Saturday, January 23, 2010

A Class Act of 'Family' Humor

I remember getting ready for the evening out last night, a long checklist of battle gear: Claw file, warpaint, bench grinder, a pound of 'grimaces' and two pounds of 'glares.' The spare claws were already in my purse.

But I never took them out.

The lady came out from stage right, with a huge ovation of applause as she walked to stage center. A huge vase of beautiful flowers were on a stool, but her appearance outshone their color. Mostly I remember clapping and yelling and smiling and nodding. Wow. What a performance of biting humor at our 'enemies.' What gracious words for those of the Community, what loving words for womyn.

Oh for certain the snicker of innuendo, definitely a bawdy tale here and there. But no mercy for the 'teabaggers,' and she wondered why George W. needs a protective helmet while riding a bicycle. She questioned the antics of 'David Jay O'Brian' (as I call the NBC Three), and she celebrated with all Roe vs. Wade. And she made a lot of fun at herself.

But she didn't say the word 'faggot.' She didn't say the word 'lezzie.' And she didn't say the word 'tranny.' Yet everyone laughed at what she said. She did use the word 'Community,' she did use the word 'Family,' and she was talking about us. Not that I expected her to use 'those' words, simply that too often others do.

I met this woman after the show, she is an unassuming person, she is just one of us. And she is a class act. I will hear her speak again in a week or so, as Mistress of Ceremonies to what will be a huge crowd of Community Leaders and Volunteers. I can hardly wait, I am certain she will inspire us in our work even more.

Kate Clinton is indeed, "Lady" HaHa.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

I’m Transgender: It is not a ‘pro-choice’ statement.

I was reading around the internet this morning, no specific destination when I came across a group discussion on transphobia. No, nothing unusual or new about that, simply that none of the participants identified as transgender. Yeah, “a friend of a friend is a transgendered lady” but didn't appear the person is transgender herself.

But what captured my attention was a statement alluding to that if a person that is transgender goes into a place or area that is ‘risky’ (whatever that means), they deserve to be discriminated against, they deserve to be hated, they deserve to be murdered.

Something is really wrong with that thought. Maybe I read that wrong.

All have heard my dissertations on being marginalized, discriminated against, called vile names. At least I hope so. The above statement tends to drag me back into that clueless thought that I chose to be transgender, that I pretend to be a girl, to choose a gender/anatomy mixup. But I didn’t.

 

Let me ask you this: Would anyone want to be called a whore, to be referred to as ‘psychologically diseased,’ to be refused entry to a bathroom, to be stared at everywhere one goes, to face discrimination simply for appearance, or raped and murdered simply for being oneself?

I hardly think being transgender is a choice.



It’ll be a cold day in hell, before this ‘T’ is silent.