Who should be held most accountable?

[Julie Marie]

One act is viewed as selfless (heroic, and Medal of Honor stuff) the other is viewed as selfish, doing it just for themselves.

Which is what I'm trying to point out. The TG is viewed as selfish even though she endured a lifetime of fighting on behalf of her family. Little is more intrinsic than gender. It's one of the basic building blocks of our personalities and our social structure. To live in the wrong gender can be hell.

But when the TG stops fighting, society is quick to criticize, ostracize and discriminate. The selfish label is one of the first applied even though just the opposite is true.

I read a non-fiction book about a family in Venice who was in the glass blowing business. The father was world renowned for his work. One son, the one with his father's talents, went out on his own after working in the family business for a couple of decades. His brother and other family members cut off all contact with him for leaving the family business.

When the author was finally able to interview the talented son, he told the author, "I went to my family and showed them a playing card. I tore the card in half and handed one half to them saying, 'The first half of my life I've given to you" then I took the other half and said, 'This half is mine'."

That's how I see my life and the lives of many TGs who have sacrificed their happiness for their family. But there comes a time when we should no longer be expected to do that. And that's the message we need to keep sending out there until people begin to realize what they are asking from us is far more than what they would do themselves.

Julie

[gennee]

I like the analogy you used, Julie. Basically the son 'left the plantation'. Many people erroneously label the person a traitor, or a sellout, or a disgrace to the family because they've have chosen another path. I think it's part of the reason that I myself am a loner. Many people believe that life is suppose to move in a linear direction. That certainly is NOT true. Hence, there's discrimination and bigotry because someone is different.

Gennee