CHICAGO – Shawn Coleman bristles when an application poses the question “male or female?” – as if there are only two choices.
When it comes to sexual identity, the 23-year-old Shawn – born Patricia – sees a broad spectrum, a man-to-woman or a woman-to-man continuum with many stops along the way. Think gender without borders. He (the preferred pronoun) looks male but not completely. He is not a lesbian, a cross-dresser or contemplating a sex-change operation any time soon.
“I always knew I was different than other girls,” explained Coleman. “I was never a fan of Barbie but liked playing sports with my two older brothers. People were always telling me to act more feminine – that I should sit with my legs crossed – but I found that stuff incredibly difficult. It wasn’t the way I felt inside.”
Published – April 2006
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