What do you think the odds are of me, as a post op transgender person, being fully accepted, embraced, and being safe from harm:
if I after living in the Muslin Middle East (as a Shiite Muslim) for years with official and unofficial relationships with the Islamic Republic of Iran and some of its citizens, decide to return to the United States?:
Would I be able to wear my abaya and hijab without fear of harm?
Would I be accepted as a part of the LGBT community in America?
Do you think I would experience official or unofficial resistance?
No one can truly answer that but I would think that the location in the states you decide to move to could have better outcome on being accepted if you locate to a more liberal area.
There is bigotry everywhere in the world some places worse than others and there are some locations in the states that more accepting than others. But I hate to say there is no where that anyone can say it that is completely safe.
Violence can happen to anyone anywhere its not just to Transgendered or LGBTQ community.
Do your research on the areas and make the best decision you can, be aware of your surroundings and what may be happening around you. these are precautions that everyone should be taking regardless
Take care of yourself
I am not an expert at all, on this, but In my experience, the LGBTQI community here where I live is very liberal and political progressive. You might be OK with wearing a hijab, but I have my doubts that wearing an abaya would be looked at very positive.
But again, this is my personal impression I have of the local community.
Would I be able to wear my abaya and hijab without fear of harm?
We are pretty used to people not appearing in western dress so I don't think you will be harmed or disrespected. People might be a little stand off until they get to know you because they may not be sure how to relate to you. The more western you appear, the less of an issue this should be.
Would I be accepted as a part of the LGBT community in America?
I don't see why you would have issues with the community or the community would have issues with you. People in this country tend to judge people by their character and not by their background. Just be outgoing and friendly and you shouldn't have problems with others.
Do you think I would experience official or unofficial resistance?
It's always possible you could end up with an individual who behaves badly but for the most part, government workers should serve the people and not bring personal view points to work. If you have problems with a government person, report them. Government workers come in contact with many people and it's not good if for example a TSA worker treats people they come into contact badly.
In the USA, we are a mixed culture. I for example have a heritage of multiple countries spread throughout my family. In my day to day life I may encounter people who came from several different countries. This is common throughout the USA. You may have heard things about groups like the KKK but they are very much in hiding and confined to a very small portion of the country. The rest of us take to heart the words of Martin Luther King - "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Where I work we are very diverse. We attract patients from the middle east and their families for treatments. We have patients from Iran and all across the middle east. We have a prayer room and serve Halal food in the cafeteria.
There are religious woman at work that wear traditional clothing.
One of the African American trans woman in group wore a hijab when she first came out thinking it was safer in her community than expressing in western woman clothing. She later wore western woman's clothing.
There are areas in Philadelphia where it is not safe regardless of religion or ethnicity and there are areas where it is safe, much like many large cities.
I see people all the time wearing hijabs and abaya without issues. Just so that you know they are in the lower income area of town specifically while wearing the abaya.The only abayas that I see people wear are solid black and not the super cute ones.
Hijabs are all over the place.
I live in a Southern California neighborhood colloquially known as "Little Gaza". We have several mosques and Islamic schools and businesses. The neighborhood is very diverse. We have a Korean church, a Catholic Church that does services in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Samoan and Tonganese. My mechanic is Lebanese. We have Kabob houses and Hooka joints, Chinese food, Thai food, Mexican food. Everyone gets along, no one here ever has any problems.
I've been living openly for two years and never had a problem.
I have unlocked the thread and removed a post and modified another.
I remind people to follow correct channels if they have an issue and not to 'self-moderate'.
Cindy
Forum Administrator.