Anyone here ever watch the TV series Hero's?  In the 4th season Claire is desperately trying to find her place in the world where she can live in the open and be herself.  She is tired of feeling like a freak of nature and hiding who she is.  She is tired of hiding and lying to the people closest to her.

I too feel like a freak of nature.  I too would like to be myself and not have to hide who I am.  I too would like to see a world where people can accept differences in others.  Lastly, I too am tired of hiding and lying to those closest to me.

I am a bigender freak, Moonrise. I accept that and life goes on. But our wants won't kill us and we decide what we are willing tolerate. Like Dorothy and her ruby red slippers, you have the power to go home.

Virginia, you apparently haven't yet learned something important about people: Everybody's a "freak". Most people just hide it well-- often even from themselves. Every person has individual distinctions that would seem "freaky" to someone. ->-bleeped-<- happens to just be one of those distinctions that can be more visible than others. But I think a lot of people admire publicly transgendered people for having the courage to show their uniqueness to the world.

Unfortunately, most people in our culture like to live in the fantasy that there are only two genders and only two valid gender identities. They often reject us cruelly because we remind them that this concept is wrong. Maybe their the "freaks".

Actually? I'm thinking I know people pretty well. And I suspect we look at things very differently. We should probably agree to disagree before this gets into a good old fashioned pig-sticking competition.

I may have missed something but I'm thinking this thread was specifically addressing gender wrt the status quo. I can convince myself, sugar coat it, find all the excuses in the world, point the blame at someone or something else, even try to divert attention from the facts. Admired or despised, visible or invisible, unfortunate or not, courageous or desperate for self justification, "most people in our culture like to live in the fantasy that there are only two genders and only two valid gender identities." That makes me a freak- not them. The only person I can change is myself. And my first reaction is to look inward for the source of my misfortune rather than pointing fingers at the world around me.

Thanks Virginia.  I have been having a hard time recently, feeling like a freak.  I agree with Lyric that the world is a messed up place but you see my problem.... it is me that the world sees as a freak.  I am the minority and not understood.  I have to struggle to find my place in this world; my 'home' as you say.  Like the TV series I have been watching, Claire tries to find others who understand her without divulging the truth about herself.  You are right, I somehow have to change myself as the world around me will not change for me.

My dear sweet Moonrise, you are in my thoughts & prayers.

Sincerely,
Virginia

Well, I think what Claire hadn't yet learned to do is what some of us also have a problem with: seeing who we are as a value and not a deficient, so to speak. While you might not be able to rescue people from burning buildings, I think even ->-bleeped-<- can actually give you "powers" normal people don't possess. Just being able to view life from two gender perspectives can be advantageous in some situations. The point here is self esteem. There's no reason we shouldn't have as much as anybody else just because our uniqueness is may visible than that of most people's. But bringing out one's uniqueness always requires courage and creativity.

Thank you Lyric.

So you have seen Hero's?  The two gender perspective sure is enlightening, but most people find it threatening.  I don't know the answer to my struggle for acceptance, wish I did.  I identified with Claire's quest, it made me sad, for myself. 

Very well said, Lyric!

Thanks. BTW, I watched every episode of Heroes in first run-- right up until NBC zapped it from the schedule without giving them a chance to wrap up all the loose ends. Perhaps my favorite transgender parallel in a TV series was Season 5 of Buffy, which I think was the best. One of the many great details of that season was the Glory/Ben element. It wasn't about acceptance, but individual internal struggle.

Lyric