We live in sensitive times, I mean since as old as time itself the world as we know it has been plagued with several issues: wars, diseases, political crises, school (I could not help myself), but never in any time has there been novel and rather eccentric developments so conspicuously paraded as now. The bane of an evolving generation is the synthesis of new issues to grapple with, and we indeed have this complexities, recent times have revealed an upsurge in mental illnesses, suicides, decline in morality, dearth of traditional values to name a few; all justifiable given the new milieu, but what has persistently eluded my comprehension are the rather subtle vices, gender queerness being one of such.
Four days ago, the beloved Sam Smith took to Instagram to officially announce that he was changing their pronouns to THEY/THEM, I can almost palpate your confusion. Let us join in our ‘nigerianess’ and let it out; NAWA O!! I am sure you are beginning to understand my plight. I already have enough on my plate to contend with, for me to add the herculean brainstorming on how to properly address you sir/ma/sir-ma (You see what I mean) you just have to miss the simpler times when gender had just two sub types. I still stay up late at night trying to understand the intricacies of sexual orientation (are people born gay or do they acquire this tendencies?) only for it to be complicated by non binary gender.
Trust me, if you feel my position is judgmental, however seemingly true it appears, those emotions are amiss. This piece if anything, is a honest question about what the deeper issues may be; a philosophical outlet if I may, I am not judging. I just painfully need to understand the WHY, because I really, honestly, utterly, harmlessly do not understand ‘THEM’.
👏🏾 nice piece
Thank you very much 🙏