Q&A: Learn more about Rika!

Feel free to contact me and ask any questions!

Gender and Sexuality

Q: When did you come to know that you are transgender?

A: I have been experiencing gender dysphoria since childhood, but I didn't know the term "transgender" until 2018. At first, I found it difficult to understand its meaning because people used it in different ways and was not sure if it described me. However, after learning about gender issues for years, now I'm quite sure that I am transgender.

Q: What do you think about "他" and "她"?

A: The third person pronoun in Mandarin is gender-neutral. "他" had been used for all genders until about 100 years ago, when "她" was intentionally created as the feminine version. The part "亻" means "person, human", not "man" or "male". Using "他" exclusively for men is a kind of dehumanization of women. I believe "他" should be used for all genders, but given the fact that most people do mind the distinction, I will keep using "她" for female people. You can use "他" for me as long as you agree with my opinion on this issue.

Q: Are you MtF?

A: You can call me "MtF" since it's almost used as a synonym of "trans women". However, I won't recommend you use it given the abundance of better alternatives. The term MtF means "male-to-female". It emphasizes "male", but trans women are at no point male. Trans women are born as trans women, and the male gender is just wrongly assigned to them. Trans women have nothing to do with "male", so there is no reason to put "male" in a term representing them. When the transgender identity does matter, I suggest you use "trans girl/women" or "transfem" instead. If there is no need to specify the transgender identity, you should just call us as you call cis-women. Trans women are women.

Q: Does it makes you feel inferior being transgender?

A: Being transgender doesn't make me feel inferior, but it helps prevent me from being overconfident, just like those cis people.

Language Learning

Q: Which languages do you recommend in 2022?

A: If you have no idea, I recommend you choose from French and German. However, you should master English first.

Others

Q: What are your favorite film and novel?

A: My favorite film is possibly Patema Inverted, a 2013 Japanese animated science fiction film written and directed by Yasuhiro Yoshiura. I almost haven't read any novels recent years, but I would like to consider Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country as one of my favorite. I read it when I was in high school and I still remember the last sentence even now. As you see, my aesthetic sense is fundamentally East Asian, even though I hate East Asia so much.

Q: What does your name mean?

A: I didn't think of the meaning when I created it. I just chose some characters compatible with CJKV languages. No matter what it means, I do like it. Thanks to my caprice!