Arts & Culture | Queer Life

Starting Testosterone During Ramadan Led Me to the Sacred in My Trans Self

Before testosterone, few people ever saw me cry. Now tears come in hot floods, as though some tender, unlanguaged creature has surfaced inside me.

I. Hidden Cities: Olinda

The Thirty Names of Night

Whatsoever wears the shape of anything in existence

has come from the shadow of the beautiful Simorgh.

If Simorgh unveils its face to you, you will find

that all the birds, be they thirty or forty or more,

are but the shadows cast by that unveiling . . .

Do you see? The shadow and its maker are one and the same.

Invisible Cities Maybe I’m practicing perfect detachmentMaybe I’m closer to God.

II. Cities and Signs: Tamara

L’Aurora delle trans cattive The Dawn of the Bad Trans

Your life,your real life. life vita hayat‘omr life‘Omr

III. Cities and Memory: Isidora

there

IV. Cities and the Sky: Beersheba

At least in Europeyou’re safe.

Its water is ritually pure and its dead are lawful.

V. Cities and the Dead: Argia

Ponyo

VI. Cities and Desire: Despina

We made from water every living thing.

VII.Continuous Cities: Cecilia

Aeneid

  All night long, all day, the doors of Hades stand open.

  But to retrace the path, to come up to the sweet air of heaven,

  That is labour indeed.

VIII. Cities and Eyes: Valdrada

surrender

IX. Thin Cities: Zenobia