Ze
He stated that his name was Shannon, but his I.D. said Joe.
What was happening? We saw the prohibitions
of his choices, and he tested our views.
His dress caught my eyes, the very bright purple
with red dots, who was he to determine
he wouldn’t be involved?
I saw his breasts stare at me, and his glare penetrated
right through me. We experimented in college,
and we enjoyed that part of our lives,
but most of us have wives and kids now.
It is only a matter of time until he wanders
toward us and challenges my morals. I had never seen a man
so beautiful. His blonde hair fell flawlessly
down his back. He was bringing me back to college again.
The other men I was with focused on calling him “fag” and “queer.”
But I saw the way his thighs fit perfectly in his dress.
How the lipstick matched his outfit and delivered straight to my libido.
I traveled toward him, and the only words I could say
to him were “are you a he or a she?”
and his reply was simply, “I am a Ze.”
Ze.
What the hell?
The man was staring at me,
and I saw the start of a kiss
from this man with breasts. But he developed his own term.
Ze came back to my mind.
Ze, where the hell did he hear that, but should I call him this?
Ze looked at me,
and I knew that Ze was going to kiss me.
I was kissing Ze as the music played
around us and my friends challenged me when
they decided, I knew, that I was not allowed to come back.
I had made my choice; I shattered through my closet door.
I will not be a Ze, but I would love to f*** this Ze right now.
Ze was like a siren that keeps dragging me closer, and I am in her grasp.
I need to find myself again, and how could I liberate
myself and now I decided that I am enjoying this kiss, this wo(man).
Ze looked at men and me and smiled and I returned.
#Sayhername
We never saw your face
before the news coverage
came. #Sayhername
was all we saw. Shot down
by a group of men
for being herself.
How could a planet be as hurtful?
Being gay is hard enough,
but none of us couldn’t imagine letting the constant urge
from ourselves to be something that society
wouldn’t understand. Why would you portray
the opposite gender if it didn’t come
from somewhere deep within? Transgender
is what made the headlines, but I wish
they would have read more favorable.
“Precious Life Gunned Down by Bigots”
or “Woman Killed by Ignorant Men.”
Why does this keep happening?
Kiesha Jenkins, you were shot and killed
in North Philadelphia at just 22.
Why did you get out of your car at 2:30 am?
Were you just home or were you looking for help?
Six men, emphasis that they were men
that were raised by a woman
who would find this behavior hideous,
approached and assaulted you. Why?
The homicide captain told us you were shot in the back
and I can only imagine how you felt being alone
in the streets bleeding out while the monsters called you names
and ran away. Is this ever going to be solved?
I doubt it will and in a few months everyone will forget you.
Why were you targeted? Was it because you were transgender,
or just because you were at the corner of 13th and Wingohocking.
A federal hate crime would put your murderers
away for life, but who knows where they are.
I always wonder how we are able to walk
down the streets without getting shot
or verbally harassed. But I know that you are okay
now and we will always remember
you for just being yourself.
Austin Shay is a sophomore English major at Penn State Harrisburg.
