Exploring Gender: Gabe Moses' "How to Make Love to a Trans Person"

Details: Published on Monday, 22 October 2012 00:14; Written by Cael

Gabe-Moses

I love how we can say so much in poetry which we may otherwise not be able to articulate, and I have been looking continually at poetry focusing on trans* themes. One of my friends recently introduced me to Gabe Moses, a transman who has competed in the National Poetry Slam, as a member of both the Berkeley Poetry Slam Team and Atlanta’s Art Amok Slam Team.

Moses is most well-known for his poem “How to Make Love to a Trans Person,” which has been shared all over the internet. The lines span through images of making love to both trans* men and women, touching on many things which often make trans* people self-conscious during sex. The advice is good, summed up in the one line, “Realize that bodies are only a fraction of who we are.”

I would recommend checking out Moses’ website, where he posts weekly poems, to see more of his work. Let us know your impressions of his work or any other poets I should know about by messaging me here, posting a comment, or asking me on tumblr.