KNOWhomo

LBGTQ* Spoken Word Artists You Should Know

Lacey Roop “Gender is a Universe”

While squatting down to take a piss I read

gender is a universe and we are all stars.

scribbled on the wall of a bathroom stall

I was so in awe by this that I went home and poured myself a flask

crawled on top the roof to ponder what I had read

I stared with amazement at the vastness of constellations just wonderin’ if God has become an angry drunk

because of the ignorance and intolerance he sees in us?

We like to stereotype, nitpick, criticize, and compare black and white,

judge each other because of hairstyles, and pant size

I guess that’s why everytime I go out at night I always get asked

Are you a dude or a dyke?

And all I wanna say is

Oh hi, dude bra’! Ummm, I don’t know, how ‘bout you ask your girlfriend since she was the one who went down on me last night.

But I refrain and say

Well, I’m a little bit of both and sometimes neither

Give him a hug then walk away while he stands there intrigued still trying to figure me out

and I’m not really offended as much as I am saddened by how it never occurred to this guy

that people’s sexual preference doesn’t diminish the fact that we are still human

It’s an atrocity to me that we still have to be reminded of this

Did you know that it took nearly 400 years after

the first American settlement before

the white man recognized that black people had souls?

And I wonder if it is going to take 400 more before people

quit telling me that they think it’s cute that I kiss girls

As if my lifestyle is some trendy fashion statement

gay ‘till graduation bullshit

curious exhibitionist

I wish my mom would quit telling me

this is a stage I’m going through

and recognize that this is a skin her daughter has finally felt comfortable enough in for me to tell her about girlfriends

‘Cuz from 2nd grade ‘till I was a sophomore in college

I camouflaged my feelings because the state of Mississippi

has it written that love can only exist between a man and a woman

as if a state has the right to dictate who you choose to spend the rest of your life with

But on nights when I’m sleeping next to someone soft

I can’t help but wonder about the ones still struggling in my hometown like

Mikey who had to put a silencer over his heartbeat

because it thumped too loud whenever Andrew was in the room

he was afraid that Calvary would condemn him.

Or Irene who used to dye her hair bright blue to distract

people from staring in dismay at her and Shay’s interlocked fingers

As if homosexuality is a disease instead of just another form of loving

I just hope that when I go out tonight I won’t get asked

How do lesbians do it?

As if heterosexual missionary position is the only type of sex there is

because that would be fucking boring

I think I might just crawl on top my roof and get drunk with God again so he can hear me when I ask him to keep an eye out on

Irene and Mikey or anyone else who is being taught

to be ashamed of themselves for their feelings

because tonight I don’t wanna have to explain myself.

I’m tired of having to explain myself.

I don’t wanna be distinguished as gay, straight, lesbian,

queer, dude, or dyke

just human

because gender really is a universe

and we need to accept that we are all but mere stars

a part of one great galaxy.

———————————–