The Transgender Day of Remembrance was a week ago yesterday. I wanted to post something that day but at the time I came up empty. So ..... what is that day about? Do I even know those people? Why should I care?
Well I've thought quite a bit about those people, not just a week ago yesterday but many times before and since. It is true that I do not personally know any of the people who have been hated and persecuted and brutalized and killed. But I do know a bit about what they were like. They merely wanted to spend their time in this world as themselves. Nothing fake, nothing hidden. They just wanted to live a normal life, just as everyone else wants to do. Sometime during their lives they gathered enough courage to end the big secret, and live true. And this did take quite a bit of courage because all of us have heard the stories of hatred and persecution and discrimination. Courage to me means facing head on, all by your lonesome, a boatload of crap and abuse to just do the right thing.
It took me so very long to find enough courage to say enough already with my own façade. I've opened myself up to the world, making it known to all who I really am. And I've been very fortunate. So far I've only experienced acceptance. It is very likely that all the abuse others suffered before me has paved the way for my own journey. But I still worry, living openly in my preferred gender, living openly as transgender, I still worry. How can I not? There are still way too many people like me out there who, after finding a bit of courage to come out to the world, experience hate and prejudice.
The human race still has a long road toward maturity, to get to a place where people stop being afraid of and hating anyone who is different.
So on this Thanksgiving Day, I am very thankful for all those who went ahead of me on this journey. And I will choose to hope that my fellow humans will someday grow up.
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