We need a hero

[Jester]

I think the transgender community needs a hero/champion/savior/messiah type.  Every other group of people gets one.  Every religion has one, the black community has several, the regular gay community has several.  Somebody with a powerful voice and equally strong convictions, whose willing to take all of the slings and arrows of the world in a very public way.  Somebody who commands confidence, who can rally those on their side to come out of hiding and stand behind this person.  I don't think we can win acceptance among the regular population, or even full acceptance amongst ourselves until somebody comes along who can take us along to our destination and our freedom.

Maybe there has been a transgendered hero, but I haven't heard of them.  Which would mean the media defeated them.  we need our hero to defeat the media, the religions, the right wing government institutions and anybody else who stands to silence us.

I'm not cut out to be that hero, but I am cut out to be their right hand person if anybody's willing to volunteer.

[Miniar]

The problem with heroes (or spokespersons) is that sometimes the speak on the behalf of everyone, even if most of the "everyone" disagrees with them.
I'd take the role if I had the energy and could guarantee I wouldn't say things that most trans-folk disagree with, but I can't.
I'd back anyone who could guarantee the same, but I doubt it's humanly possible.

[Sandy]

Ok, there have been many...

Christine Jorgensen
Wendy Carlos
Renee Richards
Lyn Conway
Chas Bono
Jamison Greene
Marci Bowers
Christine McGinn
Angie Zapata
Gwen Araujo
Larry King

And every other transperson who decides to live authentically and open.  Many, many more do these days.  The reason to live in stealth is receding and the reason to live in openness is growing.

That person can also be you.  In the end, it is not the leaders who make the greatest change, it is the grassroots.  For that is the only way things have ever changed. *

No single person can defeat the forces of oppression, it is the masses that do it collectively and with purpose.

-Sandy
* I'm paraphrasing because I cannot find the actual quote right now.

[Flan]

Ok, there have been many...
<snip>

forgot Kate Bornstein 

[FairyGirl]

All the people who work tirelessly against incredible resistance to achieve fairness in employment, and who say that to harm or kill anyone for being different should be considered a hate crime, those are our heroes. We actually do have many heroes, just not all of them are so visible.

[Julie Marie]

Politics is kinda tricky Min.  While no one can speak for everyone there are some things that happen but seem to affect few.  Then years down the road it becomes clear that it had a rippling effect which ended up in affecting a lot more people in a much better way.

In the movie "Milk", Harvey Milk is told he needed to do something that would affect the masses so he started campaigning to enact a law that would fine dog owners for not picking up their dog's poop.  Everyone whoever stepped in dog poop was behind him and he gained some political clout which he later used to help gays.

You have to have a lot of insight and a good grasp on the big picture.  Honestly, until I saw "Milk" I didn't totally grasp the importance of doing the little things.  I know I have a lot to learn but, hopefully, I will be given that opportunity soon.  I just offered to be a volunteer to a very influential LGBT group in Illinois.  We'll see how it goes...

Julie

[gennee]

To me, a hero does see the big picture. They also see the value in small deeds. All of you bring up some great points. Many heroes defied conventional wisdom and the things that were constantly agianst them. 

Gennee

[Jester]

I'm not gonna lie, I listen to a lot of power/epic/fantasy metal, and I was listening to a song called "Savior/The Abyss" when I had these thoughts.  A hero suffers the slings and arrows of the people in order to inspire the ones who can't face it, and who is widely known enough that people who have nothing to do with the movement they're involved in.  Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther (the protestant one, who fought against Catholic oppression.  Sidenote: protestant is a literal derivation of to protest), Socrates, Copernicus, Lenin (but not so much anybody else he associated with.)  I'm racking my brain, but I think that five's enough.  Yeah, the last two were martyred, but that's a risk that a hero needs to take.

....I just want somebody to help me through all of this.

[Sandy]

Yeah, the last two were martyred, but that's a risk that a hero needs to take.

....I just want somebody to help me through all of this.

Angie Zapata
Gwen Araujo
Larry King

These three were "martyred" and are heros.  And so many others...
http://www.gender.org/remember/about/core.html

We all help each other.

-Sandy

[The None Blonde]

And every other transperson who decides to live authentically and open.  Many, many more do these days.  The reason to live in stealth is receding and the reason to live in openness is growing.

Half of those people you list are not what the OP is asking for....a  Dr King.... not a  calpernia addams.... a VOICE.

As for 'living 'authentically' i find that offensive.... Please hold such views to yourself rather than a public forum where your words can directly insult other people.

[finewine]

The real "answer" is so utterly simple yet so apparently out of reach.  Specifically:

Don't be sh!tty to other people - treat others as you expect to be treated.

If everyone, everywhere, did just this one thing, nobody would need a political hero or spokesperson, etc..  What a shame it's such an unrealistic ideology.

[The None Blonde]

People look out for number one.... we're lovely like that...

[K8]

Sandy: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

NB: I think the expression to live authentically is, well, authentic.  I read it to mean to live as one is.  I see no insult in it and in fact see it as something to aspire to.  I want the freedom to live as I truly am, with my flaws and complexities.  I don't want to live as some pretend-person that society tries to script me into.  I've done that, thank you, and it wasn't all that wonderful.  To live authentically is to be comfortable in your own skin, to know who you are and to accept who you are.  I've always admired people who can do it.  JMHO

Not everyone can transition openly, but as more of us do it we open eyes and minds and hearts.  When you find out that the "normal" person you know down the street or at work or at church or in town is transsexual, you begin to realize that it is "normal".  That's where we are in the process.  There are still barriers to be broken, but the fact that "gender" and "gender identity" made it into the recently-passed hate crimes legislation is HUGE.

- Kate

[Sandy]

Sandy: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

NB: I think the expression to live authentically is, well, authentic.  I read it to mean to live as one is.  I see no insult in it and in fact see it as something to aspire to.  I want the freedom to live as I truly am, with my flaws and complexities.  I don't want to live as some pretend-person that society tries to script me into.  I've done that, thank you, and it wasn't all that wonderful.  To live authentically is to be comfortable in your own skin, to know who you are and to accept who you are.  I've always admired people who can do it.  JMHO

Not everyone can transition openly, but as more of us do it we open eyes and minds and hearts.  When you find out that the "normal" person you know down the street or at work or at church or in town is transsexual, you begin to realize that it is "normal".  That's where we are in the process.  There are still barriers to be broken, but the fact that "gender" and "gender identity" made it into the recently-passed hate crimes legislation is HUGE.

- Kate

Thank you Kate, I couldn't have said it any better.

And thanks for the quote reference, I was racking my brain trying to remember!

-Sandy
Post Merge: October 28, 2009, 06:05:10 AM

Half of those people you list are not what the OP is asking for....a  Dr King.... not a  calpernia addams.... a VOICE.

I didn't think I would have to describe their CV's but here you go, choose your VOICE:

Christine Jorgensen  - First widely known transsexual and claimed for the rest of her life that TS is not a fetish, blazing the trail for other transsexuals to follow and my personal hero.

Wendy Carlos - Film music composer, classically trained keyboardist, author of the best selling classical record of all time "Switched on Bach", pioneer in music synthesis with Bob Moog

Renee Richards - Doctor, first MTF to play in Wimbledon, author

Lyn Conway - Pioneer in computer science, helped develop the underlying architecture of the computer you are reading this post on.

Chas Bono - Famous FTM child of Sonny and Cher.  Has given voice, courage and image to FTM's everywhere

Jamison Greene - Author, spokesperson, advocate and participant in many transsexualism documentaries.

Marci Bowers - Accomplished OB/GYN and surgeon, continued the work of Dr Stanley Biber, considered the father of modern SRS surgery in Trinidad Colorado

Christine McGinn - Accomplished SRS surgeon and did her residency with Dr Bowers.

Additionally, Calpernia Addams because of her own personal tragedy as described in  "Soldiers Girl", is also very much a hero.

-Sandy


cnat spel

[Janet_Girl]

We all are heroes, in our own ways.  With every vote, every action.  We prove daily that we are just people, stealth or not.

Yes we can do more.  Each to their own abilities.  As Harvey Milk said "I am here to recruit you".  Get out the vote.  Collect signatures on petitions.


Janet

[The None Blonde]

Thans for artfully avoiding the fact you were personally insulting and rude to a large portion of trans people...  And they claim 'stealth people are hostile'... what a joke.

With out people like some.... who needs enemies?

[Miniar]

Stick to the issues. IF you have a problem with someone's post, then report it. Do Not discuss each other's character.

Stick to the issues!

[Jester]

Wow.... I wasn't expecting my random musings from a bus ride home to turn into such a bitterly divisive issue.  But here we are.  A tip of my hat is in order I think.

[finewine]

Wow.... I wasn't expecting my random musings from a bus ride home to turn into such a bitterly divisive issue.  But here we are.  A tip of my hat is in order I think.

Hehe - your round at the bar! 

[Silver]

Finding anyone at all worthy of being called a hero's already a challenge.