I come from a highly conservative background where I “knew” according to that culture that transgender individuals were a threat to conservative values, to conservative faiths, and to conservative life as we know it in America.
From the first moment I arrived I encountered an incredibly kind world. The person I sat next to was a beautiful soul. The speakers gave speeches that gave words to experiences in my own life I was continuing to struggle with. I was present and it was okay to exist which is kind of a rarity in my recent life experiences as I have embraced my own individual perspectives and encountered bullying.
I wish that the conservative world I used to live in knew that a transgender human being is not evil, but that belief systems are the evil. Human culture as a whole continually lacks the experience of growing in human compassion and in teaching skills about coping with belief systems. I believe the threat is not transgender individuals or the belief that gender can be fluid but the belief that hatred is a valid coping mechanism for when someone does not fit your belief system’s expectations.
There is a giant lack in belief systems regarding educating people on how to process their fears. I believe the “threat” of transgenderism is that it is not convenient to a number of belief systems. It breaks molds and it causes people to ask questions and people respond to too many questions with intense fear.
One theme throughout the speakers was the mentioning of how sad it was to see a family or friend or themselves suffering in their identity and what a joy it was to see the light in themselves as they owned their authentic self. I completely and utterly fail to see the threat to anything positive in this beautiful perspective.
The people I met were not seeking attention or trying to start a confrontation as my prior world of stereotypes had informed me. They were just trying to survive in a remotely authentic manner. I believe that authenticity is another “threat” to may people. So many individuals are doing what they are Supposed To Do, whether it be fulfilling another family member or friend’s or subculture’s expectations of them, that when someone is going around doing things that do not live up to those expectations then that person who has been performing so hard feels like it is not fair that they have to perform and the LGBTQ person does not. The hatefulness is taken out on an LGBTQ person, but the source of the hate is towards all the belief systems that weigh the person down to where they do not feel like it is an option to be their authentic self.
I celebrate Trans Lives. Your life matters and the world is more beautiful because of you! People do not hate you as an individual – they are not capable of knowing you because they are trapped in belief systems that they are unable to navigate their way out of.
They are jealous of your light and your freedom and angry that they do not know how to obtain those qualities for themselves. I believe one day, perhaps soon, we will be able to navigate our fears better and come together in Love. We’ve got this!
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