LGBTAitp - Part Nineteen

[Lix Lorn]

(DEEP BREATH) yay

[supernerd]

Okay so I would like to tell my boyfriend(well not really my boyfriend, but we do have a mutual understanding that we have very strong feelings for each other ie, we're waiting for parent approval) that I'm in love with him. And I'd like to do it in song. I need help finding the right one though. There are several restrictions though.

It has to be obscure, I don't want him to know it beforehand.
I don't want it to mention the female gender if I can help it, considering I'm the effeminate one.
I don't want it to sound gurgle-y or have to switch into my falsetto, so to be safe my prefered range is low C to the "alto's" G-I'm a high tenor.
I can't play any instruments other than the lyrics, so it would be great if it sounded good a capella.
It can't say anything about life long commitment. I'm a sophomore in high school and marriage is the last thing on my mind. But if he were to ask me five-ten years from now and I feel the same, I'd say yes.

I've thought about writing him one, but I can't think of anything good, and it has to go well. That's why I'm trying to play it safe with my range. I'd really appreciate any help I can get. Thank you in advance!

Edit: actually, let's take the top of my preferred range down a whole step to an F

[Al'izh'dheg]

Okay so I would like to tell my boyfriend(well not really my boyfriend, but we do have a mutual understanding that we have very strong feelings for each other ie, we're waiting for parent approval) that I'm in love with him. And I'd like to do it in song. I need help finding the right one though. There are several restrictions though.

It has to be obscure, I don't want him to know it beforehand.
I don't want it to mention the female gender if I can help it, considering I'm the effeminate one.
I don't want it to sound gurgle-y or have to switch into my falsetto, so to be safe my prefered range is low C to the "alto's" G-I'm a high tenor.
I can't play any instruments other than the lyrics, so it would be great if it sounded good a capella.
It can't say anything about life long commitment. I'm a sophomore in high school and marriage is the last thing on my mind. But if he were to ask me five-ten years from now and I feel the same, I'd say yes.

I've thought about writing him one, but I can't think of anything good, and it has to go well. That's why I'm trying to play it safe with my range. I'd really appreciate any help I can get. Thank you in advance!

This is so adorable! I wish I had a song for you, but I'm bad at this sort of thing. Good luck to you and your boyfriend, hon. :)

[noparlpf]

I apologize, but my first thought was, "Ah, hipster love."
Anyway. I can't think of anything offhand. I'm sorry. I listen to a lot of music and plenty of it includes love songs, but I'm not really able to pick songs out from memory like that.

[Coidzor]

Okay so I would like to tell my boyfriend(well not really my boyfriend, but we do have a mutual understanding that we have very strong feelings for each other ie, we're waiting for parent approval)

Now that's not something I would've expected to hear before I was old and gray. More power to you, though it does seem like the kind of thing that'd be a foregone conclusion, still.

that I'm in love with him. And I'd like to do it in song. I need help finding the right one though. There are several restrictions though.

Spoiler

Show

It has to be obscure, I don't want him to know it beforehand.
I don't want it to mention the female gender if I can help it, considering I'm the effeminate one.
I don't want it to sound gurgle-y or have to switch into my falsetto, so to be safe my prefered range is low C to the "alto's" G-I'm a high tenor.
I can't play any instruments other than the lyrics, so it would be great if it sounded good a capella.
It can't say anything about life long commitment. I'm a sophomore in high school and marriage is the last thing on my mind. But if he were to ask me five-ten years from now and I feel the same, I'd say yes

.

What music does he listen to? Jim Croce obscure to him or part of the classics? Because that's kind of the obvious choice. If you weren't averse to commitmenty things, I'd say time in a bottle, but that's even less likely to be considered obscure...

edit: Barry White should be serviceable if a bit more.... sensual, and most of it is readily convertible.

Night and Day is a classic, and you can pretty much pick your version.

Then again, there's a certain charm to the passe.

If you wanna be slightly more cheeky, I favor Almost like being in Love. Even featured in Brigadoon, though, who knows how that changes your estimation of it or not. Can't find a decent link for that though, so here's something else.

[supernerd]

This is so adorable! I wish I had a song for you, but I'm bad at this sort of thing. Good luck to you and your boyfriend, hon. :)

Thanks, and it's okay. I'm sure you have great talent in other things.

I apologize, but my first thought was, "Ah, hipster love."
Anyway. I can't think of anything offhand. I'm sorry. I listen to a lot of music and plenty of it includes love songs, but I'm not really able to pick songs out from memory like that.

That's actually hilarious.

Now that's not something I would've expected to hear before I was old and gray. More power to you, though it does seem like the kind of thing that'd be a foregone conclusion, still.


What music does he listen to? Jim Croce obscure to him or part of the classics? Because that's kind of the obvious choice. If you weren't averse to commitmenty things, I'd say time in a bottle, but that's even less likely to be considered obscure...

I know, right. It was actually his idea to wait for their blessing. And I came out to my parents because he insisted. He didn't want me living a lie to my parents.

And I'm not adverse to commitment, I just don't want to lead him on, I mean feelings change over time. And I want to use what little realism I embrace before I lose my ability to use it.

[Rawhide]

Okay so I would like to tell my boyfriend(well not really my boyfriend, but we do have a mutual understanding that we have very strong feelings for each other ie, we're waiting for parent approval) that I'm in love with him. And I'd like to do it in song. I need help finding the right one though. There are several restrictions though.

It has to be obscure, I don't want him to know it beforehand.
I don't want it to mention the female gender if I can help it, considering I'm the effeminate one.
I don't want it to sound gurgle-y or have to switch into my falsetto, so to be safe my prefered range is low C to the "alto's" G-I'm a high tenor.
I can't play any instruments other than the lyrics, so it would be great if it sounded good a capella.
It can't say anything about life long commitment. I'm a sophomore in high school and marriage is the last thing on my mind. But if he were to ask me five-ten years from now and I feel the same, I'd say yes.

I've thought about writing him one, but I can't think of anything good, and it has to go well. That's why I'm trying to play it safe with my range. I'd really appreciate any help I can get. Thank you in advance!

Edit: actually, let's take the top of my preferred range down a whole step to an F

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTa8U0Wa0q8

P.S. Your signature is way too big.

[supernerd]

Jim Croce or elton john, hmm... hard choice.

but if i still feel the way i do at the end of senior year i'll be singing this to him. and his name is even sam(course samuel, not samantha ) granted i'm not quite that bright and my vibrato is not nearly as wild.

Edit: does the spoiler help my signature length?

[Rawhide]

Jim Croce or elton john, hmm... hard choice.

I actually prefer this cover, surprisingly. I've never once heard an Elton John cover that even came close to the original until that one. But I chose the classic because it was a male voice, like yourself, from an artist who has come out, also much like yourself, written for someone who was likely also a male (even if only secretly), which has some more similarity to your situation.

but if i still feel the way i do at the end of senior year i'll be singing this to him. and his name is even sam(course samuel, not samantha ) granted i'm not quite that bright and my vibrato is not nearly as wild.

I gave that pitch vibrato. Pitches love vibrato.

Edit: does the spoiler help my signature length?

Ayup.

[supernerd]

I actually prefer this cover, surprisingly. I've never once heard an Elton John cover that even came close to the original until that one. But I chose the classic because it was a male voice, like yourself, from an artist who has come out, also much like yourself, written for someone who was likely also a male (even if only secretly), which has some more similarity to your situation.

this is true, and i thank you for the effort, I'll most likely end up using this. I'm still scanning my whole music repertoire.

I gave that pitch vibrato. Pitches love vibrato.

stylistic decisions, i tend to only vibrato a bit. i don't like it when it actually changes the pitch, at least when I'm performing. it did fit his character, I'll give him that much. but we both know that song nearly by heart.

[turkishproverb]

Okay so I would like to tell my boyfriend(well not really my boyfriend, but we do have a mutual understanding that we have very strong feelings for each other ie, we're waiting for parent approval) that I'm in love with him. And I'd like to do it in song. I need help finding the right one though. There are several restrictions though.

It has to be obscure, I don't want him to know it beforehand.
I don't want it to mention the female gender if I can help it, considering I'm the effeminate one.
I don't want it to sound gurgle-y or have to switch into my falsetto, so to be safe my prefered range is low C to the "alto's" G-I'm a high tenor.
I can't play any instruments other than the lyrics, so it would be great if it sounded good a capella.
It can't say anything about life long commitment. I'm a sophomore in high school and marriage is the last thing on my mind. But if he were to ask me five-ten years from now and I feel the same, I'd say yes.

I've thought about writing him one, but I can't think of anything good, and it has to go well. That's why I'm trying to play it safe with my range. I'd really appreciate any help I can get. Thank you in advance!

Edit: actually, let's take the top of my preferred range down a whole step to an F

How about "Human Touch" by warren weibe? I think that voice range could pull it off.

[supernerd]

How about "Human Touch" by warren weibe? I think that voice range could pull it off.

that was beautiful. And totally in my voice range. This is why tenors make more money than basses. But unfortunately, I have no saxophone friend. And lacking accompaniment would not do this work of art justice.

Which is why I have this in the works:

Spoiler

Show

Know that I'll always be there for you
I'll do whatever I can do
There's one thing I say that will always be true
It's that I love you
I love you

I daydream of nights in your arms
Just the two of us away from all harm
And realisation makes it all clear
As you wipe away all of my fear

Don't try not to let me through
I'm not perfect but know that I'm true
And your favorite color is blue
Well, I needed a rhyme for I love you

Speaking of blue when I look in your eyes
What I see is quite hard to surmise
I'm sorry that I've taken some tries
But there's nothing that I can despise about you

Granted it's not finished (or good) and has a melody IRL

[turkishproverb]

that was beautiful. And totally in my voice range. This is why tenors make more money than basses. But unfortunately, I have no saxophone friend. And lacking accompaniment would not do this work of art justice.

Fair enough. I do love that song, and it seemed appropriate, so I had to suggest it.

Which is why I have this in the works:

Spoiler

Show

Know that I'll always be there for you
I'll do whatever I can do
There's one thing I say that will always be true
It's that I love you
I love you

I daydream of nights in your arms
Just the two of us away from all harm
And realisation makes it all clear
As you wipe away all of my fear

Don't try not to let me through
I'm not perfect but know that I'm true
And your favorite color is blue
Well, I needed a rhyme for I love you

Speaking of blue when I look in your eyes
What I see is quite hard to surmise
I'm sorry that I've taken some tries
But there's nothing that I can despise about you

Granted it's not finished (or good) and has a melody IRL

That was so sweet. Good luck.

[golentan]

I realized today that I am totally the traditional "woman" role in my relationship.

I cook for her, she lives on takeout and ramen. I watch the romantic movies and my little pony, she always wants to see the action movies. I'm the one with the vibrator.

So yeah. It's fun. Screw gender roles.

[turkishproverb]

Nothing wrong with that.

[Coidzor]

Meh, modern my little pony is more popular with adult men than it is with adult women anyway.

[Asta Kask]

Okay so I would like to tell my boyfriend(well not really my boyfriend, but we do have a mutual understanding that we have very strong feelings for each other ie, we're waiting for parent approval) that I'm in love with him. And I'd like to do it in song. I need help finding the right one though. There are several restrictions though.

This one?

TBH, I have no idea whether it's in your range because I suck at that kind of thing. But I like the song. It mentions 'girl', but that's easy to to switch to 'boy'.

Idea Time
Before I talked to transpeople I never realised how difficult and dangerous a simple thing like going out for a night on town could be. It was really a revelation for me, and I want more people to have that revelation. So I thought I could capitalize on my knowledge as RPG DM - why not construct a simple scenario (very rules-light) to show us cissexuals the dangers that we never experience? Conscious-raising, that sort of thing.

I was thinking something like the old Fighting Fantasy books - if you want to do 'x' go to paragraph 'y', etc. And then take the result, make a pdf and have people distribute it at Pride-festivals and other similar occasions.

But obviously I need help, because I don't know crap about being a transperson. I've got some ideas for encounters - drunken miscreants, choosing restrooms, transphobic policemen, belligerent bouncers... but I don't know if they are appropriate, I don't know if there should be more and I don't know how to write them because I have no experience of transphobia. So I was thinking we could set up a dropbox or something like that and get to work.

Reactions?

[H Birchgrove]

@ supernerd: Lulu may not be among your favourites, but I love the gender-flip in this cover of the classic Beatles song: I saw him standing there.

I realized today that I am totally the traditional "woman" role in my relationship.

I cook for her, she lives on takeout and ramen. I watch the romantic movies and my little pony, she always wants to see the action movies. I'm the one with the vibrator.

So yeah. It's fun. Screw gender roles.

You got the touch!

I had it on the tube right now, thought it was fitting.

[Hawkflight]

This one?

TBH, I have no idea whether it's in your range because I suck at that kind of thing. But I like the song. It mentions 'girl', but that's easy to to switch to 'boy'.

Idea Time
Before I talked to transpeople I never realised how difficult and dangerous a simple thing like going out for a night on town could be. It was really a revelation for me, and I want more people to have that revelation. So I thought I could capitalize on my knowledge as RPG DM - why not construct a simple scenario (very rules-light) to show us cissexuals the dangers that we never experience? Conscious-raising, that sort of thing.

I was thinking something like the old Fighting Fantasy books - if you want to do 'x' go to paragraph 'y', etc. And then take the result, make a pdf and have people distribute it at Pride-festivals and other similar occasions.

But obviously I need help, because I don't know crap about being a transperson. I've got some ideas for encounters - drunken miscreants, choosing restrooms, transphobic policemen, belligerent bouncers... but I don't know if they are appropriate, I don't know if there should be more and I don't know how to write them because I have no experience of transphobia. So I was thinking we could set up a dropbox or something like that and get to work.

Reactions?

Well, I may be able to help. I don't have firsthand experience in matterspace, but I have done my research. I also have a fried who might be able to help, and can speak from experience.

[Astrella]

Well, I may be able to help. I don't have firsthand experience in matterspace, but I have done my research. I also have a fried who might be able to help, and can speak from experience.

Same for me.

[Asta Kask]

Something like this. Although obviously not 100 pages long... we'd need separate adventures for transwomen and transmen I suppose, but I don't know if we have anyone transmen around who can help (research: I discovered that transwomen are 6-7 times more common than transmen).

Three or four encounters - more than that and it becomes impossible to keep to a small booklet. Suggestion for any other specs would be welcome.

I suggest "First Night Out" as a working title, and yes, that is a bad pun.

[Astrella]

Those numbers seem very unreliable. I've never heard of a discrepancy bigger then about 2.5, and even then less strict gender presentation requirements on assigned female at birth people and just less attention paid to trans men (+ generally better effects from HRT.) probably cause this.

[Asta Kask]

Wikipedia - how could you lie to me???

Ah, well. I don't know if we have any transmen on the forums though. We may have to search farther afield.

[Mina Kobold]

Something like this. Although obviously not 100 pages long... we'd need separate adventures for transwomen and transmen I suppose, but I don't know if we have anyone transmen around who can help (research: I discovered that transwomen are 6-7 times more common than transmen).

Three or four encounters - more than that and it becomes impossible to keep to a small booklet. Suggestion for any other specs would be welcome.

I suggest "First Night Out" as a working title, and yes, that is a bad pun.

Ooh, Fighting Fantasy! I love those books! :3

I can't help with information about how it is to live with transphobia, but I will gladly do whatever I can for the structure, dice and prose. This sounds like a brilliant idea!

[H Birchgrove]

I try to be a good ally, and to be a "proud" bi-sexual, queer guy, but the more I read about the "white, cis male privilege" in various blogs, the more it sounds like "all straight men are perverts/rapists", and similar to "all Germans are Nazis".

The more one buys into the idea of collectives (collective guilt etc) and dividing peoples into groups, the more you de facto support the conspirators' idea of "manifest destiny" for their respective groups.

[Mina Kobold]

I always read it as "Ethnically European cismales have a privilege, which sadly is overlooked in judgement too often" rather than "Whitey cismales have a privilege which makes them ".

Kind of like the privileges of stable food supply and being middle class. I have both, but that is not a problem. What would cause a problem would be if I used that basis to assume that poor people are whiny and should shut up about starvation and homelessness. ._.

Which some people sadly do. Tend to be the same who can't look beyond their privileges when it comes to ethnicity, gender and sexuality.

[Astrella]

Wikipedia - how could you lie to me???

Ah, well. I don't know if we have any transmen on the forums though. We may have to search farther afield.

It also seems something that's incredibly hard to map out.

Hmm, there's Danne, but I don't think he still posts on the forums.

Edit: Regarding privilege; having privilege does not make you in anyway a bad person; it's how you deal with it that matters.

[Asta Kask]

We could always PM him and see what happens. After all, what's the worst case scenario?

That he turns out to be a criminal mastermind fielding an army of robotic penguins and determined to turn the world into a frozen, hellish landscape? And that he sends his black-and-white minions after me?

I can live with that.

[golentan]

We could always PM him and see what happens. After all, what's the worst case scenario?

That he turns out to be a criminal mastermind fielding an army of robotic penguins and determined to turn the world into a frozen, hellish landscape? And that he sends his black-and-white minions after me?

I can live with that.

WHAT?! Someone else might have my plan?

I had not remembered Danne as being a transman. Huh.

[H Birchgrove]

I always read it as "Ethnically European cismales have a privilege, which sadly is overlooked in judgement too often" rather than "Whitey cismales have a privilege which makes them ".

Kind of like the privileges of stable food supply and being middle class. I have both, but that is not a problem. What would cause a problem would be if I used that basis to assume that poor people are whiny and should shut up about starvation and homelessness. ._.

Which some people sadly do. Tend to be the same who can't look beyond their privileges when it comes to ethnicity, gender and sexuality.

Well, in my opinion, having a stable food supply is a right (morally), or should be a right (legally).

But yeah, you're right. However, this does not entitle members of minority groups to accuse me (or hypothetical innocent blond cis male Europeans) of being their oppressors. Because I'm not. ("They" are not). So please stop scaring away potential supporters/allies who mean well, trans feminist and/or ethnic minority bloggers, and attack your real enemies instead.

What "white" privilege can I have, when the grocery store cashier thinks I'm a foreigner, talks to me in English, and I'm too tired to gently correct her, or yell at her that I was born here in Sweden, and that I'm not darker than Lasse Åberg (at least when he was younger)? I frakken spoke to her in Swedish!