Nuna from Nunaland

Hi, my name is Nuna and I come from Nunuland. I’m a left-handed woman in a big world of predominantly right-handed people. I was born left-handed but those in power have made it out as if I “chose” being left-handed. Some suggest that I got bored of right-handedness and decided to try a more exotic choice. Some think my left-handedness is a psychological disease that I need to get “therapy” for. And some label me as “dexterously deviant.” Just for being myself.

People who have never lived my experience will talk about me as if I’m a theoretical concept or “issue” or political movement. But I’m just a human being existing, just like them. When I get any representation, the dominant right-handed folks get angry for some reason, but I don’t understand why my existence threatens them.

When we left-handed folks form our own safe spaces, some hateful right-handed folks will come and hurt us. We have tried everything, from logic and science, to love and peace, to reason with the dominant folks, so they can just leave us alone, let alone accept us. But it doesn’t seem to work.

When we call out the root of their hate, the slick ones tell us, “Hey we’re not left-handed phobic, we’re just trying to guide you with compassion!” It’s exhausting being gaslighted and threatened all the time, when all we want is to just...exist.

So we’ve decided not to care and exist anyway. We’ll let the right-handed world come meet us on our own terms, where WE are at, instead of us always justifying our existence. And to those of us who still can’t experience themselves safely and have to exist in code, we love you. You’re no less brave than any of us.