Summary

Emma Holiday recounts a metaphorical journey of gender discovery, transition, and enlightenment, inspired by "The Wizard of Oz," where the protagonist navigates a world beyond binary gender norms.

Abstract

Emma Holiday's narrative begins with a tumultuous shift in her understanding of gender, likening it to a house caught in a tornado, and landing in a vibrant, non-binary world. This new realm, populated by diverse and joyful Rainbow People, contrasts sharply with her previous binary existence, which she compares to the black-and-white landscape of Kansas in "The Wizard of Oz." The death of the Binary Witch of the East symbolizes the overcoming of oppressive gender norms, and the guidance from the Good Gender Witch Therapist of the North, Molly the Wise, initiates Emma's journey on the Path of Gender Enlightenment. The journey is depicted as a process of self-discovery and learning, represented by a yellow brick road that continues indefinitely. Emma's quest is not just about finding her way back home but about understanding and accepting her gender identity, with the repeated advice to "process, process, process." The story ends with Emma setting off on her journey, armed with a bubble gun and the well-wishes of the Rainbow People, suggesting both the whimsical and the challenging aspects of her path ahead.

Opinions

The author conveys that the journey to gender enlightenment is complex and ongoing, requiring continuous self-reflection and learning.
Emma Holiday expresses that writing about her experiences is therapeutic and serves as a means to process her transition and gender dysphoria.
The narrative suggests that overcoming gender dysphoria can lead to a more colorful and fulfilling life, akin to Dorothy's transition from Kansas to Oz.
The story implies a desire for understanding and acceptance from both the transgender community and cisgender individuals, emphasizing the importance of empathy and normalization of transgender experiences.
The use of humor and a playful tone in the narrative serves as a coping mechanism and a way to make the heavy subject of gender transition more approachable for readers.
The author hints at the loneliness felt during the transition process and hopes that sharing her journey will provide solace and companionship to others in similar situations.

Chapter 1: Psychological House Torn off Its Foundation

My journey on the path of gender enlightenment

My gender journey has lasted a lifetime and in the last five years has taken a right turn into the surreal.

Five years ago, my psychological house was torn off its foundation and catapulted into a tornado of explosive emotions. It continued to spiral out of control until it landed in a place of exotic realities and people of colorful persuasions. It also had an abundant number of wicked witches and their army of flying monkeys.

I wasn’t in my binary Kansas any longer and Toto had totally left the building.

When the house landed, I heard a sudden scream and a thump. As I exited my house of Emotional Turmoil with its paint scheme of black and white, I emerged into a blinding world of color.

It was stunningly glorious! I had no idea that it even existed.

The house landed on top of a strange, black-robed figure. An arm, a leg and a head were exposed. The face looked like a feminized version of Clint Eastwood. In her hand was an odd-looking weapon.

Quietly at first and then with increasing confidence the people slowly emerged from their homes. They and their entire town were all different colors. They saw the body under the house and then looked at me. They immediate started to dance and cheer. I had killed the mean and cruel Binary Witch of the East that had tortured everyone that inhabited this part of the land.

It was the land of the Rainbow People. They wore different colors of the rainbow and you couldn’t tell male from female but you knew that they knew who they were. They were a really happy bunch of people.

I explained to them that I was violently ripped from my home and I just wanted to get back there. They tried to help me but could not think of any way back for me. My house was too big and they couldn’t lift it. They tried anyway because they were so grateful. They even offered to throw we a party to celebrate but I kept repeating that I just wanted to get home.

After a short committee meeting, they all agreed that my wish was beyond their ability to help. I needed the help of the Good Gender Witch Therapist of the North, Molly the Wise. They sent a pure white dove to get her.

She quickly arrived, gliding through the sky inside a bubble constructed of Freudian Confidence. It glistened in the sun and seemed to radiate pure assurance and conviction. Once I saw her, I was certain that in one meeting she would solve all of my problems and send me safely home.

When I shared my “one and done” expectation, she chuckled sweetly at my sincere innocence. With an understanding smile, she then said quietly:

“My dear, your journey has just but begun.”

She then pointed her wand at a strange yellow brick pathway that seemed to start at a narrow point and then spiraled out into a larger and larger one that just continued off beyond the horizon.

She said “My dear, you must start on this path and follow it to where you must go. Along the way,” she continued, “you must process all that you learn along this path, the Path of Gender Enlightenment, until you find your way home. It is the only way.”

With that she re-entered her Freudian bubble and began to gently float away. I yelled back in increasing fear, “How will I know when I have arrived?” She answered “You must process, process, process.” She repeated it over and over again as she disappeared into the clouds, leaving me with the crowd of Rainbow People waving goodbye.

I looked around the crowd in total confusion. The Rainbow Mayor stepped forward through everyone. In his hands was a Smith & Wesson 44 Magnum, the most powerful bubble gun blower in the world. “I just recovered this from the hands of the dead witch”, he said, “This might be useful to defend yourself against the wicked witches or their evil flying monkeys and it will make your journey on the Path more cheerful.”

I took thebubble gun and squeezed the trigger a few times. He was right. The bubbles did cheer me up a little. The local band started playing a happy little ditty that I thought I recognized as a Peter Allen song and they formed a conga line behind me as we marched along the yellow brick path to the edge of Rainbow Land.

As I started my journey, I turned around for a final wave to the assembled crowd. They seemed so happy and I was so jealous.

So, I was off on the Path of Gender Enlightenment, blowing bubbles in my wake as I continued to sing the lyrics to “I Go to Rio” under my breath wondering where that song came from.

(to be continued, maybe.)

Emma Holiday

Writers Note: OK I admit it this not my usual somber discourse on the pains of gender dysphoria and the difficult world of being transgender. Look I needed a break, drank some wine and said “Oh what the hell”. Do with it as you will but I do suggest that if you read it, a glass of wine is very handy and let me know if it is worth writing more about the journey on the Path of Gender Enlightenment . Being silent will only ensure more somber transgender dirges from me. Cheers.

If you have read any of my writings on Medium you will have noticed a definite theme: the incredible pain of gender dysphoria and all the difficult aspects of just being transgender.

My writing has three specific goals:

1. Writing is my therapy. I have a very limited outlet for my thoughts so I write to find a way to process the most profound experience in my life. I need to understand and I need to accept myself to move forward.

2. Being transgender, for me, is a very lonely existence and if I can share some of the things that I feel and think as I go through the process of transitioning with others who are transgender and, in some way, lessen their pain and sense of loneliness, then all of this public exposure of my personal thoughts is not a waste.

3. I write to help cisgender people understand that all trans people want is to be simply understood, accepted and treated as a normal person. We are.

Thank you for reading my work.