Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Conversation of the Week

I was getting my blood drawn for some tests at the Callen-Lorde Center (for those of you who don't know, it's a medical center for the Lesbigaytranswhatever community) yesterday, when one of the nurses started looking at me like she smelled something nasty.

Nurse 1: (waving paperwork around) Is this you?
Me: Uh... (glancing at name on paper) yeah...
Nurse 1: (shoving a paper under my nose and pointing) Is this right?
Me: (scanning) Uh, yeah... (noticing an error) oh, wait - no, I'm not a male.
Nurse 2: Never?
Me: (wondering how to react, as they probably see lots of transgendered and transexual patients) Um, no.
Nurse 1: I thought so! Who put that in there? Who did your paperwork?
Me: Er...
Nurse 1: A male or a female?
Me: A guy.
Nurse 1: Umm-HMM. And you seeing Dr. W-. Well, after we done here, you just go down and wring his neck!
Nurse 2: Serious. How you going to see a GYNECOLOGIST when you are a male?
Me: Heh. Actually, you'd be surprised how often that mistake is made with me...
Nurse 1: Oh, NO! I took one look at you... you're BEAUTIFUL! What kind of fool is going to make that mistake? "Male"... hmph! When we done here, you go right down and make him correct this.
Nurse 2: For real. You look at her, you make a mistake like that? I was thinkin', "Damn! Who your surgeon is?"

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