by Nevo Zisin
Glossary
This glossary is not perfect. It is a reference for how these
words function in this book. These definitions are by no means
exhaustive, objective, wholly representative, or static.
It is important to note that these terms are derived from
a Western colonial framework and may not be applicable
or relevant to everyone. The use of them may, indeed, be
experienced as violence towards people of colour.
Individuals may have different understandings and relationships
with these words. It’s important not to make assumptions, and to
use the terms that people feel comfortable with.
A
agender: people who are gender-neutral or genderless. Agender falls under the umbrella of non-binary and/or transgender.
asexual: people with thoughts and feelings about the frequency and intensity of sexual attraction/interactions that may vary from the usual assumptions. Some asexual people feel no sexual attraction, while others may find someone aesthetically attractive without feeling any sexual attraction.
B
bar mitzvah: a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for boys turning thirteen.
bat mitzvah: a Jewish coming-of-age ceremony for girls turning twelve.
bisexual: people who are attracted to two or more genders.
C
cisgender: people whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.
coming out: publicly expressing a state of being outside of “the norm”, for example openly identifying as LGBTQIA+ or polyamorous.
D
dysphoria: this term has been used in this book interchangeably with “gender dysphoria”, which is the experience of distress brought about by conflicting emotions about one’s gender and body.
F
fatphobia: the idea that fatness is inherently bad.
feminism: the belief that everyone deserves equal rights and opportunities.
G
gender: the attitudes, feelings and behaviours society associates with biological sex.
gender diverse: people whose gender identity differs from their biological sex. This includes transgender people, non-binary people and other gender variants.
gender identity: the gender you identify with, regardless of your biological sex.
H
heteronormative: pervasive cultural and social structures that promote heterosexuality as the default, “normal”, or preferred sexual orientation.
heteropatriarchy: the social and political systems in society that prioritise the dominance of heterosexual men over other genders and sexualities.
heterosexual: people who are attracted only to the opposite gender, for example a man who is attracted to women. Also called “straight”.
homosexual: people who are attracted only to the same gender. “Gay” often refers to men, but can include women. Homosexual women are also called lesbians.
I
intersectional: overlapping or intersecting identities and systems of oppression and discrimination.
intersex: an umbrella term for people who are born with a body form that varies from the medical model of what is considered “male” and “female”.
L
LGBTQIA+: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual/agender, plus any other gender identities that may exist in the community.
M
mansplainer: someone who gives an unsolicited explanation in a condescending tone. Most frequently done by men to women, although the term has broadened enough that it is often used regardless of gender.
misgender: intentional or unintentional actions that reveal an incorrect understanding of someone’s gender, for example calling someone by a pronoun or name that does not reflect their gender identity.
misogyny: hatred of, or prejudice against, girls and women.
monogamy: a relationship where the person has only one partner exclusively.
N
non-binary: an umbrella term for people whose gender identity does not fit within the binary of male and female.
P
packing: wearing padding or a phallic object in your underwear or pants to give the appearance of having a penis.
passing: being read or seen as someone from a dominant group in society. For example, a transgender man being read as a cisgender man, or a person of colour being read as white.
polyamorous: an umbrella term for relationship formats that are not restricted to monogamy.
Q
queer: an umbrella term that LGBTQIA+ people sometimes use to refer to themselves or their community. Historically an offensive word, it is now being reclaimed by some parts of the community.
S
sex: medically based labels for biological and physical attributes that determine whether you are assigned male, female or intersex at birth.
sexual orientation: romantic or sexual attraction towards people of a particular gender.
T
transgender: people whose gender identity can differ to the sex they were assigned at birth.
transition: the social or medical process of change to one’s gender or body. This may or may not include changing your name, dressing and behaving differently, taking hormones or having surgery.
transphobia: fear of or prejudice against transgender people.
Resources
beyondblue • A not-for-profit organisation that works to increase awareness of anxiety and depression in Australia and to reduce the associated stigma. There is specific information and resources for LGBTQIA+ people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as phone and online support hotlines. www.beyondblue.org.au
Gender Dysphoria Clinics • Mental health services that help people experiencing gender dysphoria. These clinics can give mental health assessments and help with referrals for endocrinologists and psychologists. Google “Gender Dysphoria Clinic” and your state.
It Gets Better • This project’s mission is to communicate to LGBTQIA+ youth around the world that “it gets better” and to inspire the changes needed to improve their lives. www.itgetsbetter.org
Kids Helpline • A free, anonymous and confidential phone and online counselling service for young people aged between five and twenty-five. Kids Helpline is available to talk about big or small concerns. www.kidshelp.com.au or 1800 55 1800
Lifeline • A national charity providing 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services to people of all ages. An online chat and free directory of local health and community services are also available. www.lifeline.org.au or 13 11 14
Minus18 • Australia’s largest youth-led organisation for LGBTQIA+ youth. Minus18 provides mental health and peer mentoring support, online resources and networking opportunities. minus18.org.au
National LGBTI Health Alliance • The national peak health organisation in Australia for organisations and individuals that run health-related programs and services focused on LGBTQIA+ people. www.lgbthealth.org.au
NonBinary.Org • An education and advocacy network that offers information for and about people who don’t fit the gender binary. This website includes an extensive database of definitions of LGBTQIA+ terminology. nonbinary.org
QLife • Australia’s first nationally-oriented counselling and referral services for LGBTQIA+ people. QLife have phone and web-based services for all ages. qlife.org.au or 1800 184 527
Reach Out • A free online youth mental health service run by an Australian non-profit and developed in partnership with health professionals. The website has information, fact sheets, tools, stories, videos and a forum. au.reachout.com
Safe Schools Coalition Australia • A national network of organisations that work with schools to create safe and inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families. They offer free resources, support, guidance and consultation. School membership is voluntary but highly encouraged. www.safeschoolscoalition.o
rg.au
TransWhat? • A clear, concise website that can be used to introduce allies to the concept of being transgender. www.transwhat.org
Suggested Reading
This is a list of incredible writers that I think might inspire you.
Sara Ahmed • A British–Australian scholar whose area of study is the intersection of feminist theory and queer theory. Sara is the former director of the Centre for Feminist Research and Professor of Race and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths University of London. Her most recent book is Living a Feminist Life. feministkilljoys.com
Roj Amedi • An editor, writer and strategist based in Australia. She writes and speaks on a range of issues including public policy, international relations, the arts, culture, literature, race, gender and politics. She is particularly passionate about refugee justice, human rights, feminism and LGBTQIA+ rights. Roj’s writing has been published in Vice, The Saturday Paper and Right Now among others.
Simone De Beauvoir • A twentieth-century French writer, existential philosopher, political activist and feminist. Her novels, essays and biographies detailed women’s oppression and were a foundation of contemporary feminism.
Kate Bornstein • A celebrated transgender trailblazer, Kate is an American author, playwright and performance artist. Kate has written many books about gender, sex and being queer. katebornstein.com
Jax Jacki Brown • An Australian disability and LGBTQIA+ consultant, writer, spoken-word performer and public speaker. She has been published on The Wheeler Centre blog, Junkee, Daily Life, The Feminist Observer and in several anthologies. fukability.blogspot.com.au
Judith Butler • An American philosopher and gender theorist whose work has influenced ethics, queer theory, feminist theory and literary theory. She has published numerous books, most notably Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, which developed her theory of gender performativity.
Maddee Clark • A trans Yugambeh freelance writer living in the Kulin Nation. Her writing has appeared in Artlink and Overland, and she has presented at several festivals and symposiums. Maddee is currently researching Indigenous speculative fiction and futurism.
Kimberle Crenshaw • An award-winning American civil rights advocate and professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School, known for the introduction and development of intersectional theory. She has written many books and articles about race and gender issues.
DARKMATTER • A trans South Asian performance art duo comprised of Alok Vaid-Menon and Janani Balasubramanian, based in New York City. They regularly perform to sold-out venues and at universities and festivals. www.darkmatterpoetry.com
Angela Davis • An African–American political activist, educator, scholar and writer, known internationally for her work combating oppression in the US and abroad. Angela’s articles and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, and she is the author of many novels.
Alison Evans • An Australian writer and co-editor of the zine Concrete Queers. Their work has been published in various Australian and international publications. They have recently published Ida, a young adult (YA) science fiction novel with many gender diverse characters. alisonwritesthings.com
Clementine Ford • An Australian feminist writer, social commentator and speaker. Clementine is a columnist at Daily Life and a regular contributor to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, exploring issues of gender inequality and pop culture. Her latest book is Fight Like a Girl. clementineford.tumblr.com
Fury • An Australian writer, agitator, poet and illustrator. Their words can be found on Overland, Guardian, Kill Your Darlings and Vice. You can find more of their work at furywrites.com
Roxane Gay • An American feminist writer, professor and commentator. Roxane’s writing appears in McSweeney’s, Oxford American, Virginia Quarterly Review and many other international publications. She is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestseller Bad Feminist. www.roxanegay.com
Nayuka Gorrie • A Kurnai/Gunai, Gunditjmara, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta woman writer who works with young Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people at the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy. Nayuka’s writing can be found on Vice, Junkee and The Wheeler Centre blog.
Erin Gough • An Australian author of YA novels and short stories, Erin’s writing has been published in Best Australian Stories, The Age and Overland. Her debut novel, The Flywheel, is a heart-warming queer romance and has been short-listed for various awards. www.eringough.com
Sally Haslanger • The Ford Professor of Philosophy in the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy at MIT in America. She has published several books and numerous articles about feminist theory, political philosophy and metaphysics. sallyhaslanger.weebly.com
bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins) • An acclaimed American intellectual, feminist theorist, cultural critic, artist and writer. She has published personal memoirs, children’s books, poetry collections and cultural criticism. Her work covers gender, race, class and spirituality. www.bellhooksinstitute.com
Will Kostakis • An award-winning Australian author and journalist, Will has been published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Star Observer. He writes short stories and YA novels with queer characters, and his latest book is The Sidekicks. willkostakis.com
Benjamin Law • An Australian journalist, columnist and screenwriter, Benjamin has written for frankie, The Monthly, The Courier-Mail, The Big Issue and Crikey. He is best known for his books The Family Law, a memoir that was recently turned into a hit TV series, Gaysia: Adventures in the Queer East, an exploration of queer life in Asia, and Shit Mothers Say, co-written with his sister Michelle and illustrator Oslo Davis. benjamin-law.com
David Levithan • An award-winning American YA fiction author and editor of numerous novels featuring queer characters. His notable books include Boy Meets Boy, Will Grayson, Will Grayson (co-written with John Green) and Every Day. davidlevithan.com
Celeste Liddle • An Arrernte feminist writer, social commentator and public speaker living in Victoria, Australia. Celeste has spoken at various festivals and been published on Daily Life, The Guardian and Crikey. blackfeministranter.blogspot.com.au
Janet Mock • A multiracial American writer, author and transgender rights activist. She is a former staff editor for People magazine and currently a contributing editor for Marie Claire. Her first memoir, Redefining Realness, was a New York Times bestseller. Her next memoir is called Surpassing Certainty. janetmock.com
Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen • A Vietnamese–Australian writer, copywriter, digital content producer and public speaker. Giselle writes a regular column for Daily Life covering feminism, pop culture, sex, race and relationships. Her writing has been featured in frankie, Rookie and The Lifted Brow, and she has spoken at many festivals. gisellenguyen.com
Karen Pickering • An Australian writer, feminist and activist. Karen has been published on The Guardian and she is the co-founder of Girls on Film Festival. She has recently published an anthology of women writers reflecting on sex, called Doing It.
Beverly Guy Sheftall • An American feminist scholar, writer, editor and the Professor of Women’s Studies and English at Spelman College, in Atlanta, Georgia. Her most recent book is Gender Talk: The Struggle for Equality in African American Communities.
Mariko Tamaki • A Canadian artist and writer for film, radio, television, stage, Marvel and DC Comics. Mariko’s work touches on race, gender and sexuality, and includes YA novels and the award-winning graphic novels Skim and This One Summer with her cousin Jillian Tamaki. marikotamaki.blogspot.ca
Marlee Jane Ward • An Australian writer of short stories and novellas, Marlee’s words have been published on The Wheeler Centre blog, Kill Your Darlings and Vice. Her debut novella Welcome To Orphancorp has numerous queer characters and has won several awards. marleejaneward.com
Alison Whittaker • A Gomeroi poet, essayist and scholar who currently lives in Sydney on Wangal land. Her work has been published
in Meanjin, Vertigo and Colouring the Rainbow: Blak Queer and Trans Perspectives. Her latest book is Lemons in the Chicken Wire, a collection of poems.
First published in 2017
by Black Dog Books
an imprint of Walker Books Australia Pty Ltd
Locked Bag 22, Newtown
NSW 2042 Australia
www.walkerbooks.com.au
This ebook edition published in 2017
The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
Text © 2017 Nevo Zisin
Photo of Nevo at their brother’s wedding © Lindsay Goldberg Photography
Photos of Nevo on a Habonim camp © Ethan Cohen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without the prior written
permission of the publisher.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Zisin, Nevo, author.
Finding Nevo / Nevo Zisin.
For secondary school age.
Subjects: Zisin, Nevo.
Transgender youth – Biography.
Transgender people – Identity – Juvenile literature.
306.7680835
ISBN: 978-1-925381-47-4 (ePub/mobi)
ISBN: 978-1-925381-46-7 (ePDF)
This book was written on and based in Naarm. I want to