Okay, I am just starting this thread, because some people seem to think that not enough is being done to advance transgender rights in our society, or that we're being overshadowed by others. I am a firm believer that if you think something needs to be fixed, you can't rely on anyone else to fix it for you, it's up to you to take a step in the right direction. I also believe collaboration is a great way of getting things done as well. :)
I think a good way to help others know how they can go about changing things in their community is to talk with others who have gone before them. I know people on this board have made an impact in their community on trans issues, so please post your story. What was the issue? What did you do to get things fixed (or at least made an attempt)? Who did you work with? Etc. Being an activist in the trans community isn't just limited to people who start activist groups, it can be people who do blogs/vlogs, volunteer somewhere, talk to people, make pamphlets, and so on. Alternatively, if someone here knows of an issue they'd like to change, but don't know how, post the issue and maybe people here can give you suggestions.
This should be a constructive thread, not a place to air grievances, place blame, or make broad statements about certain groups.
Here's things that I do, or plan on doing to help trans people:
While I am not very active in the trans* community currently, I do plan on doing some pro bono work for LGBTQI individuals or groups after I finish law school and pass the bar exams. I think using skills that you have for causes you care about is a good way to help your community.
I believe that educating people about trans people and issues in general can make an impact. When I encounter someone who seems ignorant on trans issues, I speak to them in a calm, clear, reasonable manner--getting overly emotional won't help IMO--it can help change the other person's mind, even if it's just a wee bit. For example, one of my co-workers was basically calling transsexuals freaks during a conversation over lunch one day. The next day (after she calmed down and I got over my initial shock of such hateful words coming out of a normally sweet lady) I explained to her what transgender really meant and everything about it, I remained calm and it turns out I was really persuasive and she completely changed her mind. I see that as a small victory. :) Now, when she's out with her friends, she has the mindset and ability to educate them, and so on. (Of course, there are people who closed their minds and are unable to be persuaded)
While volunteering for another issue I feel strongly about (legal aid), I was also able to indirectly help a local legal aid group that specializes in helping people in the LGBT community. I volunteered for a few hours a week on making the Economic Benefit Fact sheet which we submitted to the state legislature, asking them for more money to support legal aid. Luckily, the legislature actually granted our request and gave us more funds. Those funds were used to support legal aid groups in the state, including the one for LGBTs.
My work is really tiny compared to some of our other people here on Susans's, so it'd be great to here from you guys and girls.
Currently I'm not involved in any activism, as I don't really want to out myself unless I have to. But in the past I have led workshops on campus. Particularly with groups who want to cater to trans people but didn't know exactly how (like the women's centre, queer group, etc).
good question, how should I answer it?
I don't do too much activism for the moment because of diffrent reasons (busy and got anxiousy) but I done in the past and I do want to continue on it.
I belive activism is important but I also belive its important each person see there own life to what they can do and can't do. theres alot of things which makes things better for trans people even with small efford. speaking to someone at susan who need someone to talk to is also an efford who makes a diffrence. thats how I see it.
so in my comunety its sure up to each person if they want to do activism or not and what they want to. We are a small group and people usunally do what they are best at or if you ask someone they may be able to recomend someone ells.
Ex theres artistic people who do alot of scene shows, theres people who knows alot about the goverment and rules, theres people discussion politic, doing festivals, education schools and so on. so if I or someone I talk to has a problem ex with the goverment I say;
"okay lets ask ___ :) who may help" I prefern not to go into it myself if I dont want or have the knowlegde for it so its good to to have diffrent people with diffrent talents and knowlegde.
I see myself as a middle-man, im not really specialist for anything and I dont work for anyone in paticular, I just know many people and organizations, and I join diffrent parts if I think its important. I think the most transfolks I talked to are more or less like that.
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I think many things have made a diffrence the basic is being there for someone who needs it, I have a few close friends who I been there for and there very thankfull to have someone there, I also had someone myself when I where younger who could help me guide me on the right dirrection to be where I am now.
just listen and be there for someone who do not have anyone ells to talk to is important I think,
I also think it important you are pretty mentally healthy when you do it so you dont forget yourself over others.
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hmm.. well. should I share a story?
I dont have 1 in paticular but in general what been most impressing is when I see many people work together on something and it succed. alot of people who do activism is very unlike so usunally theres many diffrent opinions and dramas, But I like those times where diffrent people just meet together for something everyone agree to suport and it make such a huge impact that it actually makes a changing, theres been a few caises like that, also with the diffrent countrys suporting each other, and typically it just a few people starting and then other joining, you cant do it all alone 2 people but if alot of people join then it can become something big.
I started a trans group in my city because I couldn't find any. Unfortunately, I took it down due to lack of interest.
I tried being part of the Pride committee, but left after one of their members attacked the trans group.
I'm a little torn on the idea of trans awareness
Okay don't get me wrong here, I'd LOVE for all of us to have equal rights, and for us to have things covered by insurance, adoption rights, etc. That would be awesome. BUT what I don't want is everybody to know a lot about transgender people. If someone knows about trans people they can notice us more easily as trans. If lots of people know about top surgery, guys can't get double incision and go on the beach without basically outing themselves. If someone knows more about trans people, they might notice little things- the little things we get anxious about and get told nobody notices, well, if people really KNOW about transgender people, they WILL notice these things. They might notice someone has too wide hips to be a cisguy. They might notice the way your feet point in a stall. They might notice how feminine some feature on your face is. Or they might notice the opposite things for the women.
Now I certainly like having some people in the world who know, but if it was widespread knowledge, I would be MUCH more anxious when I went out. Having trans rights will bring more education on transgender people in general, and that is an idea that I am NOT very comfortable with. In the current age, someone who knows enough about trans people to clock us is also very likely to be a safe person. But the more knowledgeable people are in general of trans people, the more likely it is someone who is NOT an ally will clock us. This seems very dangerous to me, especially for those who are not far into transition.
I'm sure people will disagree with me, but I wanted to share my opinion.
We should somehow get schools to talk about being transgenders and intersexed people in sex education classes, Instead of telling kids that a penis makes a man and vice versa
I have heard it said that acceptance of gay people really began as friends and family members began to come out to others in droves. Once people realized their loved ones and others around them were gay, it became harder and harder to make homophobic comments or have homophobic opinions.
Trans acceptance may require more and more people who are willing to be open.
That does *not* mean that people who are stealth are 'hurting the cause,' just that people willing to be out lets others know we exist and creates an opportunity to educate, allowing people to have personal context.
We are wrapped up in our transitions and identities, but most people have no idea whatsoever what it means to be trans. Shamefully, I know I first thought of transsexuals as men who cross dress as women. I still held this opinion up until I met a trans person.
People think we're crazy and make us into jokes. Hiding ourselves does nothing to resolve this.
I know this, yet I don't want to be defined by being trans - coming out does that. You become that trans person people talk about. Why does this happen? Because it is so novel and new to people. The only way to change the shock factor is to normalize it.
Normalization will make things better for trans people.
Quote from: CursedFireDean on September 12, 2013, 03:54:23 PM
I'm a little torn on the idea of trans awareness
Okay don't get me wrong here, I'd LOVE for all of us to have equal rights, and for us to have things covered by insurance, adoption rights, etc. That would be awesome. BUT what I don't want is everybody to know a lot about transgender people. If someone knows about trans people they can notice us more easily as trans. If lots of people know about top surgery, guys can't get double incision and go on the beach without basically outing themselves. If someone knows more about trans people, they might notice little things- the little things we get anxious about and get told nobody notices, well, if people really KNOW about transgender people, they WILL notice these things. They might notice someone has too wide hips to be a cisguy. They might notice the way your feet point in a stall. They might notice how feminine some feature on your face is. Or they might notice the opposite things for the women.
Now I certainly like having some people in the world who know, but if it was widespread knowledge, I would be MUCH more anxious when I went out. Having trans rights will bring more education on transgender people in general, and that is an idea that I am NOT very comfortable with. In the current age, someone who knows enough about trans people to clock us is also very likely to be a safe person. But the more knowledgeable people are in general of trans people, the more likely it is someone who is NOT an ally will clock us. This seems very dangerous to me, especially for those who are not far into transition.
I'm sure people will disagree with me, but I wanted to share my opinion.
I see your point but I see it opposite.
yes theres always ignorant people no matter where you go, but to me making awareness only make it safer than unsafe. usunally violance and discriminations are build of ignorance, fear unknowlegde about something diffrent.
trying to turn it around how dose it look when people do not know about us?
*medical threatment are getting harder cause nobody knows anything about it,
*discrimination or even violance may go without punishment or the wrong punishment because (again) people do not have the right knowlegde to deal with it in a correct way.
* its getting harder to change things in your area, political things from the right to change your name, have children or be registered as your gender, because nobody knows you exist so how do they know about rules holding you back?
just to put up some exemples I have experienced because people did not know anything about transgenders, that I where transgender or that transgenders existed.
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Quote from: Brandon on September 12, 2013, 03:57:36 PM
We should somehow get schools to talk about being transgenders and intersexed people in sex education classes, Instead of telling kids that a penis makes a man and vice versa
This will genrally be covered in a biology senior year. The problem also arises that parents would rather not have their children exposed to such information seeming most of the world cant even accept gay people and to many cis people we are like gays gone wrong :/ but hey maybe one day.
@CursedFireDean I know that is a concern among transguys, but educating people doesn't necessarily mean you're handing out photos and saying "this is what top surgery results look like". Education can be more of explaining how it feels like to be trans, to show people that we're not just a bunch of crazy, confused homosexuals. Of course, some people might get curious and go on-line to look at photos, but I think the majority of people don't care enough to go on-line to see photos. People could do it now if they're curious.
I think what can change things for the trans community is explaining how it feels to be trans, and how traditional laws and policies affect us negatively, not what we look like under our clothes. Otherwise, if people don't know, we can't expect a cis-person to even realize that certain laws or policies are harming us.
Quote from: LilDevilOfPrada on September 12, 2013, 04:41:35 PM
This will genrally be covered in a biology senior year. The problem also arises that parents would rather not have their children exposed to such information seeming most of the world cant even accept gay people and to many cis people we are like gays gone wrong :/ but hey maybe one day.
I never covered the difference in school. It should be covered, but at a much earlier age than senior year. By then, ideas are already stuck in people's heads.
Quote from: LearnedHand on September 12, 2013, 05:01:00 PM
@CursedFireDean I know that is a concern among transguys, but educating people doesn't necessarily mean you're handing out photos and saying "this is what top surgery results look like". Education can be more of explaining how it feels like to be trans, to show people that we're not just a bunch of crazy, confused homosexuals. Of course, some people might get curious and go on-line to look at photos, but I think the majority of people don't care enough to go on-line to see photos. People could do it now if they're curious.
I think what can change things for the trans community is explaining how it feels to be trans, and how traditional laws and policies affect us negatively, not what we look like under our clothes. Otherwise, if people don't know, we can't expect a cis-person to even realize that certain laws or policies are harming us.
I never covered the difference in school. It should be covered, but at a much earlier age than senior year. By then, ideas are already stuck in people's heads.
Good point!
Quote from: LilDevilOfPrada on September 12, 2013, 04:41:35 PM
This will genrally be covered in a biology senior year. The problem also arises that parents would rather not have their children exposed to such information seeming most of the world cant even accept gay people and to many cis people we are like gays gone wrong :/ but hey maybe one day.
well in my country it actually happents, since theres voluntery for the glbt who go to schools to help educate kids, + some organization who been having some course in glbt educations. I want to be apart of the theam but haven't done anything so far.
once i'm out of high school, i intend to live stealth, but that wasn't an option for me when i started transitioning, so i decided to make the best of it. my freshman year of high school i was on a panel of around 7 or 8 students from our school's gsa where we educated the school's faculty and answered any questions they had. they anonymously wrote their questions on index cards before the start of the meeting. the panel was mostly on how to help lgbt students, but i'd say roughly 60% focused on transgender related issues and terminology. it was honestly a great experience and many teachers gave extremely positive reviews.
my sophomore year, a friend and i led a meeting at our gsa that was strictly about transgender issues and though it wasn't mandatory for faculty to come, we had a handful of teachers show up and they found it helpful as well. even small meetings like that one can help raise awareness, but not enough awareness that we'd have to worry about the things previously mentioned on the thread, such as people recognizing top surgery scars and such.
kindergarden would be a good place to start. not educating the children, but treating them equally. boys tend to get more attention, and girls are often kept away from "boy" activities. the adults even let children decide how to group themselves, and sexism really starts already that early. they don't worry too much about whether someone is cis or not, i'm sure kids in kindergarden could accept anyone as whatever gender if they were simply told that this child is X or Y.
in school it would be good to educate children on gender. one thing is how sex isn't something truly binary with all the interesting variations it can come up with. and another thing is that you can actually be whatever you want to be. no need to talk specifically about trans issues to young children. but giving boys an opportunity to wear dresses and play that they're a princess and lets girls be knights and princes would make it more natural to have a non-conforming gender expression. they'd learn less sexism and cissexism if teacher told a boy that it's a wonderful idea to want to be a princess instead of saying that boys don't wear skirts. most of the kids will only do it as role play anyway, so it's not like the teacher would be pushing anyone in the "wrong" direction the way too many ignorant parents think.
as an older kid i knew that it's possible to change one's sex. but nobody talked about it, so neither did i. school is a good place to talk about these things more seriously. no need to go in detail, but talk more about the experiences that trans people have. sexuality should also be talked more about in school to lessen homophobia. no need to talk about the graphic details here either.
talking about something without bias makes it less dangerous. if a teacher talks about something as if it were the most natural thing ever, i do believe that the kids would learn something useful. how great wouldn't it be if the children who grow up now learned that a man is a man if he says he's one. even if he might have been a girl the year before. last year isn't now, today is the reality we have to face.
What I would love to see is more changes in society's view of gender, period. Think about how "gay" was thought of years ago. How being gay was shunned, taboo, etc. Granted, there's still little segments of the population who haven't joined us in the 21st century where gay is now considered normal by the majority of people (even if they don't approve of it personally, they don't think you've got a mental disease if you happen to be gay).
I think American society has actually taken a step backward when it comes to children and gender. I'm not sure but today there just seems to be a really black and white viewpoint of gender. I have a friend who has a 7 year old boy and that boy asked for a Barbie, so she bought it for him without question. Her reasoning, "that's what he wanted to play with". Simple. Well the poor kid has already been made fun of by other boys because of it. Where did those other boys learn that? From their parents, where else? In fact some of those parents said to my friend, "Why would you ever want to buy your boy a toy for girls? Aren't you worried?" So that gender crap is alive and well in America and until that starts to change, people are going to have a hard time with openly trans people (no matter what their age) or anyone who doesn't fit. Because everyone has had it drilled into them that it's "wrong" to like something designated for the opposite gender ... that anyone who does should be made fun of or ridiculed ... that if you're male or female you should only act or dress a certain way and only like things associated with your gender. So how can those people properly deal with someone who looks like one gender but says they're the other? Or someone in between or who doesn't want to conform to gender "norms"?
The education should be that it is NORMAL. Being trans is normal. Being gender variant or queer is normal.
Quote from: Taka on September 13, 2013, 04:12:23 AM
kindergarden would be a good place to start. not educating the children, but treating them equally. boys tend to get more attention, and girls are often kept away from "boy" activities. the adults even let children decide how to group themselves, and sexism really starts already that early. they don't worry too much about whether someone is cis or not, i'm sure kids in kindergarden could accept anyone as whatever gender if they were simply told that this child is X or Y.
in school it would be good to educate children on gender. one thing is how sex isn't something truly binary with all the interesting variations it can come up with. and another thing is that you can actually be whatever you want to be. no need to talk specifically about trans issues to young children. but giving boys an opportunity to wear dresses and play that they're a princess and lets girls be knights and princes would make it more natural to have a non-conforming gender expression. they'd learn less sexism and cissexism if teacher told a boy that it's a wonderful idea to want to be a princess instead of saying that boys don't wear skirts. most of the kids will only do it as role play anyway, so it's not like the teacher would be pushing anyone in the "wrong" direction the way too many ignorant parents think.
I'm loving this all as an idea, no sarcasm included, but I bet parents would be the biggest obstacle here. Especially on the "let's let boys dress up as princesses and girls as princes/knights" part, considering some parents get worried and whatnot if their child dresses up as the opposite sex at home even when it's just a part of their play. Seems to be the case especially with boys (and it's usually the father who gets worried, like "is my son gay" or something like that).
Idk, just saying that from a Finn perspective because parents would be a huge opposition here. I mean, this is still the only Nordic country that doesn't allow gay marriage (not to talk about some laws concerning trans people that pretty much break human rights...).
Yeah, parents would be the obstacle, as can be seen here: https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,141686.msg1150451.html#msg1150451
But, I think if you word things correctly, and do not make things seem like "an assault on traditional values" that it might slip under the radar a bit. You also don't need to make a specific lesson geared towards it, but do something more subtle through your day-to-day interactions with the young students.
Quote from: broken. on September 18, 2013, 07:23:00 AM
I don't really know. Part of me thinks being trans would be even less socially acceptable once society stopped treating femininity as lesser and the genders become equal, because people wouldn't be limited in expressing themselves by their sex anymore.
But that sounds like a good outcome to me... for there to stop being trans people because everyone can be exactly who they want to be, personality-wise or sexually or physically.
I think a lot of trans hate is built on misogyny. The hatred of trans women is MUCH worse and that is based on the hate, imo, that men can't be women. They are more or less gender outlaws. The hatred of trans men that appears from time to time is based on the feeling that women (who are lesser) can't be men (who are greater). Sometimes they think transmen are "pretending" to be men. If you read hate posts on the net (don't) a lot of the stuff goes into how black and white gender is. "there are two genders", "if you are XX you're a girl and if you are XY you are a boy. period." and so on.
Of course some radical feminist hate trans people. And I think it's maybe not misogyny, though it COULD be, but the feeling that women (and only women born that way) have a unique thing going on which trans women aren't privy to. Trans men are people who don't really understand that they are just butch. They hate transmen more because we are the gender outlaws (Hey wait I don't think this!!!) Anyway, that's my reading of it anyway.
Some of society has no patience with outlaws.
--Jay
Hi guys. I haven't done a lot when it comes to intentional activism. But I've taught a lot of people in my town that transexuals are normal people too.
A kid I'm friends with made "->-bleeped-<-" jokes in the beginning of the year. Now he knows me and would never because transsexuals are not lesser.
A girl I know didn't want to hang out with me because I am a transsexual. then she got a chance to actually hang out with me and realized i was normal. Now we are decent friends.
As president of my high schools GSA I got to inform staff and students about LGBT people. my specialty is statistics.
I've changed many girls minds about what makes a man (by seducing them with my epic charm)
My old high school now has policies to accommodate transexual students, as I was the first out transexual.
Quote from: spacerace on September 12, 2013, 04:03:08 PM
I have heard it said that acceptance of gay people really began as friends and family members began to come out to others in droves. Once people realized their loved ones and others around them were gay, it became harder and harder to make homophobic comments or have homophobic opinions.
Trans acceptance may require more and more people who are willing to be open.
That does *not* mean that people who are stealth are 'hurting the cause,' just that people willing to be out lets others know we exist and creates an opportunity to educate, allowing people to have personal context.
We are wrapped up in our transitions and identities, but most people have no idea whatsoever what it means to be trans. Shamefully, I know I first thought of transsexuals as men who cross dress as women. I still held this opinion up until I met a trans person.
People think we're crazy and make us into jokes. Hiding ourselves does nothing to resolve this.
I know this, yet I don't want to be defined by being trans - coming out does that. You become that trans person people talk about. Why does this happen? Because it is so novel and new to people. The only way to change the shock factor is to normalize it.
Normalization will make things better for trans people.
I think this is right on and believe that "making things better.." will definitely require more of us to be out and open about who we are. It really is harder to be hateful and ignorant when being trans includes someone we love or admire. I also agree that, of course, this will not be the path some choose to take. We come to this with different strengths and needs. Some may be better able to financially donate and there is real value to contributors and postings at sites like this. Many times more people read than post here. Several trans people in our rural community were recently featured in our local magazine HipFish. The article was written by a trans woman and published by an out lesbian owner/editor. Still we had some trepidation about what would happen. A couple weeks later all i have received is support. Fear is crippling and can be mastered one step at a time. Education is so needed and i readily admit how little i knew about myself and trans issues before coming out. How much is there to learn about YOU and what can we gain from your experience? There is not just one trans story that fits all and the more we know the more people can relate to us.
Quote from: Tossu-sama on September 18, 2013, 03:15:53 AM
I'm loving this all as an idea, no sarcasm included, but I bet parents would be the biggest obstacle here. Especially on the "let's let boys dress up as princesses and girls as princes/knights" part, considering some parents get worried and whatnot if their child dresses up as the opposite sex at home even when it's just a part of their play. Seems to be the case especially with boys (and it's usually the father who gets worried, like "is my son gay" or something like that).
Idk, just saying that from a Finn perspective because parents would be a huge opposition here. I mean, this is still the only Nordic country that doesn't allow gay marriage (not to talk about some laws concerning trans people that pretty much break human rights...).
if teachers and child psychologists agree that it's not harmful for boys to play with girl toys, just like girls never were harmed by playing with boy toys, i think you could get quite a number of parents with you on an equality project. like letting kids have fun instead of denying them the right to just be kids and curious about the world.
if you want the norwegian perspective, there have been cases where parents or teachers figured that it's really unfair for the kids to only let one dress as lucia on that festival, so in some classes or kindergardens, even boys could be lucia. we don't celebrate any male saints the same ways, so all kids should have an equal opportunity to be a star for one day/night.
Quote from: LearnedHand on September 18, 2013, 06:59:07 AM
But, I think if you word things correctly, and do not make things seem like "an assault on traditional values" that it might slip under the radar a bit. You also don't need to make a specific lesson geared towards it, but do something more subtle through your day-to-day interactions with the young students.
i'm also thinking subtle is better. it's about how adults help the kids play in a good manner, what kinds of ideas they give the kids, how they speak about certain subjects. gender equality is supposed to be the new big thing in western societies, would be nice if teachers lived up to it by not saying things like "boys can't" or "girls should". it should only be about "those who want to". and another thing is sexual education or biology, where it's possible to teach youths about intersex, transgender, sexuality and other things that are a part of the real world (people who believe there are only two sexes truly live in a fantasy world). it's possible to do that in a neutral manner where nothing is bashed or glorified. teachers should educate children, not lie to them because of their own prejudice.
I'm not the most typical people of any gender, but I think that knowing a trans person can really help people. For one thing you don't quite know who might actually be trans themselves. So that you might be helping someone you don't even know that you're helping by being yourself. Another thing is that social attitudes are affected by people knowing people of a certain group. Decline in hatred of gay people has a lot to do with people knowing gay people. I think the same goes for us.
Oh yeah I agree there are other kinds of hatred of trans people that isn't based on misogyny. There is fear of the unknown for instance. Changing something like this is taking something that in some generations is sort of not allowed to be questioned (by society) and questioning it. That's a threatening concept!
--Jay