The Queer-Dear Kid

Por Jhennyfer A. Soares e Gabriela Rodrigues 

Enviado em: 16/08/2023

Parágrafo de contexto: Esse trabalho foi produzido para a matéria de "Escritas em Inglês", matéria do 3º semestre do curso "Letras - Português/Inglês". Como boas ativistas da comunidade LGBTQIAP+, decidimos abordar o "Queer" ainda na infância, fase formadora e de descobrimentos. Foi uma escrita gratificante de certa forma, é difícil acharmos textos que tratem do indivíduo LGBTQIAP+ enquanto criança, principalmente de autores da UFMS. No geral, a escrita fluiu bem, tínhamos os objetivos bem delimitados, então foi fácil completarmos as ações da história de forma coerente, gostamos bastante.

Once upon a time… There was a Queer-Dear Kid.

The Queer-Dear Kid was just a kid. A kid who liked the color pink, bowls, to play with dolls, and all kinds of cute things. At the same time, the Queer-Dear Kid liked the color blue, to play with cars and tools, and all kinds of manly things. That was the Queer-Dear Kid.

But, the Queer-Dear Kid had a problem, the other kids used to think that they, the queer-dear kid, was too girly to be a boy, and too boyish to be a girl. As a consequence, the other kids started questioning the poor kid.

– What you really are?

– Boy? Girl? Just decide!

– Why are you like that?

– My parents told me not to play with you, I'm sorry...

The kid started to get sick. Their world so colorful and full of life started to lose the brightness, it was taken by waves of a dark feeling of frustration about themself. The monster of sadness started to show up while the days passed by, and suddenly they didn't want to play anymore. They started to isolate themself because they were afraid of their friends' judgments. The Queer-Dear Kid started to wonder if they could change, give it a try to look more like a boy or a girl. But the kid decided to give their friends' idea a try, and thought:

– How about considering their behavior?

Some days after, the kid realized that it was so boring, boys couldn't play with dolls, how would they tell their stories? Girls couldn't play with cars, how would they play car racing?

Boys can't wear dresses, and that kid loves dresses. Girls can't wear baggy clothes, but they are so comfortable. The kid didn't want to give up any part of themself, all of the parts made them complete.

Till the day, during the break, the Queer-Dear Kid saw a kid who looked a bit different, different like them, the Queer-Dear Kid never felt so excited and anxious. Excited because for the first time they saw someone like them. Anxious because they wanted to become friends with that kid, but they were so afraid of what could happen. So they didn't try to talk to that kid.

The Queer-Dear Kid sat a little far away from where the other kids were playing and tried to find a way to have fun by themself, the Queer-Dear Kid was so distracted that didn't even notice the other kid coming.

– HI! You wanna play with me? It's quite boring to do that by myself... – the Queer-Dear Kid got scared and looked up to see the other kid coming.

The other kid didn't even wait for an answer and immediately sat next to the Queer-Dear Kid. Even a little bit nervous, they accepted, gave a smile to each other and each one grabbed a toy car and started to play.

After having a good time, the Queer-Dear Kid asked if that new kid didn't think they were weird or quaint, and wanted to know why that kid was there. With them. Without judging.

– I don't think you are weird or quaint, you're completely normal, in your own way. You're honest with yourself, and it's nice to be the way you are, and also funny, don't you think so? – and smiled to the Queer-Dear Kid, who smiled back and felt a warm feeling growing in their chest, just like when their mother gives a kiss in bedtime, or when you drink hot chocolate on a cold rainy day.

And after a long time the Queer-Dear Kid felt okay and happy to be themself, to be different. It was nice not to be like everyone else and like a little bit of everything. Everything was okay. Everything was perfect.