[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f2eZHbVTBuQ65HJtUNoO0qeThlJiq9zb3BlckVmnM3oY":3,"$ffy7dkKl_umkwbIVH5NxTrujrGtCSyxGxa-vgcwG0mFQ":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},61759,"S. Bear Bergman","S",17,null,"s-bear-bergman",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":88},[14,22,28,34,40,46,52,58,65,77],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3405656,"This is partly my own ego, of course. I want to be visible as tough enough to possess and defend a femme who is entrancing enough to become the object of someone else’s desire, but it is equally a measure of protection for the femme in question. What if the same person sees her walking alone tomorrow?",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3405637,"You should move toward whatever changes, whatever surgeries, whatever renovations or alterations or restorations will create you in the glory you deserve, oh yes you should. And you should do it with your usual style, and you should do it without shame, and when you’re healed up and ready we can go shopping for something fabulous to showcase the many wonders of you.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},3405633,"Instead of wishing for the Field Guide, be glad to live in the beautiful chaos of each of us finding our way into our own gendered menu, our own identity, and our own name for it, which – if you will just love us while we do this complex and fragile part – we will kiss into your mouth with such gratitude when we’re through.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":37,"source":38,"quote_tag":39,"commentary":9},3405624,"I live in a constellation of intimates, and the shape of us is a family. We touch base and check in, with each other and also – I am so gratified to report – they sometimes check in with one another. Correspondences have sprung up and friendships have started to form beyond my influence. Family has begun to take on a transitive property as well.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":41,"quote_text":42,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":43,"source":44,"quote_tag":45,"commentary":9},3405607,"But if I can’t go from the body I have to a body that I am certain would feel very right – right like having wings would be or even right like wearing spats would be – then I think, maybe not for me.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":47,"quote_text":48,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":49,"source":50,"quote_tag":51,"commentary":9},3405591,"If I am seen as a butch, or a man, I am now – to some minds – walking with someone who is under my protection and who is in my possession. Whatever critiques of gender and culture apply to that assumption, and they are numerous as the grains of sand, they do not always assert themselves in the walkaday world.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":53,"quote_text":54,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":55,"source":56,"quote_tag":57,"commentary":9},3405583,"When people speak admiringly of a butch, what I see is someone who has taken on the best gendered characteristics of both woman and man, left a lot of the stuff born of misogyny and heterosexism behind, and walked forward into the world without apology.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":59,"quote_text":60,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":61,"source":62,"quote_tag":63,"commentary":64},3405569,"One bright pansy popping through a sidewalk crack will get weeded or stepped on; it’s not until twenty fabulous flowers bust through and the pavement is ruined anyway that someone decides maybe it isn’t a sidewalk at all, but a flower garden. So please, for the love of gender – go bloom.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote, penned by the inimitable S. Bear Bergman, is a testament to their unyielding spirit and commitment to challenging societal norms. Bergman, a trans author and activist, has long been a champion of marginalized voices, and this quote reflects their frustration with the systemic oppression faced by the LGBTQ+ community. It is likely from one of their essays or speeches, where they would often push the boundaries of language and thought.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nOn the surface, the quote appears to be a rallying cry for self-expression and acceptance. However, the true depth lies in its subversion of the idea that progress is a gradual, incremental process. Bergman is highlighting the paradox that our individual efforts, no matter how valiant, are often met with resistance until a critical mass of others joins in, rendering the status quo obsolete.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset in your own life, recognize that your unique perspective and contributions may not be valued until they become a collective force. Instead of waiting for permission or validation, focus on cultivating a community of like-minded individuals who can amplify your voice and create a groundswell of change.",{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":68,"has_image":18,"author":69,"source":70,"quote_tag":71,"commentary":9},814348,"I live in a constellation of intimates, and the shape of us is a family. We touch base and check in, with each other and also—I am so gratified to report—they sometimes check in with one another. Correspondences have sprung up and friendships have started to form beyond my influence. Family has begun to take on a transitive property as well.",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[72],{"id":73,"tag":74},3748988,{"id":75,"tag_name":76},86,"family",{"id":78,"quote_text":79,"author_id":5,"source_id":68,"has_image":18,"author":80,"source":81,"quote_tag":82,"commentary":9},728101,"A real friend, he'd say, is the one who, when you say you need for them to kill someone for you, asks only, \"And where did you want me to dump the body?\" I understood that it was hyperbole, but I saw him do barely less more than once, to exhaust himself in research and effort to him his people. Which is how he divided the whole world: his people and everyone else.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[83],{"id":84,"tag":85},3534607,{"id":86,"tag_name":87},17764,"friendship-true-and-loyal",{"currentPage":89,"totalPages":68,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":90},1,10]