'Answer Me This' Poem by Elle Belle

Is it too much to ask
That you do not slander my name
Is too much to ask
That you not debate my ways

Is it too much to ask
That I be treated with respect
Is too much to ask
That I don't get bombarded by your questions

Is too much to ask
You see past my face and body
Is too much to ask
You keep your words to yourself

Is it too much to ask
That I be more than just gossip
Is it too much to ask
That I be more than a running joke

Is it too much to ask
I become more than just a "secret"
Is it too much to ask
That you recognize both my pleads and my cries

Is it too much to ask
That you object to the lies they create
Is it too much to ask
That you own up to your mistakes

Is it too much to ask
You see past my biological sex,
Is it too much to ask
that you treat me as a person, not an object

Is it too much to ask
That you worry less about my "areas" and more of my heart
Is it too much to ask
that you refrain from stripping me apart

Is it too much to ask
that your glances be shifted
Is it too much to ask
that you stay open to a life that is different

Is it too much to ask
that you give your time to understand
Is it too much to ask
That you learn this is who I am.