About Me — Oakley Phoenix. *Curtsies in queer.*
Tags: Introduction, About Me, LGBTQ, Biracial, Transgender

About Me — Oakley Phoenix

This is me!

Hi there. That person on the left, that’s me.

I’ve got curly, borderline-kinky brown hair, nerdy glasses, “biracial features,” and a genderqueer minimalist fashion sense.

My name’s Oakley Phoenix. You can call me Oak. You can use they/them for me.

I’m a full-time student, currently a sophomore in college. I’m from the Bay Area of California, and I go to school in Oregon. I’m majoring in Women’s and Gender Studies with a double minor in English and Sociology. I have three jobs on campus (tour guide, prospective student visit coordinator, and mascot manager — arguably the most fun jobs at my university). I’m in the BSU (Black Student Union), QTPOC (Queer Trans People of Color), and Rainbow Alliance (our all-inclusive GSA). I also serve on our university’s Trans Advocacy Committee.

I know…I know…I should be doing more, right? Just kidding. That’s more than enough commitments to last two humans a solid decade, and I’m cramming it all in now. I’m only in college for so long…gotta make the most of it — especially given how grotesquely expensive it is.

Now that my resumé information is largely out of the way, I can tell you more about me.

I’m trans. Trans nonbinary to be specific.

I’m Brown. Black and White mixed with a smattering of other races according to my 23andMe.

I’m queer. Into the wine, not the label. (Shout out to anyone who understands that reference.)

I’m Gen Z. 19 years old, an INFJ Virgo…which will tell you far more about me than you need to know.

I’m the child of two moms. First kid in my county to have two women listed as their parents on their birth certificate. (Woohoo!)

A solid representation of my overall aesthetic.

Now for some rapid fire…

I’m a minimalist. I’m a big fan of BTS and several other K-pop groups. I’m an empath. I’m chronically overcommitted, but I only commit to activities that I’m actually passionate about. I’m a dancer — best suited to club styles but decently skilled in hip hop and annoyingly proficient in Zumba. I read a few books every month. I don’t currently have any social media beyond Medium and a YouTube account. I’m a total sucker for breadsticks. My favorite drink is a London Fog. I want to work for a queer nonprofit after college. I’m passionate about self-betterment. I love earth tones and autumnal scents. I’m interested in the idea of modeling if a queer-inclusive agency were to pop up on my radar. I’m generally an open book.

Lastly and most likely the reason why you’re here, who am I on Medium? Where do I fit in? Why do I write?

I write about gender primarily. I want to talk more about growing up biracial, broader LGBTQ2+ topics, life as a college student, and a variety of other topics that I can bring a unique perspective to — I’m full of ideas. I’m highly responsive; I read and respond to every comment (within reason). I support the work of as many marginalized Medium writers as I can.

I write for three reasons:

To show that I am every bit as human as the next person. Too often, trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming folks are dehumanized, Black and Brown individuals are looked down upon, queer people are stereotyped into infamy, and Gen Zs are assumed to be incompetent and ungrateful. I’m here to prove that I am a fully formed, layered individual with a story that matters. To get my thoughts and feelings out there. I started writing for Medium right around the time I began medically transitioning — alone in the middle of the pandemic, might I add — and I needed a place to hold all of the emotions I was feeling. I did my first injection of hormones alone in my bathroom, and I needed to feel less on my own. Writing was a natural way to organize and work through my thoughts, and this has become an incredibly useful and comforting space. To show other marginalized individuals that they aren’t alone. One of my favorite quotes is “be the person your younger self needed.” I didn’t have someone like me to look up to when I was growing up, and I want marginalized people to see more people like them as they move through the world. I want to create safe spaces for important conversations related to the identities that I specifically hold and those that are adjacent. I want people to read my work and walk away feeling heard and understood. I’m a complex human being trying to figure it all out, and there is (hopefully) something comforting in seeing someone else chart out the unmarked territories of their life.

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself.

Below is a quick link to the rest of my work for ease of access. My favorite recent articles are featured at the top of this document. And, if you are interested in sharing your story with me, please reach out at theoaknotes@gmail.com. Thank you again!

Sincerely,

Oak