I Wouldn’t Say Pioneers

I would not say these are trans pioneers but rather prominent leaders in the trans community, some of them are in their teens and twentys.

13 Transgender Pioneers Reflect On The State Of Queer Politics Today
“The work isn’t done until it’s done.”
Huffington Post
By JamesMichael Nichols  Queer Voices Deputy Editor,
August 14, 2016

Over the past ten months, Huffington Post Queer Voices has presented in an ongoing project called “Voices of Liberation.” Throughout the course of this enterprise, we spoke with 13 significant and historic transgender and gender non-conforming individuals to share their stories and discuss their continuous struggles to achieve liberation for all marginalized people.

In a time when conversations surrounding transgender identity are taking shape at an increasing rate in mainstream culture, the images and stories of trans people being broadcast to the public often don’t reflect the nuances of the vast spectrum of trans experiences.

As a result, HuffPost felt that a platform was needed to elevate the voices that don’t receive television or media attention and discuss their stories, work and the future of the movement.

From teenage transgender icon Jazz Jennings to adult film star and educator Buck Angel to Stonewall Rioter and legend Miss Major, these 13 people have all played their part in shaping the foundation that led to what TIME magazine declared in 2014 to be the mainstream “Transgender Tipping Point.” As we move forward as queer, trans and gender-nonconforming people into an increasingly hostile political climate, we’ve gathered the thoughts of these 13 individuals together in one place to reflect on the current state of queer politics and life, and how we should go about engaging in the fight for the liberation of all marginalized groups of people as our movement continues to evolve.

And who did they ask?

CeCe McDonald, Kate Bornstein, Laura Jane Grace, Buck Angel, Calpernia Addams, Ts Madison, Amos Mac, Caroline Cossey, Andrea James, Miss Majors and Jazz Jennings, I am not saying that they are not activists but what I am saying is that a number of them are not “pioneers” or “played their part in shaping the foundation “ some of them are in their twenties or thirties and one is still in her teens.

I am old but I wouldn’t call myself a pioneer because I just came on in 2000. While Kate Bornstein, Miss Majors, Buck Angel, Calpernia Addams, Caroline Cossey, and Andrea James are the ones that I call pioneers. Also I would call people like Monica Roberts, Phyllis Frye, Monica Helms, Vanessa Edward Foster, Jessica Xavier, Dallas Denny, and many, many others paved the way for us.

But I would also like to comment on “The State Of Queer Politics Today” I think it all depends upon where you live, it can be heaven or hell. If you are lucky enough to live in a Blue State you will probably have protections in place for LGBT people but if you live in a Red State it could be hell for you.

We have made great gains on the federal level but that was all by presidential executive order or by regulations or in the courts and we had a number of high placements of trans people by presidential appointments, but they can all be wiped away by the next  election.

A lot will hinge on the elections because not only are we electing a president we are also electing the justices to the Supreme Court, we are electing the next Attorney General of the United States, and the heads of the Department of Education because these all will be appointed by the next president.