Page 11 of Nearly Roadkill: Queer Love on the Run

Tale2Tell: Gyrl, I don’t know if *you* are a man or a woman.

Gyrl: ::chuckling:: I like to keep it that way, too.

Mythter has entered the room.

Tale2Tell: ::laughing:: OK: Do you believe that gender in fiction is now passé?

Gyrl: I believe gender in the *world* is now passé.

BillJo: Gender is passé? Does that mean gender was once a trend?

Gyrl: I think so, Bill. A trend that’s gone on for millennia. Gender may have been important back when we had to breed ---loves distinctions, just wish they were “cross” genderal, so we all could have more fun.

Private Message to Mythter

Gyrl: Cross genderal… way cool term!

Mythter: Something *I’m* chewing on.

Gyrl: So, you’re a writer?

Mythter: ::ducking my head:: Nah, I just tell stories sometimes.

Gyrl: Tell me a story.

Gyrl: Please.0

Tale2Tell: We need more fuzzy thinkers!

Mythter: Yes, Tale2.

Tom: Wait, isn’t anyone going to speak up on behalf of what’s natural?

Dick: Male and Female He created them. And that comes from the best selling book of all time.

Harry: Amen, Dick.

Private Message to Gyrl

Mythter: Once upon a time…

Gyrl: ::settling down at your knee, listening::

Mythter: … in a faraway land, there lived a very beautiful gyrl.

Gyrl: ::resting my head in your lap, listening::

Mythter: Only no one knew she was beautiful because she was invisible. They only knew her voice.

Genuine1: I believe that every human being is FAR too different… has met with FAR too unique circumstances… to be able to know the mind of any others.

Gyrl: Gotcha, Gen, and I think that by calling ourselves MEN or WOMEN, we deny ourselves the uniqueness you talk about.

Private Message to Mythter

Gyrl: ::softly:: So this gyrl, all she had was a voice?

Mythter: Uh huh. And they all loved her until…

Gyrl: Until?

Mythter: Until one day, a child asked, “Is that a boy or a girl?”

Gyrl: Oh geez.

Tale2Tell: Actually, I’ve always thought that the poles of gender were like chaotic attractors, anyway…

Gyrl: ::wincing:: I think we need to do away with the image of opposite poles when it comes to gender.

Tale2Tell: No no, Gyrl. Chaotic attractors are different: you can orbit them, never touch.

Catch 22: Binaries will always exist.

Giant: Some people will always need labels. The rest of us just won’t care.

Private Message to Mythter

Gyrl: And no one could see her.

Mythter: Right.

Gyrl: And she liked it that way.

Mythter: Right.

Gyrl: But everyone in the town *wanted* to see her.

Mythter: Hey, who’s telling this story?

Gyrl: ::clamping hands over my mouth::

Mythter: They wanted to know if she was a boy or a girl.

BillJo: So, Gyrl, why do you suppose gender is such a big deal, nowadays?

Beatitudes: A time to go along, a time to question.

Gyrl: Zactly, and maybe now’s just a time to question.

Mythter: And it’s gonna get worse before better.

Webster: Worse?

Gyrl: Mythter’s right. When folks in power hear the voices of people who’ve got no gender… there’s gonna be a mighty big backlash… and it’s not gonna be pretty.

Genuine1: {{{{{Gyrl}}}}}

Webster: I fear you’re right. Backlash enough already.

Private Message to Mythter

Gyrl: Sorry, I had to jump in there big time. You were saying…

Mythter: You’re really good, carrying on with me and with them.

Gyrl: Well you too!

Gyrl: ::gently:: OK, Genuine1… do you have a gender?

Private Message to Gyrl

Mythter: The mayor and the town council convened to do something about it. They brought her to trial on charges of sedition.

Gyrl: Eeeep!

Mythter: “You are disturbing the natural order,” they said to her. “You must tell us if you are a boy or are you a girl!”

Mythter: On the day of the trial, a fool happened to walk into town.

Gyrl: ::softly:: And this fool stood up to speak?

Mythter: ::nodding:: Uh huh. And the fool asked the townspeople what all the fuss was. And the townspeople said “This gyrl is an abomination.”

Gyrl: ::wincing::

Mythter: “This gyrl is disturbing the natural order,” they said.

Mythter: “How?” asked the fool. “She will not tell us if she is truly a girl,” cried the townspeople.

Gyrl: ::curling up closer to you, listening::

Mythter: “We cannot see her!” cried the townspeople.

Mythter: And the fool said, “What’s a girl?”

BeenThere: I have a comment, um, kind of long, do you mind?

Gyrl: Go for it!

BeenThere: I think reporting the news, marketing, and politicking all in black and white only is a tool to control folks by limiting their choices to only two. If I do that, I control what you choose. I may even create a dilemma in which you feel you have no choice.

BeenThere: In other words, black-and-white thinking.

BeenThere: Sorry, that was a long comment indeed.

Gyrl: Yeah, but you brilliantly summed up the whole “only two genders” problem!

Private Message to Gyrl

Mythter: “A girl is obedient to boys,” proclaimed the Bishop.

“A girl bears children” said the Doctor, quite sure of himself.

“A girl is not a boy!” proclaimed the Lawyer.

“A girl does the housework,” cried the Merchant.

“Well,” said the fool…

Gyrl: Gen, what box do you fill in on govt forms?

Genuine1: I fill in the ones that have the little “m” next to them, OK?

Mythter: Gee, what a surprise.

Gyrl: Right, Gen… so you have a gender.

Genuine1: I have a physical gender—not a mental gender.

Gyrl: ::raising an eyebrow:: As you say, Gen.

Genuine1: :)

Private Message to Gyrl

Mythter: “It seems to me,” said the fool, “that if you cannot agree on something as simple as what exactly a girl *is*…”

“… then how can you charge or sentence this person?”

Gyrl: And the mayor, who was quite wise after all, agreed, and everyone lived happily ever after?

Mythter: ::softly:: In the story, yeah, they all live happily ever after.

Gyrl: And in real life?

Mythter: ::shrugging:: In real life they listen to the herd’s loudest voice, hang the gyrl *and* the fool.

IrishEyes: All gender tells me for sure is how I’m gonna have sex with them if the spark catches. ::smile::

Mythter: Right *on*, Irish!

BillJo: Imagine if there were only one, rigidly defined “Blue” in the world.

Gyrl: ::listening intently to Bill::

BillJo: We don’t want to wipe away “Blue,” we want to go further in describing the shades, right?

Mythter: Yes!

Gyrl: Yes!

BeenThere: Yes!

Genuine1: Yes!

Private Message to Gyrl

Tale2Tell: Ummm… would you like to go private with me after this?

Gyrl: ::purring:: Thanks, darlin’, but ::glancing over at Mythter: : I think I’ve got other plans.

Tale2Tell: ::chuckling:: Ah, yes. Scratch is a dear.

Gyrl: HUH? SCRATCH?

Tale2Tell: Whoops. I thought everyone here knew Mythter was another of Scratch’s screen names.

Gyrl: Ah.

Private Message to Gyrl

Mythter: Hello? OK, so my ending was a little cynical. Sorry. Is that why you didn’t answer?

Gyrl: Um, no, hon… I… oh shoot.

Mythter: ::grinning:: What?

Gyrl: It’s me, Scratch. I’m Winc.

Mythter: WHAT??

Gyrl: Scratch? You OK?

Mythter: This is too weird.

Gyrl: ::softly:: Way good story. Really, way.

Mythter: Winc/Gyrl, whoever, I’m outta here… Yes, again. Our encounters seem to leave me looking for the exit signs.

Gyrl: Sorry!

Mythter: No! I mean, I’ve been thinking about… look, I’ll see you again, OK? Just need some… ::no words::

Mythter is no longer online

Gyrl: SCRATCH! WAIT!

Mythter: ::muttering:: space. That’s the word, space…

Gyrl: What’s the *matter*? This is *lovely*!

Mythter is no longer online and did not receive your last message

Genuine1: I’d like to know how the topic strayed from phone sex to the role of gender in fiction to gender, period.

BillJo: Natural progression, Gen.

Genuine1: Yeah, probably was.

Private Message to Gyrl

Vick TF: Hey, what happened to Mythter? You two have a fight?

Gyrl: ::wailing:: I don’t *know*! I thought it was all going so *well*!

Vick TF: ::wry grin:: Hey, don’t take it personally. You probably got way close, right?

Gyrl: ::sniff:: Uh huh.

Vick TF: Don’t worry. Mythter takes off fast. A trademark.

Gyrl: Oh, goody.

Vick TF: But comes back. Really. Just has to think. Hang in there.

Gyrl: ::squaring my shoulders:: I *intend* to!

Vick TF: ::chuckling:: You go, Gyrl.

Webster: We’re outta time! Damn! I think we’re gonna have to ask Gyrl back! A round of applause!

Gyrl: Aw shucks. OK, gotta go.

Vick TF: Gyrl, you were brilliant.

Gyrl: Awwwww, Vick… you see yourself in me.

BillJo: Mind-boggling, Gyrl. Still don’t know if you’re a man or a woman.

Private Message to Gyrl

Tale2Tell: Um… Mythter’s not online. Do I stand a chance?

Gyrl: ::softly:: You’re real sweet, hon, I’m just not there right now.

Tale2Tell: ::kissing Gyrl’s cheek:: Goodnight, then.

Gyrl: G’nite.

9:07:47 P.M. Closing transcript file

Awww, Toobe… where did I screw up?

I’m glad Winc sends me stuff, but I gotta say I don’t get half of what the heck that room was talking about. Can you believe it? Ze does this amazing interview with people asking questions I never in a million years would even think to ask, then beats hirself up for Scratch leaving.

Scratch just has to disappear sometimes.

Still worried about that memo I snarfed from the law. Maybe I should go back into that cop BBS and get me some dirt I could use against… Ugh… my stomach just answered that one. No way.

END TOOBE ENTRY

NARRATIVE ENTRY, JABBATHEHUT

Out of habit, Wally Budge of the Federal Bureau of Census and Statistics does his hourly, albeit usually fruitless, scan to find any newly created alternate screen names for Scratch and Winc.

Search Results

0 hits on search criteria “Winc”

2 hits on “Scratch” = Mythter, O’Bere

A smile spreads across the craggy face of the cyber-gumshoe, as he happily adds the names “Mythter” and “O’Bere” to his database. So, he thinks to himself, Scratch is the careless one.

END JABBA NARRATIVE ENTRY