The Medley

is a twice-a-year literary journal run by the students of Hansraj College, University of Delhi. It is a repository of stories, poems and essays sent to us from around the world since 2018.

Essential Vocabulary for Transfolk

Cisbitch fibrosis: extremely common societal illness defined by mucilaginous male gender roles that prevent the oxygenation of feminine progress.

Entraptured: when you blame a trans person for your attraction to them.

Gendergetics: the non-linear flux in the expression of personal power.

Non-whinary: when transfolk don’t have to process your gender journey for you.

Queernobyl: internalized toxic misogyny in queer culture.

Trancestors: we are each the legacy of one another

Transanity: When you become mentally ill because they label you so.

Transciousness: transgender consciousness.

Transmission: your life’s work, what you are here to broadcast.

Transgression: states of gender non-conforming rage.

Transilience: continuing to transition despite being harassed on the daily.

Transist: resisting patriarchal culture simply by existing as a trans person.

Transjectory: A personal customized timeline of how YOU want to transition or not

Transogynist: Having an ingrained hatred for transfolk.

Transphobia: the currency of ciswomen of all races who wish to sustain what little power their men afford them in society.

Transpho-be-a-hero: The accolades you get for doing the bare minimum to keep transgirls from being murdered or evicted.

Transpirational: When you are overwhelmed with love for your sisters.

Transvivor: what you are for making it this far.

Transwering machine: for when you are just absolutely not here right now.

Tranthem: Corny queer songs to try to get people to stop being violent towards us.

Tranthropologist: How you feel dusting off old traumas buried in one of your personalities. Mental illness doesn’t disqualify gender.

Traumammoth: A large trauma fossil. May require professional help, that’s normal!

Traumical: when you learn to laugh and cry. you need them both to hea

C.L. Severson

C.L. Severson is a transfemme poet living in Seattle. Of Mexican descent, she has always been fascinated with complex myths and silenced cultures. She writes of her experiences as a sex worker living with chronic illness . Themes of her work are often cultural displacement, gender invisibility, and a strong voice of spiritual awakening.