Traffic Blocked In L.A. During Protest Over TG Violence

[Carolyn Marie]

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-0321-transgender-rally-20150321-story.html

I fully understand the anger and frustration leading to such protests, and I support the goals of building awareness. At the same time, I really wonder what good it does. The people watching on the news, and the motorists stuck in traffic, are not the ones who are doing the killing. Nor can they stop the killing from happening. Better policing of high crime areas would help. More certain punishment might help. Getting trans folk jobs so they didn't have to work the street economy would surely help. Yelling at a motorist? I don't think that will help.

"I'm constantly targeted, being trans," she said. "I live in fear. Am I going to be next? It's not acceptable."

I can't compare my life to hers. I am white, middle class, and maybe that makes all the difference in the world. I've been living this life for five years. I've never been targeted. I don't doubt what Bambi says is real. I just wonder what could change for her that would make her experience more like mine.

Carolyn Marie

[Guest Mickey]

Being poor really sucks. Being poor AND Trans*... There simply is no comparison to how bad it really is. I have to ride the bus to go see some of my Dr's. Just the other day I was sitting on the bus and some wanna be gangsta fool gets on the bus and as soon as he spots me, he said, "Good Lord!! Sissies on the bus!! What's the world coming to now!!" I just looked him in the eyes and smiled real big. The whole time praying that he wouldn't be stupid enough to make it physical. I would have ended up in jail just for defending myself while Trans*. Oh, the bus drivers are SUPPOSED to put people OFF the bus when they say stuff like that. This driver just laughed, as if it was actually funny or some BS.

[Guest]

Information doesn't change behavior, belief changes behavior.

How do you help a closed minded person change their belief?

[VickySGV]

I know all of the people mentioned by name here IRL, and had been invited to join in the protest, which the police had been warned of and actually helped with. I had another commitment in that time slot that I hope will result in some more positive attention for the TG world in a few months, if indeed it hits any degree of notoriety, which I doubt will happen and did not make it there. I would possibly have stayed out of the street itself had I gone, but for those who felt they needed to put a message across that way, ----- well, they felt it was needed and who am I to judge them. We did have our post TDOR march that tied up traffic on Santa Monica Blvd for about 20 minutes last November, but that was well beyond rush hour and into the "entertainment hour" and we had full police protection there. While the article mentions a police helicopter, it does not mention other police units a few blocks away directing traffic to alternate routes a few blocks out of sight. I do not think this is an idea to try too many times in a short space of time however.