So long as being transgender remains a conscious choice in the mind of some people, there will always be prejudice and discrimination. Recently there was a report from a trans organization stating that approximately 60% of trans people in the US who had dealt with police had been mistreated by them which does not really surprise. If you don’t fit the model that society follows you are unfortunately going to take your lumps.
Those who pass are fortunate because they can most often fall under the radar. They may have transitioned young or perhaps have sufficiently feminine physical attributes to be left alone. But even they, once they come out or are outed, can face harsh discrimination at the hands of a society who doesn’t understand them and perhaps refuses to.
I know, like many of you, what it is like to try and fit in and fail. We want to be accepted and the best way to do that is to follow script but that is not possible for us. The alternative is to hide but that doesn’t offer us much quality of life which is why the number of trans people coming out to their families, friends and co-workers has never been higher under this new more open environment. The flip-side of course is that this new exposure means falling prey to the forces who would prefer we go back into the closet.
Many of you who are older and transitioned young have built lives where exposing your origins could unravel everything you have built. There is no easy way for any of us, but I am still confident that with the passing of time we will be able to reach a higher level of understanding that allows us to lead open lives mostly devoid of backlash. As more and more people get to know at least one trans person, the chances of us merging more seamlessly into society can only increase.
In the meantime, it's going to still be a bit of a rocky road.
Those who pass are fortunate because they can most often fall under the radar. They may have transitioned young or perhaps have sufficiently feminine physical attributes to be left alone. But even they, once they come out or are outed, can face harsh discrimination at the hands of a society who doesn’t understand them and perhaps refuses to.
I know, like many of you, what it is like to try and fit in and fail. We want to be accepted and the best way to do that is to follow script but that is not possible for us. The alternative is to hide but that doesn’t offer us much quality of life which is why the number of trans people coming out to their families, friends and co-workers has never been higher under this new more open environment. The flip-side of course is that this new exposure means falling prey to the forces who would prefer we go back into the closet.
Many of you who are older and transitioned young have built lives where exposing your origins could unravel everything you have built. There is no easy way for any of us, but I am still confident that with the passing of time we will be able to reach a higher level of understanding that allows us to lead open lives mostly devoid of backlash. As more and more people get to know at least one trans person, the chances of us merging more seamlessly into society can only increase.
In the meantime, it's going to still be a bit of a rocky road.
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