Op Ed: Where is the LGB Community Now?

[Carolyn Marie]

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/taking-real-steps-to-protect-transgender-kids-a-bridge-to-far-for-the-lgb-community/politics/2013/08/25/73766

Carolyn Marie

[Guest -guest-]

I'm losing my will to fight.

This article and another I read this week have made me give serious thought to shutting down my transgender identity and just keeping it at bay for the rest of my life. I did it for six decades. It's not easy or particularly healthy, but I know myself to be strong and stoic enough to handle the dysphoria for whatever time I have left.

It's sobering to realize that, with so much knowledge regarding the transgender condition now available, there are still high profile and presumably intelligent individuals who deny its validity. I don't care about my own situation, but I do worry a great deal about young people coming up and having to face such willful ignorance.

When the very best argument I can muster against such a barrage of misinformation is "I exist" - and that isn't sufficient - continuing to try seems hopeless.

[VickySGV]

Interesting that this is by a USNA graduate. She was putting on her Butter Bars two weeks before my son began his Plebe Summer at the USNA. Maybe it biases me to agree with her. In this case, the more liberal sides have taken this as a passive right for children which in a better world it would be. It still may turn out that way, but I agree fully that we cannot let up now even seeing victory. Now is the best time to become involved in educating the middle grounders, the liberals remain bought, and the conservatives will never be, but we and all our communities do need us to be educators of the "ordinary" that transgender lives should be.

[Guest Sarah Faith]

This article echos everything I have been saying about how the LGB community at large couldn't care less about trans issues because it doesnt directly effect them. It's sad, and its sadly true.

Sarah

[Guest KimberlyF]

Many LGB think this law isn't good for them so why push?

[Guest Sarah Faith]

Many LGB think this law isn't good for them so why push?

Bingo, I have been pointing this out for months and I am always told that the LGB community are natural allies for the trans community. Yeah only when they need us to push something pro-LGB, when it comes to trans issues if it doesnt directly help them, they couldn't care less. This article frames that point nicely.

[Guest LauraJen]

This article echos everything I have been saying about how the LGB community at large couldn't care less about trans issues because it doesnt directly effect them. It's sad, and its sadly true.

Sarah

Could not agree more. I have attended LGBT events before and when I described myself to other people some didn't even know what the T stood for. I told them and still got blank looks.

[Guest LizMarie]

Anyone who is unaware of the rift between the LGB and T communities must be totally unaware of the Stonewall whitewashing that has been done over the last 40 years. Fortunately, before their deaths. key Stonewall persons did speak out and actually tell the world that without the T there would have been no LGB at Stonewall. I've known gays who were shocked at this revelation but after showing them actual articles verifying it, they came to understand how much we've been ignored over the years.

We do have some allies in the LGB community but not as many as people would think. The LGB community is not a monolith that is completely apathetic towards our issues at all. It's divided itself so we need to work with those who care about us, and either bypass or change the minds of those who do not.

And in case anyone is unaware, Brynn Tannehill, the author of that story, is trans herself.

[Carolyn Marie]

Some of my real life friends are lesbians and gays, and are and have been supportive of me and of our community as long as I've know them. There are several wonderful members of the Gay and Lesbian Advisory Board in West Hollywood who have reached out to the TAB to become more informed of our issues, and work with us to promote their agendas and ours.

We should not condemn an entire community, any more than they should condemn ours. There are good people and bad people in both. I agree that there has been a lack of support for our causes, in general. But as LizMarie points out, it is not a uniform attitude among all in the LGB community. From my own personal experience, it is largely a matter of a lack of information and education. People won't readily support what they don't understand.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest -guest-]

I joined a fairly new Meetup group - "Out And About Florida" - that is both very active in terms of social events and proactive in creating a vibrant online community. Its primary focus is gay and lesbian, and transgender individuals are a very small portion of the membership and not at all vocal.

They have quickly pushed me into a leadership role. I've been put in charge of the Help And Support portion of the web site. This happened as a result of my correspondence with the group's leader, who had never before encountered a transgender person.

Because I have some writing and editing commitments to deal with right now, I resisted taking on any more responsibility. But I was asked to try it for a few weeks at least.

As a fairly new member, I've certainly been welcomed by other participants. My wife and I will be attending the group's potluck dinner in a few weeks, and many people have said they look forward to getting to know me.

[gennee]

What I see is that transgender people are standing up for themselves. During pride month I educate people about how trans people stood up to police harassment at Stonewall. We have to keep on going because our lives depend on it.

[VickySGV]

It will be interesting next week at the TG conference I am attending, especially since there will be a large number of people there whom I consider to be leaders within the Transgender sphere. Most of the people I know will not be faulting the LGB community for failure to be our guardian angels or for abandoning us as some accuse them of. Other than Stonewall, what have we really done as TG people in regard to the LGB people. Certainly I have made my tax deductible donatons to HRC, and I make yearly donation of time and money to a GLB(t) community center a few miles away from me, and a larger donation to the GLBT organization within my national Church. Speaking of which, has hired a trans*woman as its new General Director. Another such organization within another denomination almost simultaneously hired a Trans* man as its GD. The reason for these actions was from the TG members who saw that there was only so much that could be done for us, without our taking leadership in the organizations.

I do not expect to hear any name calling from the people who lead our orgainizations, or who now head or at least take leadership roles in GLBT organizations. What I expect to hear is an outline of new strategies and new goals that we can meet as trans*people alone, or as trans* people within other organizations, where we can do our part in leadership and direction toward a future that includes us. Carolyn mentioned favorable reception from a GLB source if she will teach them more about what it like to be Trans*. I too am part of such a group, where Trans* people related to my family perform Chaplaincy duties for the GLBCC in their area. I believe it is now our Season In The Sun, and what we have are people who have fought a successful battle, but as activists to the core do enjoy the work, are looking for more to do. We need to lead, and not abandon what has been.

[Guest Deanna]

We do have to take lead on our issues that affect us most. We also have to be seen more often and in positive roles in our community. That being said it would be really nice if they would standup an back us up on these issues that affect us so much and make sure we are included in the laws that they are trying to get through.

We are the most different in the LGB T group. Their issues are sexual Ours are about gender and sexual usually and because our issues are more complex in some ways and lets face it some don't know any more that straight cis folk due about us.

One thing is for sure, making more division will not help our cause.