Lorenzo Rodriguez-Sedillo describes what it means to be agender

By Zoe Travers
Journalism Intern

Lorenzo Rodriguez-Sedillo is agender. The Gayly talked with them to learn more about their identification and what Agender Pride Day means to them.

Because Rodriguez-Sedillo is agender, they don’t hold specific pronouns, but they accept he, she, or they.

They said they have recently come to understand they are, and wish to be, without gender.

“Society has shown me that binary gender is split into two boxes of traits,” they said. “One box is full of male characteristics and the other female. I always thought this separation was toxic and saw marginalization of the ‘weaker’ gender.”

They said they don’t believe in the separation of genders and want credibility to be unaffected by expression.

They said there are some misconceptions about the agender community like the idea that gender non-conforming people are mentally ill.

“No, I am not sick,” they said. “I just don’t like boundaries.”

They said they’ve also heard that being non-binary is a political stance.

“I, as an agender person, do not want to destroy gender, but at the very least allow people to express themselves how they choose without gender norms oppressing them,” they said.

Rodriguez-Sedillo said there is no such thing as looking non-binary, and an agender person will dress how they decide, whether they appear masculine or feminine. They said there is an infinite number of genders, therefore an infinite amount of expression.

Their advice to people in being sensitive to the agender community is to respect and acknowledge all people, no matter who they decide to be.

“Our ideas and practices are different from person to person,” Rodriguez-Sedillo said. “They should not be forced on one another. Agender people are people who pull away from gender norms. We look how we want and act how we want. Treat us with as much respect as the next person.”

To Rodriguez-Sedillo, Agender Pride Day is a day to tell their story and help others understand their identification and hopefully provide some solidarity to other agender people.

Agender Pride Day is May 19, a day to be mindful to respect and acknowledge all people.

The Gayly 5/20/2019 12:44 p.m. CST