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    • #408635

      If you aren’t aware of this, please Google and make your own mind up about what Gender Awareness means to you!!

      …and post your thoughts.

      Love Laura

    • #408672
      Anonymous

      Hi Laura, great question. I think it’s fabulous that these communities have a awareness week, and it beautiful that those who have suffered abuse and violence are remembered. Also sadly  a chance to remember those that have passed away and those that have died through violence afflicted upon them. So too the many who have for various reasons have ended their own lives. My only negative as a CD is the association as a community at events, that the perception to public that we are trying  to change of us is undermined, as a vast majority of CDs are straight, have wives, children etc. But that message seems to be lost if you march under a community banner. No offence to anyone  in any community intended, as our message that many of us are not gay, but simply enjoy being feminine seems to be damaged and derailed by the conflicting appearance through association by the public, who attitudes are they must be all gay. The very perception we are desperately trying to change of us.

       

      • #408675
        Anonymous

        ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️wow!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

      • #408711

        Thank you, Amanda – brilliant points!

        The whole point of awareness is to promote exactly this type of understanding.

        I’ve seen too many comments along the lines of “We’re aware of you, and have been for decades, so stop preaching political correctness”

        This says to me that people are not engaging, or understanding that it’s one rainbow spectrum on which all human beings exist – it’s not them LGBTQ+ people vs us straight guys – it’s all us people.

        Love Laura

         

    • #408734

      This week is always a difficult time for me as I have lost a couple of good friends and several acquaintances to violence against Trans and Gay people.  The violence isn’t always exclusively directed at them from another person or persons, but it also comes from themselves.  The area I live in is not nearly as big as Dallas, Houston or Los Angeles, but we have the same problems within our community.

      Depression because of abandonment by loved ones and friends once our secret is out, physical and sexual assault were all fairly common here back in the 70’s and 80’s.  No one was actually murdered here for our lifestyle or sexuality, but there were a large number of attempted and successful suicide.  That was the biggest cause of loss to us here in the Texas panhandle.

      Several of us have ‘stuck it out’ though and stood our ground, even when events got the better of us.  I experienced physical assault on two occasions, and was sexually assaulted twice also.  These were separated by a few years between each incident, enough to have begun to let my guard down and be careless.  Both of my closest sisters here were both also ‘bashed’ pretty hard on different occasions.

      It is a good thing that we have observances like this one, the problem is getting the younger girls, and the rest of the LGBTQ+ community to be aware of what is here for them.  If you were to ask most of our sisters last year at the club what week it was, most would have no clue, even with the posters and flyers up in the area and with the gender counselors.

      The options for counseling have also improved immeasurably since the late 90’s, along with the sponsored group meetings, and we even have a working agreement with one of the local cab companies for rescue rides if a girl needs to get home and has no ride (which often happens, it seems).

      Sunday in Amarillo will be sad again this year though, as we remember the girls that are not with us any longer.  I do think we are doing better, not just locally, but also nationally to make things better for the girls just starting out to find who they are and grow in their lives.  Hopefully the change will continue every year, though most of us know that we will never be 100% accepted, but all the ‘normies’ have started to realize that we are here, we are part of ‘their’ society, and we are staying.

      PaulaF

      • #408746
        Anonymous

        Paula sweetie, really sorry to read of your losses . It’s been a struggle everywhere for acceptance, hopefully one day that struggle will be no more. Take care sweetie. Xx

      • #408839

        Paula, that is such a moving testimony – would you mind if I shared the text (to keep it anonymous) with a trans friend of mine?

        She would be very likely to share it, hence I would kindly ask your permission – in case someone shared your own words back to you!

        Love Laura

        • #408924

          Laura, I find no reason at all for you to not share my reply.  I think it would be cool as I  have never had many shared outside the different forum groups I have belonged to.  If it can be used to help someone decide to find a counselor or support group, then I have done some good with my response.

          Please do hon.

          PaulaF

    • #408750
      Anonymous

      Hi Laura

      I knew that once you girls started to contribute to this post it would become very emotional….and for me it has already..

      I just want to say that something needs to be done NOW and QUICKLY if a poor soul can be beaten or even killed for wearing the garb of the opposite sex……for goodness sake it’s 2020….

      grace x

      • #408840

        Hi Grace

        Yes indeed – awareness is a big issue for us, as we are the demographic most likely to hide – and if we’re hiding, we must be guilty of something, right? Most of us have felt guilty about it, or still feel guilty where there is no need for guilt.

        We can’t help it, when we see such a lot of awful attitudes and assumptions about us as people which could not be further from the truth.

        Awareness starts right here – if we can’t understand ourselves, how we gonna help others understand us?

        Love Laura

    • #410518
      Anonymous

      It seems to be expanding all the time. Which I think is great! Also a little difficult to keep up with? LGBTQ is now LGBTQIA+ (…already!?)

      Anyway, I still feel I am somewhat unassociated as all the identities almost exclusively mean you have a need to adopt those values they represent and stand for.. It’s difficult, I was happy being a ‘genderbender’ (which I think is ‘offensive’ now…?!) then ‘universal’ which has since been absorbed by the ‘bi’ bracket. Anyway in the second decade of a new Millennia, we need more options and variations as clearly the man/woman option belongs firmly (and rightly so) 2 centuries ago.

      I guess I consider myself asexual now, which is pretty encompassing, but does fit in terms of not necessarily participating in sexual activities but open to appreciation of both sexes.

      Thanks!

      • #410522

        Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s why the rainbow motif was adopted – gender and sexuality are as varied as human fingerprints!

        Love Laura

        • #410526
          Anonymous

          Yes! Exactly. 🙂

    • #410534

      Thank you Laura, googling gender awareness led me to this interview with a Halifax artist.

      https://globalnews.ca/news/7467317/trans-awareness-week-margot-durling-chosen-family-art-piece/

       

       

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