Symptoms of Being Human

Individual relationships with gender identity verses societal expectations of gender norms play an important role in Riley’s coming out journey. Riley frequently adapts their mannerisms and speech patterns to match either the gender of whomever they are in the presence of, or the gender the other person perceives Riley to be. This causes internal conflict for Riley, especially when they are with multiple people at once, such as when Riley, Bec, and Solo attend a meeting at the Q together. Because Riley is so focused on the expectations of those around them, they are unable to fully listen to their internal compass and present themself however they want to.

The novel also demonstrates that Riley’s relationship with gender is not the only way to approach gender fluidity. Moreover, Riley’s perceptions of others’ genders are not always correct—their internal experience does not preclude them from making mistakes about the experiences of other people. Bec, Morgan, and Chris turn out not to be the genders Riley originally perceives them to be, and Riley feels hypocritical when catching themself making the same appearance-based assumptions they wish others would not impose upon them. Mike/Michelle Weston also plays with the gender binary, but in a different way from Riley. Though her name includes her “masculine” name, Mike/Michelle uses traditionally feminine pronouns and dresses in a feminine manner, excluding one occasion where she wears masculine clothing to honor the agreement with her son to present as male when the two are in public together.

Additionally, the novel addresses the discrimination that those subverting societal expectations around gender identity face, most notably through the bullying Riley experiences from their classmates. Students stare, make cruel comments about whether Riley is male or female, harass Riley online, and vandalize Riley’s locker. In an extreme example, Jim Vickers forcefully looks at Riley’s genitalia—a sexual assault. Other transgender characters Riley encounters are subjected to different forms of discrimination: Chris is denied health insurance coverage for his testosterone medication on the grounds that offering coverage goes against the insurance company’s moral values and Andie Gingham’s father beats her after she comes out to her parents as a transgender girl. As Riley’s research into violence against the transgender community shows, stories like Riley’s, Andie’s, and Chris’s are common. Though the stories Riley reads might be considered more “severe,” even the cases where the survivors are relatively “lucky” still have negative impacts on the lives of those affected.