It is also most people do not know much about LGBT people and culture. When I was interning for True Colors I was at the local NBC outlet’s Health and Wellness Fair and when I was asked about the agency it said “We are a sexual minority youth and family service agency.” and I was giving a blank look back. I then said the we work with LGBT families, once again a blank look, and then I said “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender youth and family service agency, and then they understood what the agency does.
From that I leaned that we are in a bubble, we use LGBT all the time but many people have no idea what LGBT stands for.
Many people only see the drag queens photos in the news of Pride Parades and think that all trans people are like that. When being interviewed during the gender inclusive non-discrimination bill hearings we were interviewed by one of the local TV news outlets and we were trying to tell the reporter to check the AP Style Guide and GLAAD's Media Reference Guide, we finally got through to him and he used the correct pronouns.
If we want to win in November we have to educate the public.
They need to know that there are trans masculine trans people, they need to know that not all trans people are drag queens, and they need to know that for most of us this is not a “lifestyle.”
We need to speak in colleges, we need to speak at business associations like the Chamber of Commerce, and the Lions Club, and we need to work for political campaigns.
We have to be out there on the front lines being visible.
From that I leaned that we are in a bubble, we use LGBT all the time but many people have no idea what LGBT stands for.
Letter: Candidates don’t even know what transgender means?!This is typical of all politicians they have no clue in what they are talking about. I remember sitting in the hearing room when the gender inclusive non-discrimination bill was being heard and some of the comments made by legislators had us scratching our heads… what are they talking about?
Uinta County Herald
Editorial by Larissa Sneider
August 24, 2018
Upon reading “GOP candidates face off in Evanston,” in the Uinta County Herald, Aug. 17, I was very puzzled by one portion. One of the published debate topics read, “Regarding the rights of LGBTQ and a SOGI bill that would allow transgender males to use women’s restrooms, there were different attitudes.”
I contacted the author to see if this was paraphrased or quoted. She said she quoted the published debate points. I had to shake my head at adults debating incorrect information. Didn’t any of the candidates know that a transgender male is a human assigned the female gender marker at birth who has a male brain?
[…]
To all politicians: It is very easy to denigrate, shame, condemn and use name calling when you don’t wish to understand; but would rather use yours and others’ ignorance to divide the electorate? The human way to approach any subject is to learn and understand rather than make judgment based on ignorance and superstition. Educate yourself and you will be an asset to your constituents.
Many people only see the drag queens photos in the news of Pride Parades and think that all trans people are like that. When being interviewed during the gender inclusive non-discrimination bill hearings we were interviewed by one of the local TV news outlets and we were trying to tell the reporter to check the AP Style Guide and GLAAD's Media Reference Guide, we finally got through to him and he used the correct pronouns.
If we want to win in November we have to educate the public.
They need to know that there are trans masculine trans people, they need to know that not all trans people are drag queens, and they need to know that for most of us this is not a “lifestyle.”
We need to speak in colleges, we need to speak at business associations like the Chamber of Commerce, and the Lions Club, and we need to work for political campaigns.
We have to be out there on the front lines being visible.
I have had people come to me, after seeing me perform, telling me how much they enjoyed my singing (I know that I don't sound completely feminine when I sing), and that they were expecting, at first, to be seeing a drag act. I work hard to show an audience that I am being myself, and that my singing comes from my heart and soul; not really an act at all. I so much enjoy being visible these days, as I had always held such a large part of myself back when I used to perform as a man.
ReplyDeleteOne not need a stage to be visible, though. In my day job (most musicians need one), I am completely exposed to the public. I could do this job without many interactions at all, but I think people feel comfortable talking to me because they can see that I go about my life with confidence. I've always said that I'm not a very good advocate for trans people, but I do try to be the best ambassador that I can be.