Mind the gap
(fragment)
by Talith

(…)
RIVER
[ironic]
Oh really? Tell me what happened.

NICO
Really! I’ve been judged in parties for being too femme but never like here.
Now I’m too cis? Everybody is just giving me this attitude…

RIVER
[interrupting and getting up, visibly angry]
Attitude? Gimme a break, Nico!
I’m here now because your friends are misgendering everyone and taking
all the fucking space and I’m trying to figure out a solution so none of the
people who should be enjoying this party leave. Nico, I got misgendered
by your friends here: in the last place I expected this.

NICO
Ai, please don’t start with this again, seriously.
People call me “she” all the time!

RIVER
Are you really comparing?

NICO
I’m not the problem here, these people come to the party full of issues and
put them on people who just want to have fun. This is still pride, no? We
should all be celebrating!

RIVER
Yeah, it’s supposed to be the trans pride party. But it looks more like the
trans invisibility party.

NICO
It’s a trans and friends party, no? We’re all gay, trans, queer blablabla…

RIVER
Wow, really? So, you’re really not going to think about what is actually
happening?

NICO
Bixa, I come from Brazil, you have no idea how it’s like there, but I was
never treated like that in trans spaces there and they face actual violence
there, you know? You’re just a privileged white kid complaining about
bullshit.

RIVER
How is this relevant now? Do you really think it’s privileged bullshit to be
misgendered?

NICO
No, but…

RIVER
[interrupting]
The problem isn’t that you’re gay and you’re here, the problem is that this is
for us and you’re making it all about you. Just drop it, I need to find a
solution to make this space safe for us.
[Suddenly someone else is approaching quite quickly and starts shouting]

MARK
Nico!!!

NICO
[Shouting back]
I’m here bee!

MARK
[leans on Nico, very high and touchy]
Oh, hi babes whatch’a doing?
I’ve been looking everywhere for you! What is this noise? I thought this was
a techno rave.

[River rolls their eyes]

NICO
We’re just having a cigarette. (…)