An Acceptable Risk, Part 2: Hate Crimes
I am still in shock over the video of the trans-girl being beaten by a group of women who objected to her using the same bathroom as them. She was beaten so severely that she apparently suffered a seizure. It makes me feel really nervous about being the least bit open about these things to anyone.
I remember when I first came out of the sexual orientation closet at my old job (a much smaller closet than the transgender closet--it's missing the extra floors, the Minotaur's labyrinth, and the Pit of Despair); someone at my work scrawled the words "GAY" all over my apron when it was hung on a hook in the break room. I was very nervous about coming to work after that. Luckily, management intervened and made me feel safe again. But it could have gone another way, easily, it seems.
But, this kind of thing makes me believe that, eventually, I can't be closeted. Sure, I can take precautions, but the community needs voices. The only way we've gotten so far with sexual orientation issues is because people came out of the closet in droves and saturated the media, showing people that the queer community isn't out there to brainwash your children--they aren't there to deprive anyone of anything--they just want to live and have families and laugh at funny things like everyone else. I remember learning about Harvey Milk's fight way back when, and I realize that this is a completely analogous situation to the war he found himself involved in.
Someday, transgendered people will have more voices. I would love to be a part of that someday. Would this be an acceptable risk? Honestly, I do not know how I will feel when I am on the other side of the fence. But, I don't see how I could not give back to our community in some way. If this means speaking out publicly, and exposing myself to some degree...I'm still not sure. I feel like it might be needed at some point, for the sake of all of us.
But today, I focus on me and getting there in one piece.
Always,
Tea
I remember when I first came out of the sexual orientation closet at my old job (a much smaller closet than the transgender closet--it's missing the extra floors, the Minotaur's labyrinth, and the Pit of Despair); someone at my work scrawled the words "GAY" all over my apron when it was hung on a hook in the break room. I was very nervous about coming to work after that. Luckily, management intervened and made me feel safe again. But it could have gone another way, easily, it seems.
But, this kind of thing makes me believe that, eventually, I can't be closeted. Sure, I can take precautions, but the community needs voices. The only way we've gotten so far with sexual orientation issues is because people came out of the closet in droves and saturated the media, showing people that the queer community isn't out there to brainwash your children--they aren't there to deprive anyone of anything--they just want to live and have families and laugh at funny things like everyone else. I remember learning about Harvey Milk's fight way back when, and I realize that this is a completely analogous situation to the war he found himself involved in.
Someday, transgendered people will have more voices. I would love to be a part of that someday. Would this be an acceptable risk? Honestly, I do not know how I will feel when I am on the other side of the fence. But, I don't see how I could not give back to our community in some way. If this means speaking out publicly, and exposing myself to some degree...I'm still not sure. I feel like it might be needed at some point, for the sake of all of us.
But today, I focus on me and getting there in one piece.
Always,
Tea