APRIL 11, 2011 10:43AM
Anti-transgender violence: when does it end?
Tommi Avicolli Mecca

http://open.salon.com/blog/avimecca/2011/04/11/anti-transgender_violence_when_does_it_end

I still remember how scary it was to be gender non conforming 40 years ago.

Not only in school where, as a sissy, I sometimes suffered the insults and blows of classmates who today might be seen as caricatures of South Philly toughs, but also after coming out and deciding to let my hair down and my inner drag queen out of the closet.

Walking the streets of Philly in the early 70s in drag, I had to be constantly aware of who was on all sides of me and what they were doing. Groups of kids hanging out on a corner up ahead, better cross the street or turn around and go another way.