Part of why I still say "I identify as" instead of "I am" is explicitly because "I am" implies an objectivity about the universe which I just can't muster, and partially because I have no more control over the perceptions of others than they have over mine. I can say "this is what I call myself," and even "this is what I would like you to call me," but I can't force people to not be assholes. I can merely point out that they're assholes if they don't reify my identity.

Of course, all this gets way out into privileged theory that I'm afforded because I have a tremendous level of passing privilege, and I'm aware of it. Others who struggle with basic acceptance _need_ more support than "identify as" can provide.

We as a species aren't really _ready_ to deal with trans identities because we weren't really even ready to deal with female identities as valid and whole and equal to male ones, to say nothing of non-binary and fluid ones. To anyone reading, I reify and affirm, I validate and acknowledge. I see you. I believe you. Your gender is real, your feelings are real, your feelins about your gender -- even your genders -- are real, and I accept them.

Society... isn't there yet.

It often feels to me as though society is going to have to come to terms with the harms that have been wrought under the identity-as-biology model before it's really going to be ready to get a good handle on... "identity as revelation of personal mystery" model. Or whatever you want to call the exploration of deep and personal self that cannot be _seen_ to be _known_. Because we do know our genders. We just can't always articulate them.

We all need to keep doing what we're doing. We need to keep being ourselves. We can't stop and we can't slow down and if anything, it's only going to get faster from here. Newer and more amazing identities will continue to come to light as the future reveals itself. But it does mean that, even as we continue to fight for ourselves, it's ever more imperative that we do our best to make things good for those who came before, and to try to make space for those who will surely follow.

... but sure, give me two radio buttons and no text entry field on that website and wonder why I don't like using your service.

@literorrery And this point gets rather sentimental. It gets a little hard for me to think about the flow of things from a broad view like that. I mean... leaving this cycle better than it was when I got here is a reason I'm here... but I... don't know. It's just tough.
Accepting broad views of time for me often involves accepting things I have a very, very hard time accepting. and It hurts.

@literorrery Society isn't there yet and... It's a fact I havn't exactly been ignorant of, but it still hurts to have these moments of clarity in such.
I'd go so far as to say that society will not be able to justly march forward unless it comes to terms with the harms it has done in such. I'm not sure there is a way to not come to terms with that and still treat folks justly.