Marriage equality or bust?
T-Notes
by Robbi Cohn | April 2, 2011
http://goqnotes.com/10617/marriage-equality-or-bust/I don't expect this to be the most popular column I've ever written. In fact, this will probably be deemed contentious and recalcitrant. I know how important the issue of marriage equality is to many within the gay and lesbian communities. You may have wondered why some of your trans friends are turning their collective backs regarding this issue. It's not that we don't support the general agenda of equal rights. We do. And, it isn't that spousal equality doesn't affect trans individuals. It does.
The rationale underlying my lack of interest and support for marriage equality must be seen through the eyes of proportion. Last month I wrote about the results of the mammoth trans survey which has plainly demonstrated that opportunities and quality of life for trans persons indicate "injustice at every turn." For a significant portion of the trans population, life has become a matter of survival. For a majority of trans identified individuals, life is substantially burdensome. And, too many trans persons are marginalized, vilified, ostracized and, in some cases, murdered.
