I am a mature transgender woman. I have been trans since I was four and possibly before that but my memory of birth through age three is a little hazy. After decades of struggling first to deny and later \\\"cure\\\" my \\\"problem\\\", at age 57 I reached a point of self acceptance in my life. Shortly thereafter I began my journey of transition. Over the years I have written a blog along with opinion, political, and history articles, some of which, to my great surprise, were actually published. I have two grown daughters, five grand-children, and a Bengal cat.
Emily Ott has been around and she knows that the next four years are going to bring many changes in the treatment of trans people by the federal government. We have been making progress toward ensuring all of our civil and human rights but the nature of the incoming administration has many concerned. Emily among them. What will the next four years bring? At this point no one knows but Emily has some ideas that she takes from history.
When you start living your life as your true-self and announce to everyone you know that you are trans and proud of it you will encounter several types of reactions among your family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. Emily O has come out and to help you identify the various types she has made a list of the ways people took her revelation. She has assigned them labels and lists them here so you can keep an eye out for them when you decide to come out.
Despite the fact that the United States of America was founded with the idea that religious freedom was important, so important that keeping church and state separate was written into the first amendment to the Constitution, many today find that their religious beliefs should void the rights of those they feel violate the tenets of their religion. What freedom of religion means is, you can practice or chose not to practice any religion but the government will not be influenced by any religion. But too many now feel that their religion is more important than the governments laws. Today Emily looks at religion and rights.
Emily Ott has been observing the Restroom Wars and she was moved to write down some of her thoughts. One of her observations was about a “Christian” group that promised to send its cisgender male members into the lady’s rooms at Target stores to “test” the trans restroom policy. Emily has a strong belief that doing that is not only unethical but creates a situation in which the “testers” are sinning to expose “sin.”
TGF member Emily Ott was questioned about “what drives these (specific) transgender people to want to drastically alter/damage their bodies?” Her response was so strong that she decided to become the newest Contributor to TGForum and offered her reply for publication. She calls her answer “Sehnsucht.” Is it another word for “dysphoria”? Give it a read and decide.
