Trans Rights Are Human Rights Is More Than A Slogan

Trans Rights Are Human Rights Is More Than A Slogan

I'm working on expanding my social media activities beyond X, and one of the reasons is the rampant hate allowed and even promoted there. This goes beyond the transgender community. The site has gone downhill in many ways since the sale. Others may see that differently, but one thing is indisputable.

Trans rights are human rights. It's a slogan that you'll see at some LGBT events, but it's also the truth highlighted in five words.

On social media, some trans exclusionary and anti-trans groups are coming up with a cute little term, which I won't repeat. It seems that they feel cisgender is a slur, when it's only a term used for people who are happy in the gender they were physically born into.

It's unfortunate that these people, some who are well-known authors, have created a term that spells out a male name for trans women. I could be just as clever. For example, I could say they are Creepy Uncaring Neurotic Type people. What does that spell? Funny, isn't it? Not really.

I don't know why some people are unhappy or even threatened by the very existence of transgender people. We've been here all along. Contrary to those who think we weren't here because they didn't see one of us right in front of them, we've existed for more than the last 20 or 30 years. It's a fact, not an opinion.

The existence of trans people is not a threat to society. Heterosexual couples are still going to reproduce children, but some of them are going to be born as part of the LGBT community. As they grow up, they will realize it, so how their parents react to that will determine how well they adjust and become a part of society.

Here's another statement that highlights that fact. Hate isn't something we are born with. We are taught. We learn how to hate through the hateful teachings of our parents and those around us.

There are big problems with society, but the existence of trans people is low on the list of real issues. Many of us are marginalized to the point where we are under employed, under housed and even forced into things like sex work just to pay the bills.

Meanwhile, some of the people diverting negative attention toward us are the ones with more money than they know what to do with. They hoard more and more of the resources among fewer of them. They own more property and businesses. They obviously don't want attention on them, so pointing a finger at a group such as the trans community benefits them.

Sadly, that means the trans community bears the brunt of verbal and physical abuse. Sometimes that abuse ends their lives. Sometimes what they go through causes them to take their own lives. Meanwhile, the hate still continues, but the trans community in general still endures. We're not going anywhere.

The manipulative ones in power hope that we don't get past the point where transgender people, gays, lesbians, blacks, Mexicans or whatever group is blamed for the problems in society. The minute we put our focus where it needs to be and question why our own quality of life is getting worse, it's over for the ones creating these diversions.

Through it all, however, the trans community will endure. We'll continue to make gains and people will continue to come out as trans. That's just the way it is. Whether you like to hear it or not, the truth is still obvious. Trans Right Are Human Rights.

Biden Didn't Make Easter Sunday Into Transgender Day Of Visibility

Biden Didn't Make Easter Sunday Into Transgender Day Of Visibility

It seems like hating the transgender community on X has become the new social media pastime. The fact that the new owner of the site encourages it only amplifies it that much more. It seems like Elon's latest crusade is not only against the trans community but women's reproductive rights.

On Saturday morning, many people on the right decided to voice outrage over the fact that President Joe Biden is acknowledging Sunday as Transgender Day Of Visibility. How dare the president want to tell the trans community that they are a part of this country and they matter.

What has been lost in all of this is that the only thing Biden did was acknowledge a day that has existed for over a decade. It happens on March 31st every year. Interestingly enough, Easter Sunday varies each year as it falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring.

For example, Trans Day Of Visibility will happen on March 31st next year, while Easter Sunday will be on another day in April. President Biden wasn't choosing one group over another. Love him or hate him, and I'm not making an endorsement here, he is the president of every group and every person in the United States.

Why is Trans Day Of Visibility important? For years, some within the community have been bullied and pressured into staying out of sight and in the closet. Some feel very much in the spotlight when they go out, and it may interest people to know that they just want to blend in like everybody else.

The right also seems to like to point out that the trans community makes it all about them and their looks. Some do like to post pictures and make a splash when they're out in public, but that's true of cisgender women as well. Everybody is different, even people within the trans community.

Trans Day Of Visibility is about saying be you and be proud. It's another step towards trans acceptance. Some on the right have used words like eradicate when they speak of trans people, but ultimately, they will be on the losing side of the argument. Trans people will continue to exist as they always have.

When Easter Sunday came, I put on a Sunday dress and did what I've done almost every week for the last year. I went to church and gave thanks to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. Thanks to some of the hate thrown at our community in which people use Jesus's name, some in our community don't embrace Him. However, the fact remains, Jesus loves the transgender community too.

Trans Day Of Remembrance 2023 Observations

Trans Day Of Remembrance 2023 Observations

Another Transgender Day Of Remembrance has come and gone. My old hometown happens to be the only city in the county with an LGBT community center, and they've been doing TDOR gatherings for the last decade. This was my third time.

You can't escape news about the transgender community these days, and this is in large part because we've been turned into a political talking point by people on the right. In some states, trans healthcare is being jeopardized. 

It started out with politicians claiming to be protecting the children, who in this case happen to be trans and are not being shamed back into the closet. With some people calling for the eradication of transgender people in general, it's no surprise that these states are also taking away trans healthcare in general.

For years, transgender people have been the victims of violent murder, brutal attacks and serious depression. Some in the community have even taken their own lives. For over 20 years, we've gathered to mourn the deaths of those within our community.

At the event I attended, 34 names were written on pieces of paper for us to read out loud. In fact, I had been listening for a certain name to be read. When I didn't hear the name of Brianna Ghey, I brought that to the attention of the organizer and was allowed to remember the life of the 16-year-old from England, who was murdered back in February.

Before we get into naming the names, there are speeches from various people within the community. Then, we each light a candle. When I light my candle, I always remember Gwen Araujo, who at 17 years old was murdered over 20 years ago. Her life had an impact on mine as I came out 15 years ago.

We heard various different speeches. A pastor of an LGBT friendly church spoke on the fact that God loves us all. He also spoke on the misnomer that trans healthcare for youth includes radical surgeries for them at a very young age. The reality is it's not easy for trans youth to get surgeries that young. It's more about allowing them to express who they are openly and without fear.

One of the youths in the community spoke out about how important the LGBT community center in the area is to them. In some cases, that is one of the very few places at which they feel comfortable being out as themselves.

A trans man in his 60s talked about his journey to come out. He only took that step a few years ago. He talked about an important conversation he had with a conservative neighbor, who happens to be a friend. At the end, that person told him that they learned a lot and had much to think about.

I don't think this event had more people in attendance than last year, but I did have more meaningful conversations this year. I learned a few things and was able to share my experiences with other people. I wish we didn't have to have events like these anymore, but such is the reality we live in.

It's important for us to remember the lives lost and the fact that death for simply being transgender is not acceptable. I know it's a meme on social media, but it's very true. Trans rights are human rights. TDOR will continue to be an important event to me.

It's Sad That Trans Day Of Remembrance Needs To Be A Thing

It's Sad That Trans Day Of Remembrance Needs To Be A Thing

I'm getting ready for Transgender Day Of Remembrance as I write this. This is the day when we gather in our groups in several cities throughout the United States and even around the world. We mourn those who lost their lives during the past calendar year.

Primarily, we're talking about those who died in violent ways from people who show no respect or value to their lives, but there are also those who die due to suicide. Suicide is something that deeply affects our community. This day is a day in which we remember all the lives lost.

We all light candles, and the names are read out loud. We will not let them be forgotten. At times it doesn't feel like the world is getting better, but it actually is. More people are aware of what it is to be transgender, and they show some compassion.

We've made incredible gains during the last 20 years as more awareness has been created about who we are. We've made gains in health care, job opportunities and housing opportunities. Even families are more accepting towards their trans children than they were a couple of decades ago.

As has always the case when we make gains, there is push back against those gains. We are being used as a political talking point this election season. The powers that be want to take away the gains we've made for trans youth and in the process strike down the progress made for trans adults. They want to take away our health care.

I've written on this topic. I don't believe those pushing against the trans community are going to ultimately win. They will lose as more people understand that trans rights are human rights. You don't have to love us. You don't have to hang out with us. However, you do have to respect our right to be.

I don't like that we have to gather like this to mourn the losses we've had in the last year, but it's very important. We need to realize that we aren't where we need to be yet in society. When there's a movement against us, we must speak out and make our voices loud and clear.

Another indication of where we are occurred prior the Trans Day Of Remembrance gathering closest to where I live. I was pretty sure I knew the location, but they were vague in their advertisement of it on social media. They didn't name the location, and this is out of concern for potential violence. They wanted to make sure I or anybody interested in attending wasn't going to be a problem.

I don't believe anything is going to happen (it didn't), but I understand the concern. They wanted to know a little bit more about me before they would even give me the location. I do a lot of things online, but within the community here, I haven't done enough. Other than being on TV at Trans March for a news report, my voice hasn't been as loud as I'd like it to be.

Once I told them a little bit about myself, I got the location. I feel I need to be there for this one to speak for those who can't be there. When I light my candle, before names are named, I think of Gwen Araujo, who's story resonated with me as I came out.

We will gather this evening and remember those we lost this year with love in our hearts. We will use our voices to speak their names out loud, because they can't. Even though this event happens this year, we strive for the day when people aren't murdered for being transgender. One day, we will get there.

Trans Rights Will Ultimately Be Protected

Trans Rights Will Ultimately Be Protected

There's always an ebb and flow when change comes. When we were starting to make real progress in the trans community in the last decade, I knew there would be blowback. There were certain things people were questioning. People on the right were afraid. The very fabric of society was being threatened, according to them.

I am a realist, and I also don't mind honest questions being asked when it comes to transgender topics. We shouldn't be afraid to ask questions about our own movement. Are we going about things the right way? What can we do to make things a little bit easier for the ones who will be coming out behind us? What can we do to calm the fears people have about transgender people?

Fear is a very important topic, because with fear comes violence. As I write this, Trans Day of Remembrance is just about here once again. I intend to go and remember those who we have lost in the last year. They have a gathering not far from where I live on November 20th.

Ultimately, my belief is that trans rights are going to win. Just as gay and lesbian rights have been accepted as human rights, so too will trans rights be accepted. The struggles of those who have come out before this generation will make a difference for those in this generation and beyond. We must also encourage our allies, stay vigilant and stand up for our rights.

I'm proud of my transgender sisters and brothers who have made good lives for themselves. People don't always come out when they're young. Sometimes it's a process that sees them coming out later in life, but their transition is no less valid. It's important that people in general see trans women and men as any other person with hopes and dreams, just trying to live their best lives.

What has been said in the last decade is very true. The ones who come out as trans now will make some big impacts in society for years to come. These are the ones that weren't kicked out of their parent's homes for being who they are, but instead they were loved and protected by their families.

That's as it should be, when you think about it. It's so silly for a parent to think that a transgender or gay child is somehow an insult to them. Their children are who they were born to be, plain and simple. When a trans child gets loved and nurtured, they have a better opportunity to go on to do good things.

I like the idea of parents saying, "I love you, but you're going to follow my rules. You're going to do your homework and be home by dark, and I will be here for you." The same sort of thing any other child would hear from loving parents.

Trans children being encouraged to be who they are and being encouraged to get an education are important. I think about children who come out and go through the puberty they identify with, and it makes me smile. I didn't get that growing up, and I wish I had.

This generation will get better education and thusly have a better chance to be in a position to make a big difference in the world. They may make important discoveries that make other people's lives that much better.

It's also true that transgender people are getting into more influential positions in the world. They're getting elected to office on local and state levels and shaping politics. I'm very proud of Zooey Zephyr, the State Representative of Montana, not to mention her fiancé Erin Reed, who writes important articles about the transgender struggle.

Zooey knows firsthand how the right is so afraid of transgender people that they are trying to pass laws to eradicate them. She stood up, face to face with Montana lawmakers at the risk of persecution, but she also knew she was standing up on the right side of history. She is certainly one of the leaders of the trans community these days.

The right wants to scapegoat the transgender community for all the problems in the world today, but people are beginning to see right through them. Ultimately, they will fail, and people are going to understand one simple truth. Trans rights are human rights. You don't have to love transgender people to respect their rights. That's all that's being asked.

People Fear What They Don't Understand

People Fear What They Don't Understand

The transgender community is under attack, mostly from people on the right. I think It's unfair to say that people on the left don't come out against the LGBT community either. Case in point, California is a left leaning state. The first attempt at passing gay marriage, at a time when Barack Obama was president, failed in California. 

The left isn't always so compassionate towards the LGBT community either. This has been pointed out recently in articles I've seen posted. They talk about Joe Biden's administration being trans friendly to a point but falling short in certain areas. The fact is, trans rights have nothing to do with political parties. It's just the right to be.

There is no doubt that people on the right are scapegoating the trans community. Basically, they're pinning the blame on us for all the ills of society. The fact is, many in the trans community are under employed, under housed and definitely struggling just to get by. That's not even counting the violence committed against us.

When I speak up on our rights, it's just a simple right to be. I don't ask anybody to love the trans community if they don't understand us and are uncomfortable. I say that we may only appear in each other's realities once in a while. Just show the basic respect, because if you're near me, you won't be near me for long before we go our separate ways. Give me a fair chance to prove what I can do, and don't discriminate against me because I'm trans.

Right now, there are so many states fighting to take trans healthcare away from the youth. However, this is cleverly disguised to take trans healthcare from everybody. They don't want you transitioning. They don't care about your comfort in your own body. They want to tell you that you have no right to be yourself.

It's a weird flex, in my opinion. Of all the things that the right could be working on politically, discriminating and basically eradicating the transgender community is a goal of theirs. Why? Did they get it from their Bible? I'm trying to find the passage where God said judge people for Him. 

The Christian God is not a God of hate. However, God and Jesus are used to hate. This turns people off from the message, when the message is God loves us all. God tells us to love Him above all else and love our fellow man. Leave the judging to God when we pass on from this world to whatever's awaiting us in the next one.

I think part of what's going on in this anti-trans movement is people fear what they don't understand. A cisgender male or woman is happy in their body. There's no discomfort about their gender. Maybe about an aspect of the way they look, but not their gender. Some may not like the term cisgender, but it merely means that they're happy in their own body. We do tend to label in society as a way to understand things, but some people take offense to cisgender. Some people need to get over it, because that's what it is.

They are comfortable in their own bodies. They're not doubting their gender identity and they're not doubting who they are sexually attracted to. Gender identity and sexuality are two completely different things. Just because one is trans doesn't automatically dictate who they'd be sexually attracted to. I know some cisgender people are confused by that. The majority in the world are cisgender and heterosexual, but they don't make up the entire population of the world.

You'll get comments like it takes straight couples to populate the world, but the reality is people in the trans community can have children as well. They do it all the time. It's fair to say that some people in the cisgender community don't understand, and that brings fear. They feel like the transgender community is trying to take over the world or something, but many of us are just trying to pay our bills and make sure we have a roof over our heads.

Now, we have people who fear us and don't understand. They are trying to take away our health care rights and basically attempting to eradicate us from existence. How do we fix this? Education. The people far enough on the right are going to be the last ones to come to any sort of agreement, but it's not impossible to reach them. The people in the center who get educated on transgender people are more apt to want to live and let live.

Ultimately, there are many things that threaten this world. We're having a debate on the climate. We're having a debate on economics and people being able to pay the bills with the money they earn from their jobs. Wars are being fought in the world. There are so many things that we should be worried about, but fighting over the right for a transgender person to exist is not one of them. People fear what they don't understand, but through education, that fear goes away.

Call Me By My Name If Pronouns Are Tough

Call Me By My Name If Pronouns Are Tough

I know people are caught up in the whole pronoun thing. Before we started getting into the whole notion of putting your pronouns in your bios, I was encountering people who would be stubborn and would intentionally misgender me.

A good rule of thumb, at least as far as I'm concerned, is if I'm presenting to you as female, she and her will do. I don't need you to look at me and say, "you weren't born a female and so therefore I take it upon myself to tell you that you're male." I don't need that.

I feel a great deal of anxiety where I'm at. I had to return to a former work site to get back to California. I didn't really want to do it. I wanted to retire, but my skills help the place. The problem is I built my reputation in my previous life, as it were. They knew me as the guy. I also know that I have a lot of love out here from people, and I love them back.

Basically, there are a lot of people who accept me as I am. My name is Candice now, and I prefer female pronouns. The women are really good about this, and many of the men. Those who misgender me generally aren't doing it out of negativity. They just remember me for all those years as somebody else. It becomes hard for them to wrap their minds around it.

Now, I know some of the trans community would say these guys need to learn. I get it. I don't like beating people over the head about this, but I also don't want to keep dealing with it. Some of these people not only go with the male pronouns, they also call me by my old name.

Honestly, I didn't want to come back to this job, but I deal with the reality that many in the trans community deal with. You've got under employment as a concern. You might not get a job, so the fact that I've got a situation that keeps a roof over my head and keeps me in the game, so to speak, is important. I have to tolerate it.

If I had my druthers, I wouldn't be in this line of work, at least not here. I'd be out as myself somewhere else where they didn't know the old me. That way there's no question about what my name is. I might have to deal with pronoun issues, but if you call me by my name, there's no problem here. I'm okay with you calling me by my name.

I go to church. I had an amazing friend getting me back in connection with Jesus. I say that not to tell anybody what to believe. This is what works for me. What works for you may be something different. I know one of the concerns people have about religion is the judgmental attitude. People start thinking they've got the answers, and they're going to judge for God.

In my church, they only know me as Candice. So it's very easy to say hello to Candice. By logic, me wearing dresses to church and makeup and presenting as female, you would think that the pronouns she and her would come with it. However, there are still a few people who go the other way with it.

When we have that moment where the pastor tells us to make acquaintance with our fellow churchgoers, we go around shaking hands. A couple of the people might have called me Candice, but I ended up getting a sir out of them as well. That's painful to me, and it almost took me out of church last week. 

I know at church you might expect worse than this, but this is as bad as I've seen so far. At the hint that they're judging me for being trans, I'm done. I don't need church to have a relationship with God. I go there to be with others who are praising Jesus. That's why I go. But my mind was taken out of it after the greeting part.

At the beginning of the services, the ladies get up there and sing, and we're encouraged to sing along. I like to sing and move to the music. I like to feel. At the moment we were done greeting each other, my mood shifted downward. I thought about whether I should stick around or just leave right then. I've had a few moments like this.

Just a few weeks ago, I was helping one of the churchgoers when somebody else tried to get my attention. This ended up with somebody threatening to beat my ass after calling me a weirdo. They even tried to accuse me of flipping them off when I merely looked back at them in church and said, "God bless you." Whatever.

I get something out of going to church, and that's why I go. So, I stood there as they were singing, saying a silent prayer to God to just give me the strength to stay there and pull through what had bothered me. A lot of my trans sisters would have just walked away at that point, and I can't say I'd blame them for that.

It's not that hard to honor somebody when you know their pronouns. Really, if somebody's presenting as female, she and her should not be an ordeal. You shouldn't look at them and judge whether they are passable or not. It should be how they are presenting. That's my opinion of the matter. Or, just call me by my name. It's that simple. 

If you have an issue with my pronouns and you know my name is Candice, don't use pronouns. Call me by my name. When you're not using my preferred pronouns, you're telling me who I am in your mind. You're judging me, and it's really not nice to do that. 

I know some people will read this column and call me woke, and I really don't care. Woke is a cop out. I know very well what the difference between being awake and woke is, but that's not the point. 

Respecting people for who they are isn't something that is woke. It's just common decency. Respecting pronouns is not you pushing an agenda, but somebody refusing to do so is hurtful. 

These days we deal with those trying to invalidate and eradicate the trans community because they disagree with our existance. It's much worse than woke. It can quickly take us down the path of genocide if we aren't careful. But, that's a whole other different column.