Autumnal Change

September arrived quietly during a heatwave here in southeast Pennsylvania. Ninety degree heat and ninety percent humidity. A good ol’ fashioned Philly summer. In a few weeks, we will pass the Equinox, and be headed toward the cold of winter.

I hate winter.

I’ve written in my column previously about autumn, and how it is a season of Dying. Leaves wither and fall. Grass browns. Temperatures cool.

I hate September.

My long time readers know why. September hasn’t been very kind to me. I have lost so much in previous Septembers. Add to that, my birthday is in September. (I’ll be 49.)

Autumn is a time of constant change. And so this season seems to be a time of change for the Transgender community. After all, what a summer it’s been. Caitlyn Jenner exploded onto the scene with magazine covers and a reality series that I still haven’t watched. The national discussion seemed to be tipping our way, just a bit. Hell, Vanity Fair even put out a special Transgender issue (which doesn’t feature any TG writers, but…). People did a special issue on Caitlyn Jenner’s transition. All was peachy.

And then…

Many of us ignored the signs. Huckabee called us a “social experiment.” Bathroom bills quietly resurfaced. Suddenly, GOP lawmakers were calling for us to drop our pants for inspection before going to the restroom. As my friend Kara Tucker said “GOP now stands for the “Genital Obsession Party.” She’s spot on.

Then, news came from Missouri that 200 students walked out of school to protest a TG girl changing in their locker room. And did the haters ever come out to play! Yes, I read the comments — they remind me of how far we have to go. Here — let me share a few.

“I am sick of this chit – when he cuts off his penis THEN he can call himself a girl and use the ladies room – other than that get your swanging balls away from my underage daughter… I’d curse his parents out so stink – why should my child’s rights be chitted on cause your kid is raised delusional…”

“He is a BOY. No amount of makeup or clothes or cutting off or sewing on of body parts will change your biological DNA. Dressing up like a policeman or the queen of england or whatever does not mean I am a policeman or the queen. This is a mental illness, a brain dysfunction. Don’t give in to the bullying by trans folk. Women are not comfortable with men in our facilities and should not give in. Your rights end where mine begin.”

“he reason the LGBT movement has gotten as far as it has, David, is because of the enabling support of the press (and Hollywood.) Without them creating this smoke screen, you would not have anyone stupid enough to publicly insist that this boy is a girl simply because he wants to be one.”

And folks… these are the NICE ones.

So here we are. It’s 2015. The leading contender for the GOP presidential nomination is a loudmouth guy who was born rich (as Will Rogers said “He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple”) who hates everyone not like him: hates women, bullies the press… and the GOP voters love him for it. This is the level of Hate we are facing. And some TG people actually ENDORSE this behavior with their votes! (I wrote about this before: I call them “Quislings.”)

Dear readers, this IS a season of Change. But only WE can determine if it is change for the better or for the worse. We know who the enemy is: we hear them every day. We read their comments. We endure their taunts. We DIE at their hands.

And what are we prepared to do about it? Seriously.

I’ve written about this before as well. Unless we want to try an armed insurrection (and give the haters a reason to kill us, like they need one) we must go a different route. Sylvia Rivera, a transwoman, started the Stonewall Riot*. Years later, Gays have won many rights. Now it’s our turn. We must get our stories out there. Educate. Agitate. Don’t go gently into that good night. If we won’t do it, sure as hell no one else will.

As the Grateful Dead sang “The Future’s here; we are it; we are on our own.”

Let’s make this a season of Positive change, so no other trans person has to endure the humiliation that that poor girl in Missouri has endured. Or so that maybe we can stop the bloody tide of trans murders.

It’s up to us.

(*Editor’s Note: Accounts vary on exactly who threw the first brick but the “queens” are believed to have been an important part of the rebellion.)

Tags: change, featured, opinion, Transgender

Category: Transgender Body & Soul, Transgender Opinion