The Paper Bag Challenge

I recently had a conversation with a woman who wanted to learn all she could about me and being transgender. She was surprised, however, when I explained that I am a lesbian (terminology which, despite the seeming clarity on my part, was rather confusing to her), and seemed to have difficulty comprehending why anyone would want to be part of the opposite gender if they were still sexually attracted to them.

This is a misconception which is still rampant in spite of my having essentially passed beyond it long ago. In short, it's a concept that people seem to have difficulty grasping, while for me it's just something I've taken for granted. But this time I think I've got her beat. I asked her, "Well, do you think you could live as a gay man, with all the social pressures that entails?"

Her response actually stunned me, though I suspect many of my cisgendered readers may expect it. "Sure, I think so." Again, when discussing issues of gender and sexuality, my cisgendered readers will have to forgive me, for it's essentially like I'm living on a separate plane of existence, not because I view myself as above others but simply because I've had a lot more time to study and live through these things that most people never even consider. I was amazed at the level of certainty she seemed to have in which she said these words. It was as though she had never considered what her own life would really be like, and I have concluded that that is something that was lacking on my own argument. I need to show people what it is like to be forced into a social role to which you are not emotionally connected.

And thus, I have devised what I call my Paper Bag Challenge. I had initially conceived of several rules, but none of them fit in any scenario I ran in my head, so I decided to simply pare all the rules down to the core spirit of the challenge.

For 30 days, no one, not even you, can see your face.

The most likely way of achieving this is, of course, the classic paper bag with holes for your eyes and/or mouth, etc., but it could also be achieved with a mask or a veil. From 12:00 am the first day to 11:59 pm of the 30th, at no point when anyone can see you or when you are within view of a mirror, should your face be exposed. Obviously, it is recommended that the covering be removed while sleeping, but only for safety's sake. Significant others should hopefully be asleep, but even so any social interaction you have with them will be bag-on.

The premise is pretty basic: your face is one of the most important identifying features you have, and for this challenge you are to have that feature removed. You can not look in the mirror and be happy with what you see, because there is nothing to be seen. People will look at you strange. Indeed, that is part of the challenge as well, as the experience of being transgender often involves people looking at you in a way you are not wholely comfortable with.

Naturally, this is not a perfect simulation of the experiences of being transgender, but I imagine it is a pretty good start. I don't expect anyone to accept the challenge, as it is intended to be mostly theoretical. However, the challenge is physically possible, so if anyone felt they were up to it, I would love to hear of their experiences.