Chicago Tribune – Bonnie Miller Rubin
CHICAGO ? Shawn Coleman bristles when an application poses the question ?male or female?? ? as if there are only two choices.
When it comes to sexual identity, the 23-year-old Shawn ? born Patricia ? sees a broad spectrum, a man-to-woman or a woman-to-man continuum with many stops along the way. Think gender without borders. He (the preferred pronoun) looks male but not completely. He is not a lesbian, a cross-dresser or contemplating a sex-change operation any time soon.
?I always knew I was different than other girls,? explained Coleman. ?I was never a fan of Barbie but liked playing sports with my two older brothers. People were always telling me to act more feminine ? that I should sit with my legs crossed ? but I found that stuff incredibly difficult. It wasn?t the way I felt inside.?