Op-ed: How Leslie Feinberg Saved My Life
A trans writer expresses gratitude for the work of the late activist and author of Transgender Warriors.
BY Rebecca Juro
November 19 2014 4:00 AM ET
http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/11/19/op-ed-how-leslie-feinberg-saved-my-lifeIn early 1997 I tried to take my own life by driving a van into the side of a bridge. I instinctively saved myself at the last moment, and in the process of doing so I came to realize that I didn't really want to die, but I also had no idea of how to begin living the life I wanted. I began seeking answers in earnest, and the first thing I found that spoke to me as a trans person was Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman.
Truthfully, I had no idea what I was looking at when I picked up that neon green and orange book from the gay and lesbian shelf at Barnes and Noble less than two hours after I'd attempted to end my own life. I just knew that a word I'd only ever seen online and on the covers of porno magazines, transgender, was on the cover, and that in some way I was about to discover, this book was about people like me.
The minutes of my lunch hour were ticking away as I all but ran to the checkout area of the store and paid for my newfound treasure. I went back to my car and began reading as I ate my lunch. With just 10 minutes to get back to work, I carefully replaced the book in the bag and hid it under my seat.
For the next couple of weeks, each day at lunchtime I'd buy my lunch from a local deli and then go back to my car and sit in the parking lot as I ate and read. Transgender Warriors brought me back from the brink of suicide as I came to understand that not only was there a vibrant community of people like me out there, but also a long history of transgender expression and identity.
