Leslie Feinberg Quotes

• My right to be me is tied with a thousand threads to your right to be you.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Thread, Thousand, Be You

  Leslie Feinberg (1998). “Trans liberation: beyond pink or blue”, Beacon Pr

  31 Copy quote

• I live proudly in a body of my own design. I defend my right to be complex

  Leslie Feinberg

  Design, Body, Complexes

  Leslie Feinberg (1998). “Trans liberation: beyond pink or blue”, Beacon Pr

  10 Copy quote

• Gender is the poetry each of us makes out of the language we are taught.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Lgbt, Taught, Language

  Leslie Feinberg (1998). “Trans liberation: beyond pink or blue”, Beacon Pr

  38 Copy quote

• People of all sexes have the right to explore femininity, masculinity-and the infinite variations between-without criticism or ridicule.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Sex, People, Criticism

  Leslie Feinberg (1998). “Trans liberation: beyond pink or blue”, Beacon Pr

  53 Copy quote

• I didn't want to be different. I longed to be everything grownups wanted, so they would love me. I followed all their rules, tried my best to please. But there was something about me that made them knit their eyebrows and frown. No one ever offered a name for what was wrong with me. That's what made me afraid it was really bad. I only came to recognize its melody through this constant refrain: 'Is that a boy or a girl?'

  Leslie Feinberg

  Girl, Boys, Eyebrows

  Leslie Feinberg (2010). “Stone Butch Blues”, p.14, ReadHowYouWant.com

  12 Copy quote

• You're more than just neither, honey. There's other ways to be than either-or. It's not so simple. Otherwise there wouldn't be so many people who don't fit.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Simple, People, Honey

  Leslie Feinberg (2010). “Stone Butch Blues”, p.397, ReadHowYouWant.com

  17 Copy quote

• We have not always been forced to pass, to go underground, in order to work and live. We have a right to live openly and proudly...when our lives are suppressed, everyone is denied an understanding of the rich diversity of sex and gender expression and experience that exist in human society.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Sex, Expression, Order

  Leslie Feinberg (1996). “Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman”, Beacon Press (MA)

  13 Copy quote

• surrenderin is unimaginably more dangerous than struggling for survival!

  Leslie Feinberg

  Struggle, Survival, Dangerous

  18 Copy quote

• I reserve my right to be complex.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Identity, Complexes, Reserves

  16 Copy quote

• It’s a beauty one isn’t born with, but must fight to construct at great sacrifice.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Fighting, Sacrifice, Born

  16 Copy quote

• More exists among human beings than can be answered by the simplistic question I'm hit with every day of my life: "Are you a man or a woman?

  Leslie Feinberg

  Men, Humans, Human Beings

  Leslie Feinberg (1998). “Trans liberation: beyond pink or blue”, Beacon Pr

  12 Copy quote

• everybody's scared, but if you don't let your fears stop you, that's bravery!

  Leslie Feinberg

  Bravery, Scared, Ifs

  Leslie Feinberg (2010). “Stone Butch Blues”, p.168, ReadHowYouWant.com

  10 Copy quote

• I began to feel the pleasure of the weightless state between here and there

  Leslie Feinberg

  Here And There, Pleasure, States

  10 Copy quote

• If I'm not with a butch everyone just assumes I'm straight. It's like I'm passing too, against my will. I'm sick of the world thinking I'm straight. I've worked hard to be discriminated against as a lesbian

  Leslie Feinberg

  Thinking, Sick, World

  Leslie Feinberg (2010). “Stone Butch Blues”, p.275, ReadHowYouWant.com

  5 Copy quote

• I learned that strength, like height, is measured by who you're standing next to.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Height, Next

  "Stone Butch Blues".

  5 Copy quote

• I think girls and boys should be able to be any way they want to be without getting picked on.

  Leslie Feinberg

  Girl, Boys, Thinking

  Leslie Feinberg (2010). “Stone Butch Blues”, p.302, ReadHowYouWant.com

  13 Copy quote

• Are you with women who only bleed monthly on their cycles?

  Leslie Feinberg

  Cycles

  Leslie Feinberg (2010). “Stone Butch Blues”, p.12, ReadHowYouWant.com

  5 Copy quote

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