My Own Little LGBTQI2-S Solidarity Plea

I identify with what is called ‘true transsexualism or women born transsexual’. Just for the sake of labels – this is the only terminology that I can identify with personally. My history of gender-identification and behavior has always been fairly neutral and androgynous – basically a natural reaction to not knowing who I was – hiding in a confused place.

It has been through studying and reading on what transsexualism is that I can make some ‘definition’ of my gender persona. My transition began in 2003 very suddenly. It was a dramatic event in my life that struck me like nothing ever has before.

If I am in a conversation, and someone referred to me as transgender, I wouldn’t be saying, “Stop the train, I need to clarify this.” On the web, I use the terms true transsexual and born transsexual, because I feel that is the best way to quickly let someone know where I’m coming from with regard to my subconscious gender – who I really am. That’s the whole point – I want people to know me, I am not trying to make a grand political statement.

The gender identification of women born transsexual and the vast transgender umberella group are in conflict on the web. This is unfortunate because far too often, what happens in these dialogues is the truth is sacrificed for the sake of egos. I think that constructive dialogue has to start from a place of respect.

My plea to the trans community has always been for coming together and to have understanding and solidarity as a goal for all LGBTQI2-S people. I hope that both camps in the trans community and all subgroups in the LGBTQI2-S fold, will eventually find a place to meet in respect for one another. This is the example we should be setting for the greater community and for future generations.

It reminds me of this line from The Pretenders “Waste Not, Want Not” – “The life you take is your political voice.” I’m proud of who I am as a person, and I live with the choices I have made. If someone insults me, I just walk away. I don’t want to engage in destructive trans-identity political arguments.

I learned as a child that to try to make someone else look bad only makes you look bad yourself. I have lived by this, and I have seen it is true. Maybe I’m just not a politician, and slinging mud is not in my nature – when I see or hear someone trying to knock somebody else down, I immediately take the side of the underdog. Why? Maybe because it just doesn’t seem right. I don’t care what anybody said beforehand. I care what I see and what I hear. The truth will always come out. There have been plenty of bad people over the ages, but they all fall, all of them, eventually.