I'll Be Too Busy Being Dead To Be Memorialized

I am still wondering where the "T" in Communi y is... Remember way back in time (and still now) the L&G Community was screaming for basic human rights, the idea of being respected, the idea that being homosexual was in fact normal, and in fact not 'a choice?' Do you remember two 'uppity' transwomen who said 'hey, don't mistreat my gay and lesbian friends' and gave them the first lessons in the fine art of 'bottle tossing?' And now as we Trans fight for the same basic ideals, we are shunted off to the background, told to quit being uppity and forget any idea of being respected. And be quiet.

Hmmmmm.

I remember walking down a hall the other day and while I had seen it time and time again, finally the incongruity of it all hit me smack in the face. Down one side of the wall was a large grouping of famous (and notorious) gay and lesbians all brightly smiled in articles of their contribution to the Movement. I thought, hey, where are the Trans people? So I turned around and saw the Trans. Fifteen or so pictures of murdered Trans people. Huh? So, should I derive from that the contribution to Movement by the Trans, is that of being pictured as a dead Trans? Yes, it is a memorial for Trans Remembrance Day four months ago, but where are the pictures of the one's living? Why isn't there pictures of people like Lynn Conway (who?) - the transwoman whose contribution to electronics inludes the premise why you can read this uppity blog post on a computer. Where is a picture of Kylar Broadus? And all of the famous trans people, male, female, genderqueer, etc? Me? The way I think of it is that I will be too busy being dead to be memorialized, so that is why I am speaking out now.

How about this: A member of the Community who insists on calling me, "He." Sorry, I'm female, I'm 'She.' How about the performer who insists that transgender people are 'psychologically diseased' (no, folks, I won't let that one go - Ya know, I even wrote the guy a nice email, wishing to talk to him pleasantly about it and he refused - never replied. Oh yeah, he is a friend of the most stalwart people of the movement today, who are running around yelling 'unity'). Huh? When I suggested that events avoid sounding 'gay' or otherwise exclusive of anyone in the Community, I was told that, no, gay means all. To that: "No, I am not gay." And a trans girlfriend is heterosexual. A friend who is a staunch supporter of the Movement is a cisgender 'straight.'

What is so wrong, is this damn call for 'unity in the community.' Something dear to my heart, something that I fight for in my advocacy for the inclusive LGBTIQA movemnt. Yet, this call for 'unity' and 'support' asks for the Trans dollar, Marriage Equality, Yes!. Repeal DOMA, yes! Maine, Yes!

Will you help me support ENDA: No.

(It's not) funny how one convieniently forgets to include the Gender Queer, the Intersex, etc, etc. And yes the Trans, you know, the ones who started it all forty years ago on a battlefield called Stonewall. Is it time to go back to 'bottle-tossing?'

The way I figure it, this "T" will become silent is when, well, she 'becomes silent.' And hopefully not in a gruesome manner. I don't want my picture on that wall.