LGBTQ Skittles

A lot of attention has been focused on the Transgender / Crossdressing world lately.   We are fortunate to have the support of the Gay and Lesbian community as we face the issues of descrimination and misrepresentation of our very nature.  But I know it gets confusing sometimes for everyone, and even on our site, some of the issues I am preparing to face as a transitioning person, do not always apply to our Crossdressing members.   Let's face it ladies, gentlemen, and non-gender binary, etc, etc, etc....we are the rainbow within the LGBTQ rainbow....and that's OK.

I recently have read several articles attempting to define or at least point out the wide range of gender and sexuality terms, and how important the correct pronouns can be for avoiding potential offense.  One article suggested wisely that we should perhaps open all introductions with a leading "what pronouns do you prefer?"  And while I appreciate the desire to be more sensitive to our almost individual need for gender or non-gender identification, I also feel like I'm a big enough girl to correct when I feel I need to and forgiving enough as a person to understand that my less than perfect female image can be a source of an occasional gender faux pas.

I also know that even my writing could be a potential source of offense for other members not on the same path or same inclination.  To my Crossdressing friends who have been so very helpful as I take these first steps, I say thank you, however you identify, for being so supportive and understanding when my words don't mirror your journey, I still consider you to be brothers and sisters or both or neither, but important to my core being nonetheless.

In any case we embody the last very little understood frontier of tolerance, and are here on this tiny web life raft together to celebrate, or hopefully only occasionally, hang on by the skillfully applied French tipped nails when things get a little rough along the road.  So the very last thing I would ever want to do with my size 11 pumps is use them to kick another looking for acceptance in this already cruel world.

Usually I try to keep my words very light, but I was shocked and disturbed to discover how many transgender people are killed every year just for being themselves. Honestly if we can't support each other and our own diversity in places like this without recognizing our snowflake like individuality in our life journey what's the point?

So if I have accidentally pulled your hair or stepped on your feet with my heels, I am sorry and I am happy to be your friend whether or not you struggle with an inner gender identity.   Pull on those designer or thrift store treasures that make you feel better in this world and know that you have friends here.

Maybe we should just call ourselves Skittles, knowing every flavor and color isn't our favorite but understanding we all have our place in the bag or bowl or hand or other non-container binary entity.