don't shave, you're so valid
i was talking to a girl i'd never met before at a party this weekend, and i mentioned wanting to start lasering my leg hair off soon. my leg hair is frequently a dysphoria trigger, and over the last year i've struggled with various methods of removal - i'm prone to razor burn, waxing is messy and time-consuming, and there's only so much you can accomplish with an at-home ipl gun. i also have curly leg hair, so i inevitably struggle with ingrown hairs regardless of how i remove the previous crop. often, i choose the dysphoria of letting the hair grow over the insecurity and embarrassment caused by the ingrown hairs.
before i could actually mention any of that, though, this girl proudly declared that she "love[s] a hairy dyke." and don't get me wrong, i love a hairy dyke as much as the next lesbian. but i don't get to be the hairy dyke you're proudly declaring your love for. trying to be that hairy dyke i love and envy, as much as i'd prefer for this to not be the case, is a one-way ticket to dysphoria, misgendering, and possibly assault if i'm clocked by the wrong person.
do you love the tranny dyke, too? because that's who you were talking to; that's who heard your declaration. and you might've been saying more than you considered.