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| Clare Farrell |
I admired her. I found myself checking what I posted as I would not want in any way inadvertently to cause her, and the trans community, offence. I probably didn't always get it right, but Clare and others were a reminder of the nature of the experience of the trans community.
Growing up on a farm taught me to realise that sexuality is not binary. The very first calf I saw born, in I think 1969, was neither male or female but had the organs of both. I remember the black cow that give birth to it didn't care that it had male organs and female organs. She just loved it.
It taught be that sexuality is never binary. There are people who biologically are neither male nor female. There are people who are born physically in one sex, but psychologically feel they are trapped in wrong body. Then there are some people who are attracted to their own sex, and those who are attracted to the other. And there are other variants.
All those variants exist in nature. We had a gay ram who had no interest in ewes, but had the hots for the neighbour's ram - much to the chagrin of the heterosexual neighbouring ram - who would keep running away from our gay ram basically saying "go away. I don't want to have sex with you!"
I remember overhearing Dad, Granny and Mammy in the kitchen of the old house discussing how to explain to me how the new calf had female bits and male bits and other calves due to be born wouldn't. They didn’t need to explain though. I got it. Sex is not straightforward.
Growing up on a farm taught me to realise that sexuality is not binary. The very first calf I saw born, in I think 1969, was neither male or female but had the organs of both. I remember the black cow that give birth to it didn't care that it had male organs and female organs. She just loved it.
It taught be that sexuality is never binary. There are people who biologically are neither male nor female. There are people who are born physically in one sex, but psychologically feel they are trapped in wrong body. Then there are some people who are attracted to their own sex, and those who are attracted to the other. And there are other variants.
All those variants exist in nature. We had a gay ram who had no interest in ewes, but had the hots for the neighbour's ram - much to the chagrin of the heterosexual neighbouring ram - who would keep running away from our gay ram basically saying "go away. I don't want to have sex with you!"
I remember overhearing Dad, Granny and Mammy in the kitchen of the old house discussing how to explain to me how the new calf had female bits and male bits and other calves due to be born wouldn't. They didn’t need to explain though. I got it. Sex is not straightforward.
People, like the Catholic Church, who think everyone fits into one of two boxes are dead wrong. Sex, plus identity plus orientation and much else is is effectively on a scale and many of us, whether Claire, I myself, that little calf or one of Uncle John's part male part female pigs, are at different points on it. If you pardon the expression, nothing is straight.
RIP Clare.
RIP Clare.
⏩ Jim Duffy is a writer-historian.
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