There is a spectrum between gender expression and identity.
For example, someone who crossdresses but otherwise identifies entirely as male is at the expression end whereas a transgender woman who has fully medically transitioned is at the identity end. In between there are a host of variants including full social transition and living part time (which is where I currently reside). Ostensibly these variants can be said to mirror the Harry Benjamin scale.
We may have created an umbrella term for transgender, but clearly it is far more investing to reside on the identity side of things. Once we have crossed into a world where there is no going back, and we publicly made a choice to officially change gender we are exposed to needing to drastically increase our sense of safety. In particular, transgender women of colour face an incredibly high level of violence which superimposes racial bias with transphobia in a virulent cocktail. To live openly in such a way requires a level of courage that makes you admire what being true to oneself really means. These women are willing to risk everything for complete authenticity and, if you ever wondered whether being trans was a choice, look no further for examples.
The world is full of wonderful human beings but also replete with wounded and mentally unstable individuals who would take out their own frustrations on other beings in a twisted attempt to try and address their own insecurities. In the current climate of hatred (thanks in part to the moron in the white house) the level of violence will only stay at an elevated level until some semblance of common sense prevails.
In a world where hiding that one is transgender becomes increasingly impossible, the onus will be on increasing human respect and dignity so that these atrocities can be stopped once and for all.
For example, someone who crossdresses but otherwise identifies entirely as male is at the expression end whereas a transgender woman who has fully medically transitioned is at the identity end. In between there are a host of variants including full social transition and living part time (which is where I currently reside). Ostensibly these variants can be said to mirror the Harry Benjamin scale.
We may have created an umbrella term for transgender, but clearly it is far more investing to reside on the identity side of things. Once we have crossed into a world where there is no going back, and we publicly made a choice to officially change gender we are exposed to needing to drastically increase our sense of safety. In particular, transgender women of colour face an incredibly high level of violence which superimposes racial bias with transphobia in a virulent cocktail. To live openly in such a way requires a level of courage that makes you admire what being true to oneself really means. These women are willing to risk everything for complete authenticity and, if you ever wondered whether being trans was a choice, look no further for examples.
The world is full of wonderful human beings but also replete with wounded and mentally unstable individuals who would take out their own frustrations on other beings in a twisted attempt to try and address their own insecurities. In the current climate of hatred (thanks in part to the moron in the white house) the level of violence will only stay at an elevated level until some semblance of common sense prevails.
In a world where hiding that one is transgender becomes increasingly impossible, the onus will be on increasing human respect and dignity so that these atrocities can be stopped once and for all.
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| yet another victim of hate |
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