My Story Part 93 – Teachable Moments

The article below reminded me of when I was in a check-out line at the grocery store about four or five years ago. A child of around 12 or 13 who said to his mother, “Look at that guy dressed as a woman”, that could have become a “Teachable Moment” but the mother didn’t step up and teach her son about diversity. Instead you laugh and made fun of me. What do you just teach your son?

There are many “teachable moments” in life and we can teach our children about diversity and how people are all different. I remember when I was younger than the boy, I was out in public with my mother and there was a black person there. I blurted out something like “look at his tan” and my mother sat down with me and told me about how people are all different, she made it a “teachable moment” for me. I don’t remember where or when this happened, but I remember the lesson that she taught me.

This article is about a lesbian who was in a public bathroom…

Dear Lady in the Women's Washroom
LOOSE END
XTRA
Ivan Coyote
September 22, 2011

I can only surmise from our recent interaction that I startled you in the women’s washroom at the mall today. I guess I don’t look much like what you seem to think a female washroom user should.

This is not the first time this has happened to me; in fact, this was not the first time this happened to me this week. Forgive me if I was not as patient with you as you seemed to feel I should have been, but I would like to point out that your high-pitched squeal startled me, and I needed to urinate very badly. Perhaps I was not as gracious as I could have been.
[…]
The next time this happens to you, I would like you to think twice before screaming. I would like you to imagine what it feels like to be me. Imagine being screeched at by a perfect stranger. Now imagine being screeched at when you really need to pee, or your tampon gave out 20 minutes ago. Sucks, doesn’t it?
[…]
I also would like you to know that trans and genderqueer people suffer from many more bladder infections, urinary tract issues and general pee–related health problems than the general population. I humbly ask you to consider why this might be the case.
[…]
See, when you scream at me without thinking in the women’s washroom, you are implicating yourself in a rigid, two-party gender system that tells others it is okay to discriminate against people like me. Even little children who are like me.

We have many “teachable moments” in life, it is up to us to take advantage of them and not let them pass us by.