I'm non-binary. My pronouns are they/them/theirs.

No, dude/man/bro/sir are not correct. They're little reminders of two things.

One, that some people who dont understand that react by ignoring it.

Two, that it's not important enough for me to care.

I care, every time.

It's been especially hard during quarantine to find all of the "relatable content" be held to the gender binary, to be misgendered often, and for the they/them in my name here and elsewhere to be ignored.

If you dont honor my pronouns I feel no respect from you.

And hey, you dont have to respect me. None of this has to be your problem, on your radar, or a thought in your mind.

In that same way, at all junctions possible, you are not my problem, on my radar, or a thought in my mind.

What I carry is the internal struggle being provoked.

As a Black person I am exTREMELY used to being disrespected constantly. But in the same way that I value my Blackness, so much that I made it my name mind you, it's important to know that if you interact with me, my values are clear and my boundary's lines are drawn in bold.

My name is Orion Black. Or whatever I tell you when you ask. My pronouns are they/them/theirs. There's room for mistakes because I get it. I look like a man to you and that's on social programming.

But if it's not worth the effort to you, you ain't worth the effort to me.

P.S.

It is extremely rare that I want or need an apology. I want, more than anything, for people to do better instead of letting me know how much it hurt them to misgender me.

A "Sorry, let me repeat that," or "Sorry, them," is the move. And then we keep movin.