#anania

Anania cackles as they flip to the next card. “What is a binder?” 

“Like those three ring binders you kept your homework in?” 

Anania cackles. “Um-mm, nope, no.” 

“Is it like, an entirely unrelated thing?” 

“Yeah.”

“Is it like something drag queens use to like smooth…” 

Anania’s eyebrows raise up indicating that he’s on the right track.

“...their package?” Cliff unconsciously covers his groin with his hand.

“No, you were kinda close though!” 

“Really?”

“Kinda, yeah! It’s a chest compressor used for gender affirming care to make a chest appear flatter under clothing.”

Cliff slowly nods, “”Ooohh…okay.”

“Any thoughts on gender affirming care?”

Cliff gives his head a little shake before saying, “Get it.” 

“I live!” Anania laughs.

Excerpt 5

“What’s the difference between nonbinary and genderfluid?” Anania asks.

“One’s more hydrated.” Cliff laughs, “The other’s got all those binaries. Or–or missing binaries. Binary deficient if you will.”

Anania looks at him in surprise, "That's such a big word for you, Cliff!” 

“My mom’s got a deficiency.”

Anania looks concerned, “Wait–what?”

Cliff furrows his brow, “I don’t–it’s something medical–like some protein or enzyme or somethin’. I don’t remember. I just know she doesn’t have enough of it.”

“Oh, I’m sorry about your mom.”

“Thanks. She's okay though. Don’t be worryin’.”

“But I’m using binary deficient. I like that.” Anania laughs.

“Hey, you’re welcome.”

“But what’s the actual difference?”

“Difference in what?” 

Anania rolls her eyes.

Excerpt 4

Anania reads the next question. “What is a Boston marriage?”

“Uh…a marriage that happens in Boston?”

Anania chuckles, “Surprisingly, not a marriage that happens in Boston.”

Cliff shakes his head, “Then I’ve got nothin’.”

“It was when two single women, usually independently wealthy, would live together long-term as companions. In the late 1800s early 1900s.”

“Oh wow. So they were like gay for each other?”

Anania scoffs. “A lot of times, that’s what is assumed, but not always. They might just not have wanted to marry a man. Not everyone wants to submit to a man and have a ton of babies.”

“Yeah. That’s kind of like my Aunt. She never married. Whenever I ask why she’s not settled down, she says, ‘Why would I ever want to be settled? I’m not a colony.”