My thoughts on MTV's "Faking It"

It's been a few weeks since the season 2 premier of MTV's "Faking It."  I didn't want to post my feelings about it right away because I wanted to take it all in first and see where the show led.

Now if you are reading this and new to the show you probably are like, "why would you give your thoughts on some show on MTV" 

Well here is why:  One of the characters this season came out to have Androgen Insensitivity Sydrome, which means she is intersex. 

AIS is what I have.  While I have met women who also have AIS, I have never seen a television show or read a book where there was a character I could fully relate to. 

I can remember when I was a teen and would watch shows like "The OC" and I would do my hair like the characters, and dress like the characters, but truly inside I felt like I was never actually like them.  I couldn't be, having AIS makes me "different"

Well I am happy to say that "Faking It" has done a great job so far portraying a young girl with an intersex condition.  Watching it makes me happy, and sad at the same time.  

What progress though!  I was taught to never speak off condition to anyone, they wouldn't understand, just lie to them, it's not anyone's business anyway.  Well I'll tell you what, lying, and pretending is very stressful. I have told so many versions of my condition that I can't even keep track of what people may or may not know about me.  The sad thing is 99% of the versions I have told are not the truth.  Because I was scared to tell.

I am not anymore.  Maybe because I'm older, or maybe because I don't care what anyone else thinks anymore? I don't know but I do know this show helps destigmatize intersex and that is awesome.

And PS- those side effects are pretty accurate...... ;) 

Another ArtPrize story...

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.-- ArtPrize has taken over my life. Once it starts it is like a black hole that sucks in all my time. If you aren't familiar with Grand Rapids annual art competition, let me break it down for you.

ArtPrize happens once a year in Grand Rapids. Basically it's a massive art competition and people come from all over the United States to compete. It quite literally takes over the town. Well being primarily an Arts & Entertainment reporter I cover almost all ArtPrize.

ArtPrize all the time. Last week a story came through our tip line that one piece had been vandalized. Basically it was a piece about loving one another, gay, straight, transgender, intersex, you name it we love you no matter what. Well someone didn't like the piece and splattered red paint all over it.

The thing is the cops were never called, the artist simply got on his hands and knees and scrubbed the paint off the best he could. He was a very nice guy, he talked to me about his thoughts on WHY someone would do that to his piece. He was very level headed about it, he even said he expected something like this to happen.

What was hard about the piece is that it had a whole back side that encouraged people to express their thoughts on it... yet someone STILL felt the need to splatter it with red paint. Anyway I liked this story and wanted to share it again. So here it is, check it out if you haven't already. I think being an intersex individual I resonated with the piece.

The piece is called, "Love Does Not Harm" and can be found in Grand Rapids out front of St. Marks Episcopal Church.