figures like actor Elliot Web page and even in the local people.
Fortunate Fusca, panellist and Satisfaction P.E.I. board chair, additionally spoke in regards to the affect of discovering different individuals who felt the best way they did.
“It was the primary time in my life I had heard the time period non-binary and had any individual clarify to me what this meant. And as they had been explaining this to me, it was like my inside baby was banging on the door and was like, ‘Let me out. I’m right here now. Any individual’s really listening.”
Earlier than this, they hadn’t realized they had been queer however had been attempting to slot in with gender norms.
“I nonetheless mourn that baby,” Fusca mentioned, speaking about their youthful self. “I mourn that teenager, that younger grownup who by no means had the prospect to authentically be myself.”
After the panel, SaltWire spoke with Oyesegun to ask about what Islanders might not know or perceive about gender range, and the way they’ll educate themselves.
“I feel, altering their perspective and the sorts of media they devour, and being extra intentional in regards to the type of media they devour,” Oyesegun mentioned.
Logan MacLean is a range reporter with SaltWire Community in Charlottetown.
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