Why is the sexual orientation of trans people often invisible?

http://www.thescavenger.net/glb/why-is-the-sexual-orientation-of-trans-people-often-invisible-37523.html

We all have a sexual orientation – trans and non-trans. It might have a label and it might not. But all too often, trans people's sexual orientation gets lost in the mix of 'LGBT', writes Matt Kailey.

10 October 2010

Trans survey-takers ran into a glitch recently when an otherwise inclusive organization posted an online survey targeted to LGBT people and dealing with discrimination, employment, violence, and other issues important to the community.

When some trans people chose the answer "Straight" under the sexual-orientation category, they received a polite message saying, in effect, that they could not complete the survey, because it was not for straight people.

Of course, the problem was immediately remedied after the first complaint, but some damage might have already been done.

So why is T included in with LGB?  After all LGB are all about sexual orientation.  I'm lesbian.  I'm gay.  I'm bisexual.  I like the same sex as me.  I like both.  How does the T fit in?

The LGB movement started because there is prejudice, discrimination, hatred out there that makes living as a L, G or B difficult.  And there are people out there who have killed someone for being gay or lesbian.  Civil rights were being denied.  People were being hurt.  People were being killed.  So something had to be done.  Thus the LGB movement.

No doubt, the T experiences far more prejudice, far more discrimination and far more hatred than the L, G or B.  After all, they broke the cardinal rule - DO NOT CROSS THE GENDER LINE!

But what about masculine lesbians?  And what about effeminate gays?  Typically they are labeled gay or lesbian because of their cross gender presentation.  And that labeling stirs up prejudice and hatred.  The same as what happens with the Ts.  And that's what so many LGBs miss.  And that's why the T belongs with LGB.  It's the tie that binds.

But the stigma attached to T is so negative and so twisted no one wants to be associated with it.  And they remain ignorant.  And we remain invisible.

In the spectrum of sexual orientation, on one end are the straights, in the middle the bisexuals and TGs, and on the other end gays and lesbians.  And then there's everything in between.  And that is missed a lot too.