When you're fully-masked and passing in a cis-het male space, the probability that someone talks about "a woman" in a generality approaches one. Phrases like "Never argue with a woman" or "when I was younger", etc.
These drops always fascinate me, because the escapades do have some universality - I've run across plenty of queer people who aren't to be argued with, who are top-tier choices for relations, etc. It's that othering in the language, in the tone, the neatly-defined boxes. "We males are Martians, they females are the Venusians, and I am happy that we have this safe space to discuss our Martian doings."
I usually let the speaker go on, unchallenged. It's late-stage politics - I have business to do, and trying to topple someone's well-constructed identity isn't going to get our stuff done on time. Not only will it not make either of us happy, it's going to ruin the day of all the other people involved in this project.
Have I constructed an elaborate fortress around my heart? 🤔 Shouldn't I be what I am instead of what I pass as being? Is "passable" what I want to be? Where does the social construct end and my ego begin?
Maybe I just need a proper breakfast. This coffee is filling me with equal parts joy and rage. Back to the fluidity.