Since the pandemic, I have slowly started being more open in my identity and expression! This is a part of my self that I have been suppressing since I was very young and I am starting to be more comfortable with who I am and what i enjoy doing. I am a non-binary person under the larger umbrella of trans-gender individuals. I know that i do not associate with a single gender and therefore prefer the use of they/them pronouns. I also express myself to the world in a trans-feminine fashion such a way that folks who see me might naturally assume that im a transwomen. I do not feel like i belong to a single gender at any point of time. If that seems a bit to complicated or hard, just use my name or Dr/Prof will also suffice :) If you are being friendly, you can make me smile with the use of She/Her.

The quickest way to get me to completely ignore you (if you are a random person) or correct you (if you are a friend) is by using he/him. 

I really enjoy expressing my feminine self with different dresses (very much into Salwar Khameez and Anarkali Kurtis recently) and varying hairstyles (my favorite and go-to is the long black one that I LOVE braiding!). You might see me in different outfits or styles depending on the day and how i feel :) For example, the day might feel like a long black braid with a Anarkali and skirt or ombre curls with a kurti or it could call for a shorter length one if the weather is way too hot as it often is in Nashville. 

I have been dealing with a lot of self-doubt and internal conflict about this for the past two decades but i believe i have the strength to face this openly now. I am still in a period of exploration into my happiness and self joy so feel free to come and talk to me about it. I am selectively open about this change thus far to people in my life who i know will take it in a positive fashion. I do not have all the answers at this point but I am just following my heart towards the direction that its taking me.