Crossdresser Heaven

Should Gays Be Allowed To Marry (and other interesting questions)

Surely people who oppose gay marriage are religious radicals. Those who think we should increase military spending are warmongering knuckleheads. And anyone who questions whether we should end our dependence on foreign oil either works for Exxon-Mobile or likes to shoot at their friends on weekend hunting trips.

The truth is actually a bit more complicated than that. It’s often easy to see those with a contrary point of view as bigoted, radical, self-serving or any number of unflattering adjectives. It’s a lot harder to consider that they have valid, rational, well thought out point of view.

You Decide, created by KQED has made it easy to see the other’s perspective and weigh opinions contrary to your own in a very approachable, non-threatening way. Every two weeks they’ll ask a new question that is controversial and give you an opportunity to learn why others have a different opinion.

Socrates said that “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I think “The unexamined opinion is not worth having.” Go to You Decide, answer a question. Make sure your opinion is worth having.

If you would like to see a future question about crossdressing or the transgendered experience on You Decide, email ednet@kqed.org. Let them know your thoughts, and ask them to include a question related to the transgendered in the future.

No More Transgender Discrimination

At least in Detroit, which recently banned discrimination on the basis of gender identity. This comes a few months after Michigan banned discrimination against the transgendered for all state employees.

As I was reading this, I began thinking about a recent podcast of the Talking Tranny Show. In this podcast Susan discussed the best way to end discrimination of the transgendered. Whether it was by first advancing laws to end discrimination, or by winning the hearts and minds of people. In the end she concluded that, while both are important, winning the hearts and minds of people is more important and where we should focus our efforts first. She says the best way to do that is to come out, be yourself, and give people the opportunity to know a transgendered soul personally, rather than through the lens of Jerry Springer.

Detroit’s recent ban on discrimination against transgendered seems to echo another trend - the love for others starts at home. Locally.

I think it will be a long time before we see federal laws enacted to protect the transgender community. Yet in spite of that, there is growing momentum at the local and state level to provide protection for basic human rights - for all it’s citizens.

I live in hope that love for one another will win over fear and hate. That as we show ourselves for who we are - normal, hardworking, caring people - others will judge us by the content of our character, not the color of our lip gloss.

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P.S. Don’t pick the wrong lip gloss color and look out of place. Take this makeup course so you can look like a true woman all the time!

Transgender Hope

It is darkest before the the dawn. Yesterday, what started out as an assault by two men on two transgendered woman, turned into a mob beating of them and their friend who had come to their aid.

Normally the story ends there. Police investigate another case of ‘living while transgendered’, and eventually move on. But on this day good men and woman stood up against the darkness. In silent vigil, 300 members of this community came out to show support with the transgender community.

Braving the ridicule of the community, they stood up for what is right. Believing in the dignity of all human beings. This gives me hope. Hope that even through intolerance and hate, love will shine like a beacon through the black pitch of night.

The author of this prose would be proud, at those who spoke up yesterday against injustice.

They came first for the Communists,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics,

and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,

and by that time no one was left to speak up.