...and I couldn't do a thing about it

[Guest Daphne21]

So about two weeks ago or so something, I suppose you could say... coincidental, happened.

I was in chemistry class. It was nearing the end of the school year so I wasn't really paying attention all to well. Anyway, we were learining about these things called isomers. If you've had a lesson on these things you may know where I'm going with this. Sooner or later we got to the subject of what I believe were geometric isomers. These things come in two different configurations. There's cis and trans configuration. I thought this was kind of ironic for me to see something like this but then it got even more ironic than that. Now, my teacher had a brilliant and ever so clever way to remember the difference. "Trans are like transvestites in that they're different." Class, "Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha." Me, " ."

But wait, it gets better. One kid is kind enough to ask, "What exactly is a transvestite anyway?" The teacher's answer, "Well, if you go to the womanless beauty review," which is pretty much a cross-dressing beauty pageant held at our school every year for whatever reason, "you'll see plenty of them. Or you could watch Jerry Springer." Me, "Are... you... serious?" I would've been only slightly offended by her little way of remembering them but the way she "explained" what a transvestite is was really going too far. Not to mention the use of the term transvestite in the first place.

Which leads me to my point and the reason for this specific title. I wanted to say something but couldn't. I'm not even able to defend myself in this kind of a situation because people would treat me like nothing from then on. It just really annoys me. Perhaps I could have said something but that would've been taking a big risk.

Anyway, perhaps you'd like to share your own storys of when you wanted to defend yourself but couldn't. In any case hope you found this post interesting in some way.

[Guest otter-girl]

I did chemistry and when I first saw cis and trans here I was instantantly reminded of optical isomers lol. Anyway, since comming out to my partner I've never been exposed to so much transsexual inuendo in my surrounding circle. Not from my partner but from people who don't know. It's like their psychic or something or the universe likes cruel jokes. It's really . ... er its very annoying. I'm seeing how trans seems to be the cis humor scapegoat nowadays. Either that or there's a lot of suppressed gender people needing to vent. I might just pull my sock of and show em my metallic purple nail pollish.

Hugs Rachel.

Ps. Outtakes from this post. I asked my SO how many P's were in suppressed and was told 3 but the last one was suppressed. Oh and 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary.

Edited May 20, 2012 by otter-girl
Using symbols to represent a non allowed word is also not all owed per T & C

[Guest avamae]

Haha oh lawdy, I would've flipped, I can not stand when people are that ignorant and have to use others peoples lives as a joke. This makes me completely infuriated. This teacher should be fired for not promoting a "healthy" environment. This comparison is sick and wrong, and if I were you I would've brought this up with the principal, or a higher authority over her. People irk me sometimes.

[Guest chngnwnd]

It gets better. I lost count of how often I bit my tongue before I was out. Now that I am full time and openly trans - if someone says something that is offensive about our community, I politely inform them of the offense, why it is offensive, and what they should say instead - if anything.

When you get to this point, you will feel a lot better. In the meantime, chin up. The problem is thiers, not yours.

Bobbi

[Guest Jal Marie]

Sure is an interesting world when ignorance rules society. So my story of wanting to defending myself but couldn't? Lets see, ah never! It goes against my nature to remain quiet.