Today I contacted a teacher whose first name is Peter, as notification that I was a late addition to the class. The teacher responded. This was added to the end: “Also, please call me “Hyacinth”, and never “Mr. (Surname)”. I am not a man, but an androgyne.”

Jaw drop.

I have just recently skimmed the “Hispanic” out of my vocabulary in favor of the “Latino”, and have gotten used to “African American” instead of black. I’ve learned the right terms for male and female gay people. Now I still need to learn the term for people who either have both sexes or identify with both…it’s confusing. In the teacher’s syllabus, there is an additional note: “Preferred Gender Pronouns: Ze & Hir”.

I wrote back and complimented the name “Hyacinth”. Not sure how else to recover.

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