Tags
discrimination, LGBT, non-op, post-op, pre-op, transgender, transition, transsexual
I haven’t posted in a while so this, obviously, is my first posting in 2013. Happy New Year!
I was just reading the Advocate, the online version of the LGBT new service, and was interested by the subject in the Op-ed: Are You Infected With The Discrimination Virus? It made me think about the subject of discrimination in relation to transsexuals.
Where the article talked about the different subsets of homosexuality I couldn’t help but think about our small community. There is a tendency for us, and I’m included, to judge others. We have post-ops, pre-ops, none-ops, and those who transition at different ages. There are those who’ve had the operation who feel superior to those who haven’t. There are younger transsexuals who feel those who transitioned later in life are less transsexual than they are.
I’m totally against the “I’m more transsexual than you are” attitude. Our community, if you want to call it that, is small and we really need to stick together. If we are part of the LGBT network we’re more the small ‘t’. If we should be included under the transgender umbrella – something I disagree with – we’re a small slice of that group so we’re minuscule when compared to the larger LGBT.
One thing about the article that I have to point out is it says that those who are better educated tend not to become infected with the D virus as it’s devoid of any complexity. One thing I’ve learned is education does help but no one is immune. I’m not the brightest light in the store but I’ve taken the time to learn about things. My attitudes on a number of subjects has changed in the last thirty years.
Oh, for the record I’m a post-op transsexual who transitioned late in life and I’m extremely happy that I have – finally! I’m all woman now but then I always was where it counts. I’m happy to chat with other women like me and talk about the issues that those like us have to go through. Drop me a line if you’d like.
Teresa
So right hunn. My attitudes have changed dramatically over the last 8yrs and while I wont say I am discrimination free or judgement free, I am certainly alot more tolerant to others these days.
But just yesterday, I removed myself from a FB page with 1056 member, mostly non TS, TG.
I was told I shouldnt use the word Tranny – I hadnt and had been using like others ‘the ‘T’ word’. While others may not like the the ‘T’ word, I and many down under do but in tolerance to others, I was respectful and censored myself.
I was told ‘Transsexual’ was an old, antiguated word, no long used.
I was told that my use of the word ‘Tolerate’ in saying we all should learn to tolerate the differances was ‘sexchange elitism’ and they wouldnt have it on their page.
They also used ‘Transgender’ as a noun and while they were happy to quote GLAAD’s definition of Transgender the were happy to over look the ‘adj’.
They didnt like my pointing this out to them.
As far as Im concerned these non transsexual, Transgender people were discriminatory and they were the elitest.