I’ve been neglecting my web site for a while and I am sorry about that… Busy time this holiday season, but this time of the year tends to bring out more of the depression in people one emotion also tends to bring out other emotions and opinions – even those people want to try and keep hidden.
I keep tabs on Twitter and Facebook and other sites to stay informed and I always seem to find ignorance – especially about the transgender community. You notice I said the transgender community and not the entire LGBTQ community. The main reason is that the LGB portion of the community has become more accepted. Why not the Transgender?
I follow someone on Twitter who described a perfect example of ignorance that just bothered the hell out of me. If we have to use labels fine, but make sure you understand the label FIRST. Don’t make assumptions without understanding.
We all want to be happy. Well most of us anyway. That happiness is different for each person, but the perception to most of the ignorant is that happiness is based on a static number of items… Home, Family and Money. Transgender persons want the same things, but the road to happiness is not based on static items.
The biggest challenge of course is CHANGE. If we met someone for the first time and never knew they were transgender, we probably wouldn’t question, suspect or even care; but when we know the person and the changes begin to take affect, the fear and perception of the visible image brings out some very difficult and unwarranted feelings. This is unfortunate and forces many in the Transgender community into hiding or worse to give up. It is the strongest in the community we look up to and admire and rely on for answers and support.
Transgender does NOT equal gay, lesbian, drag queen, queer or any other label you can think of. Transgender actually equals PEOPLE! People who laugh, cry and love like all of us and choose to be happy like most of us. The focus on the physical attributes makes you an ignorant bigot – no different from those who expressed their bigotry about other races and other genders – we don’t live in the 1900’s anymore.
To those who do not understand or fear these great people… GROW THE FUCK UP AND REMEMBER THEY ARE PEOPLE TOO!