Jump to content
  • Welcome to the TransPulse Forums!

    We offer a safe, inclusive community for transgender and gender non-conforming folks, as well as their loved ones, to find support and information.  Join today!

Sometimes I don't feel like I fit in with the trans community because of my political views


Transgirlkatie

Recommended Posts

This weekend I went to a trans retreat, and I felt like it was hard to meet people I had things in common with. Politically they were way more left wing than I was, like some of them said they don't like aoc or bernie sanders because either they're not left wing enough or are politicians. I tried talking to them about how bad crime is in Oakland, and a lot of them said that gun violence in Oakland or car break ins isn't a big deal. One of them even said that they thought gun shots were a good thing because they lower property values. For me I used to live in Oakland and had my car smashed 3 times in 4 months, and I don't feel safe living there. Seeing on the news that gun violence is surging there also makes me scared to even visit the city. Politically I'm only center left, and believe in doing what countries in the Scandinavian region are doing. I sometimes feel like I don't fit in with other trans woman because I'm not left wing enough, and also am not fully on board with abolishing the police. And during covid I was against lockdowns and mask mandates. In my new area San Jose there isn't as much community there, but it's nice and safe. Which is better than living in an area that has tons of crime. 

Link to comment
  • Admin

Trans people come in all political persuasions, @Transgirlkatie.  Within our members, we have far left, moderates, Republicans, etc.  You ran into a particular group of trans folk; they aren't necessarily typical.  It appears true that, from what I've observed, far more trans folk are on the left of the political spectrum than the right, but we're all different.

 

Carolyn Marie

Link to comment

@Transgirlkatie  I definitely feel the same way as you do.  I don't get into politics too much, but my values and experiences mean that I'm very much against big government, against gun regulations, against taxation, against forced vaccination, against medical tyranny, etc...  In short, it is becoming more rare that I vote for Democrat candidates (and the Democrat candidates I vote for seem to be outliers compared to the rest of the party.) 

 

Even before I started dealing with gender issues, I knew I had same-sex attraction and I lived in a lesbian relationship with my GF.  There were some LGBTQ+ groups in my area, events, and things to do (we lived in the city at that time.)  We both felt rather unwelcome, as the majority of lesbians in the area were rather leftist.  

 

I think the Democrat party in the USA has put in a lot of effort at making it look like they are the only resource for LGBTQ+ folks, and that being a card-carrying leftist is the price of admission to the "club."  The reality is somewhat different.  I think there are a lot of us out there who are either moderate/centrist or Libertarian/right-leaning.  For example, I've recently become friends with a trans girl.  She lives in the city (college town), and she works as a CNA at the hospital where I stayed for a while.  You'd think she'd be a guaranteed Democrat voter...turns out she's more of a centrist.  I think people who subscribe to other viewpoints are more common than we've been led to believe.  I'm looking forward to finding more of them. 

 

Link to comment
41 minutes ago, Carolyn Marie said:

Trans people come in all political persuasions, @Transgirlkatie.  Within our members, we have far left, moderates, Republicans, etc.  You ran into a particular group of trans folk; they aren't necessarily typical.  It appears true that, from what I've observed, far more trans folk are on the left of the political spectrum than the right, but we're all different.

 

Carolyn Marie

In my area a lot of the trans people I know of they're far left. But yeah the ones I met were far far left. 

Link to comment
2 hours ago, Transgirlkatie said:

One of them even said that they thought gun shots were a good thing because they lower property values. 

Interesting perspective. And broken windows help to support the glass replacement business.

Link to comment
  • Admin

As a field investigator (now retired) for the State of CA, Oakland was always a spooky and unstable place to have to go for meetings, although my agency colleagues in the field office there had sat out street unrest (OK, a riot or two) and were pretty immune to the bad vibes I had there.  I do see where one of the comments about the guns came from, and it is close to a specific problem with real estate zoning here in the state.  The problem is that it does come from our state history of how various racial and ethnic groups were treated before the 1960's before many of the minorities could vote.  That is a matter of history which is taught in Community Colleges and State Universities since the early 1970's.  There is work to be done here, but even I agree that the "cures" propounded by some activists in our Trans Population are worse than the disease.  I use the term "population" as in a "Statistical Population" which is one defined trait being counted (Transness) because "community" suggests agreement among its members, and that is only slightly true for Trans People. 

Link to comment
2 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

@Transgirlkatie  I definitely feel the same way as you do.  I don't get into politics too much, but my values and experiences mean that I'm very much against big government, against gun regulations, against taxation, against forced vaccination, against medical tyranny, etc...  In short, it is becoming more rare that I vote for Democrat candidates (and the Democrat candidates I vote for seem to be outliers compared to the rest of the party.) 

Coming out as a Republican or Democrat can sometimes be more difficult than coming out as Trans. Here’s my story. I was a reliable Republican voter for the majority of my life. Military and conservative church background and circles I suppose. Since identifying as Trans though I have become a lot more liberal in my social views but I still hold to smaller government and stronger country principles. I’ve seen the negative effects of government run amok even in the military. Too much power in anyones hands is not a good idea. I see the need for a system that fights for a balance of power. Ok, I’ve outed myself as leaning Republican! See, not all Trans are far far left!

Link to comment

@Aggie1 Glad there's another non-leftist among us 🥰

 

Actually, I consider myself a liberal.  A classical liberal, as in "consistently votes for more freedom and less regulation."  Which sometimes puts me with the Democrats, such as on the issue of abortion.  And sometimes puts me with the Republicans, such as on the issue of guns.  And I tend to believe that people (in spite of original sin) can get together and voluntarily do good things without the government pushing them into it. 

 

What I find discouraging is how polarized politics seems to be creating a world of censorship, and a world where disagreement can't be handled politely or even with vigorous topical discourse.  I'm happy to be friends with people who hold radically different worldviews than mine.  But in today's climate, it seems like each of the different sides views the others as an existential threat...and any deviation from the party line of thought means becoming that threat.  You can't play Devil's Advocate in a debate just for the fun of it, or try to see the other point of view.  Discourse has become quite limited.  

 

 

Link to comment
16 minutes ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

But in today's climate, it seems like each of the different sides views the others as an existential threat...and any deviation from the party line of thought means becoming that threat.  

 

That's so noticeable in the "Comments" sections attached to articles with a political bent. It's hard to maintain the proper perspective and remember that many or most of the people who post are long on opinion and very short on facts. There's a large percentage who simply feel special when they "win" an argument - even when it consists primarily of ad hominem attacks.

 

If I spend too much time in that muck, I find myself longing for the pre-internet days - when idiots were pretty much confined to their own villages.

Link to comment
3 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

Actually, I consider myself a liberal.  A classical liberal, as in "consistently votes for more freedom and less regulation."  Which sometimes puts me with the Democrats, such as on the issue of abortion.  And sometimes puts me with the Republicans, such as on the issue of guns. 

It’s hard to know which party is the “freedom” party anymore. The Democrats used to be the party of free speech and free love. The Republican are now singing the free speech song. Every election cycle there seems to be a seesaw battle to woo the other sides voters with supercharged rhetoric. Trump wooed the blue collar crowd to build his base. There are a limited number of votes and there are only a handful of ways to increase one party’s share in an election. Create division and single issue voters and peel away the other party’s voters. Steal them. Accuse the other party of stealing them. Import voters from other countries (immigration). It’s a nasty business! When a candidate has to raise a billion dollars to sow division and doubt to win a million votes to sway an election (a thousand dollars per vote) , we’ll something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Link to comment

I was a reliably conservative voter for much of my life.  But in the last 10 years of so I've migrated a bit to the left.  A lot of these polarizing issues are way more nuanced than they are presented as black and white.

 

For example, I might believe I (or you) have a right to own guns for my personal protection or recreation, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with people openly using military style weapons to intimidate their fellow citizens. I could go on about a variety of issues.  It doesn't seem wrong for the government to protect the rights of minorities.  Really, it shouldn't even be necessary, but apparently it is.

 

What really bothers me these days is how we've decided into separate camps that no longer communicate other than to threaten or ridicule each other.  Millions of people only follow right leaning news networks, and never hear the other side of issues.  And for millions of others the reverse is true.  Neither side is opposed to outright lies if it enhances their position.  And of course we have an essentially two party system, so there's no political middle ground.

 

When a former president ran for office using a Neo-fascist play book, it bothered me, even though I was still leaning to the right on a lot of issues.  Now that party seems to be using these same tactics to solidify minority rule - gleefully pointing out that we are a "republic" not a "democracy".  I believe Aleksandr Solzhennitsyn said that people get the government they deserve. 

Link to comment
2 hours ago, Ivy said:

And of course we have an essentially two party system, so there's no political middle ground.

Which surprises me. Given the barrage of wedge issues we’re accosted with every election cycle. If these issues were truly authentic and grassroots a party would form to push each one of them. But since one or the other of the two major parties is in a death match they manufacture these issues and blow them out of proportion either to GOTV or to peel off “uncommitted” voters which I think means voters who haven’t identified with a single hot button issue that one side of the other has managed to claim as theirs. When allegiances switch sides there are claims of election interference or voter intimidation. Frankly I’m sick of it. We need more choices. 

Link to comment
3 hours ago, Aggie1 said:

The Republican are now singing the free speech song.

 

They certainly claim to, but it's clear from their positions they don't know (or care) what free speech is about.

Link to comment

Some great points have been raised here by everyone.  As to political parties/leanings, I was raised in a very left leaning household, became a moderate Republican while in the army, and have since drifted toward a classic Libertarian posture; by which I mean government should be kept as small and inoffensive as possible, private where private belongs, public where it's needed and an admission that circumstances make a difference in how a situation should be viewed and resolved. I also freely admit that there are times when my politics are in conflict with my faith. Mostly, I go with the "give-me-an-issue-and I'll-give-you-my-answer" mentality. Can't say this works for everyone, but it does for me. 

 

For example, I'm pro 2nd amendment but don't think the average citizen should own a howitzer, I'm trying to stay out of the abortion debate due to a huge faith/politics disconnect, hate the death penalty but think that criminals--especially violent ones--should be incarcerated for lengthy sentences without parole and that most drugs ought to legalized and taxed highly just as we do with alcohol and tobacco products.  I could go on, but you get the picture.

 

I also like to observe from a historical standpoint what the major parties in this country are doing, as it gives a pretty accurate picture of the current societal issues. Here are a few examples (no judgement, just interesting to me):

 

1. I watched the recent senatorial debate here in AZ and came away a bit dumbfounded. The DEM and GOP candidates spent the entire debate attacking each other, and the moderator largely ignored the Libertarian. He was the only one that pointed out that this country isn't a democracy, rather it's a representative republic (big difference there.) The moderator would cut off the GOP and Libertarian candidates regularly, but let teh DEM drone on. Then in closing comments, he cut off the Libertarian, let the DEM ramble and when the GOP candidate was in the middle of his closing comments, the picture suddenly went to black and there were several political commercials back to back to back for the DEM candidate! If it hadn't been so blatant, it would have been a farce.

 

2. I saw a segment on one of the TV news programs today that showed clips of several candidates from the GOP and the DEMs whose comments were being tracked by members of both parties and self identified independents, and subsequently graded. What was interesting with this was that with one exception (he got Cs form all groups), the Dems consistently ranked the GOP speakers as F- and the DEM speakers as A. The GOP participants consistently ranked the DEM speakers as D and F, with their own party's speakers as As. The independents tended to come down with higher marks for the GOP speakers; B+ as opposed to C- and Ds for the DEMs. My take away was simply a reinforcement of how polarized this nation has become politically. And we wonder why there is gridlock when neither side will even consider what the other side is saying. 

 

3. The media doesn't seem interested in covering what happened in ND last month when a man ran over and killed a teen just because he believed said teen was a Republican. Turned out the kid wasn't a member of either political party. To me, and I mean no offense, when we start killing other folk for their beliefs, then it's time to take a long step back and reconsider our positions. BTW, I'm not saying this is the first or only such incident, it is merely the most recent. And it could easily have been the other way around; it just so happens that this one was done to someone believed to be a Republican.

 

I don't claim to have any answers. Frankly, I would just like to be accepted for myself without labels and without either fear, hatred or being someone's token "trans friend." A tall order, but that would be my preference.

Link to comment
6 hours ago, Ivy said:

Millions of people only follow right leaning news networks, and never hear the other side of issues.  

That's my half brother in a nutshell. Nothing but Fox News. I think his wife has been a major influence in that regard. They live a few states away, so I don't have to hear her tiresome "libs"-this and "libs"-that statements.

 

He's a PhD, has decades of research experience, and was an instructor at the Air Force Academy. Highly respected in his field of science, he baffles me by expressing his belief that being gay is a choice and - most recently - that Darwin was a fraud and the earth is only 6000 years old. A visit to the Jurassic Coast in England would quickly prove otherwise, and I do wonder how he would rationalize that copious amount of evidence. 

Link to comment

Ah…  6000 year old earth - based on the Bible (Hebrew calendar).   I wasted a few years trying to believe this one.  It takes some mental gymnastics and serious denial of reality.  You can go down some really weird rabbit  holes on this one.

 

To be fair, in my post, I also acknowledged there is a potential for this on the other side as well.  

Link to comment
15 hours ago, awkward-yet-sweet said:

A classical liberal, as in "consistently votes for more freedom and less regulation." 

this is more classically a libertarian. nowadays that term as been skewed to more extreme views but in essence libertarians believe in very minimal government and let me do what I want with the bounds of civil law. Libertarians are very anti tax, social welfare AND government regulations on business and such.  New hampshire is home base for them with "Live Free or Die" motto. They are very "government should mind its own business" mentality. lol

Now the challenge here is while you may have freedoms, does your neighbor? and how should that be addressed?

Link to comment

I know how you feel, I being a small business owner get rail roaded by the so called "pay your fair share" and as a trans woman it's obvious the Democrats only use us for our vote they don't want us independent they want us believing that without them we can't live. I am pro 2A got a badass rainbow 9mm in my purse and I am a proud proud woman and I vote red. I have never been assaulted for being trans but I have for wearing my maga hat so there's that to think about. I'm tired of one side saying they are our only hope we're not aliens we're people we can take care of ourselves just get the damn government out of the way. I hope I can bring a little different angle for you much love 

-JJ

Link to comment
  • Who's Online   4 Members, 0 Anonymous, 97 Guests (See full list)

    • Adrianna Danielle
    • MaybeRob
    • Susie
    • Ashley0616
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      80.7k
    • Total Posts
      769.3k
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      12,056
    • Most Online
      8,356

    kristinabee
    Newest Member
    kristinabee
    Joined
  • Today's Birthdays

    1. ciara
      ciara
    2. Jamieleann
      Jamieleann
      (62 years old)
    3. Lukey19252
      Lukey19252
      (22 years old)
    4. Maye
      Maye
      (66 years old)
    5. Spirefreedom
      Spirefreedom
      (21 years old)
  • Posts

    • Timi
      I am so happy with Maybelline products. For my basic needs, I love their Magic Eraser. I used the app to dial in the best shade and it works great just -- even as a very light "foundation"
    • Vidanjali
      "THE CASS REVIEW NEEDS TO BE THROWN OUT ENTIRELY. THIS IS WHY."  https://whatthetrans.com/cass-review/    
    • April Marie
      I think this can be a big part of it. There are times when I just don't have the experience or expertise to respond.   Is there a specific post we've missed @Ladypcnj?  I remember that my intro post had less than 10 responses. Some of that has to do with timing, too.    I've also found that the more I posted to various threads the more responses I've received. But, I can tell you that there are times when almost no one responds to my posts. Don't take it personally. Keep posting where you feel comfortable and people will get to know you.   It really is a friendly and accepting place.
    • April Marie
      Oh, the guilt can be overwhelming, can't it? It's kind of like the joke about the difference between Protestants and Catholics.   Protestants have sex without guilt.   Catholics have guilt without sex.   It seems as if guilt is just a natural by product of our gender identity confusion whether we have any awareness of it or not. We feel different and so we blame ourselves for not feeling as others say we should.   What a tremendously uplifting moment it is when we can finally shed that guilt. Bask in the relief, M.A.   And having the right therapist seems so crucial to me. I had, fortunately, a very quick and strong connection and trust in my therapist. She was a life saver for me. Literally.   Again, welcome to TGP!!
    • Petra Jane
      Perhaps no one knows how to reply?  
    • MAN8791
      For me, with my former therapist, it was almost more like a frog in a pot slowly coming to a boil - I don't think either of us realized the scope of what we were dealing with until fairly recently. And she helped me find my new practitioner, which was incredibly helpful too <3 It feels very strange and new - I've framed this, whatever this is, as 'being bad at being female' for literal decades, since puberty really, and the idea that maybe it's not my fault, that I've never done anything 'wrong,' is a little overwhelming.
    • Lydia_R
      I had fun doing this a few weeks ago.  This is how I got rid of -money:     This music player code of mine is really working out nice.  My music collection is all mp3 files.  I put them on my server and then code things like that to play them and loop them.  And then I coded an app while I was in the mental hospital in 2009 that I use to transcribe my music with.  It's a Windows app and you can browse to an mp3 or use a URL to an mp3.  Once it is in the program, it looks like a normal music software timeline and there are sliders to slow it down and speed it up by octaves, semitones and cents, so you have complete control over what key the music is in.  And you can create loops in it and I added a feature a few years ago where it remembers all the settings so when you open it again, you still have the same loop set with the pitch settings.  I've been putting my favorite recordings in it lately, setting the funkiest loop I can find and then slow it down an octave or more.  Then I play drums to it and piano stuff, or pennywhistle.  I like playing drums on the floor.  Even though I got rid of money and well, I should have done that decades ago, I had a good time the other day hitting my bin of GO stones with my drumstick.   I don't know if I'll get flagged for self promotion here or not.  You know, I'm a musician and I'm just sharing ideas for how to listen to and enjoy learning to play music.  I'm not the only one who has made tools like this.  I'm really geeking out on my roommates drumset.  I learned to play in the 90's, but I haven't had a set since then.  I've been playing 5 gallon plastic water bottles as hand drums for 30 years.  They are relatively inexpensive and common and they sound great.  Very fun to play along to your favorite music.  And if you can slow the music down, it can make it easier to play to for some songs.  As advanced as I get as musician, I still enjoy just meditating on playing some simple pattern over and over.  Lately I've been playing an Emin7 chord going to an Fmaj7 chord on the piano.  It's all white keys.  You just play an E and then skip a key etc...  Every other key for 4 notes and then just move that all up one key for the Fmaj7 chord.  I just like the droning quality of it.
    • EasyE
      Welcome to the forums! Writer and graphic artist (and photographer) here as well, though most of my life has been spent in the sports realm... bless you with three teenagers!! I have two and they are a handful ... I have found a lot of encouragement and help on this forum... Hope you do as well... Blessings on your journey ahead ...    Easy
    • EasyE
      During COVID lockdowns without any place to go, some neighborhood buddies and I would play Life for hours (imagine a bunch of middle aged men playing that game, it was a hoot - all sorts of 'house rules')... anyways, as much as I could get away with it, I would choose a pink peg to represent myself... sometimes even had a female name to go with it... this was before I even really pondered whether or not I was trans ...   I was very determined to do this ... so interesting to look back and see all the threads pointing me to where I am now, though it has come as such a surprise as well...   Easy    
    • EasyE
      Thank you all for the helpful responses... I realize some of HRT is for mental health -- like I said above I really am enjoying the ride so far in that regard!   Guess there is a part of me that wants to have my cake and eat it too. I want to have a nice feminine shape within reason for my age (fat distribution - you can kick in whenever you want!!). Yet, I am still not out to family, so I want it to be subtle enough as I go along that I can cover tracks when necessary ... Not the ideal situation but it is what it is ... maybe when family realizes that this is not making me into a monster, they will come around to some of it. I can hope, right?   More and more, I just want to look in the mirror and see a female body staring back at me ... I want female clothing that I put on to look like it fits me to a T... (and by T, I don't mean testosterone, lol)...    EasyE    
    • Mmindy
      Good morning to you @KymmieL from the Eastern Time Zone where it early afternoon. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋
    • Justine76
      Welcome to WA! Seattle and the Capital Hill neighborhood in particular have many LGBTQ+ friendly establishments. Seattle Trans Pride 2024 is June 28th ;)  
    • missyjo
      Agree, April you always look so stylish  bravo dear   maddee, do you have furry friends too? aren't they adorable? they've generated a lot of smiles.   Ashley always looking cute   daisy print skirt with white floral blouse over pink lingerie. typing today n maybe movie tonight   hugs
    • Mmindy
      Good afternoon M.A.   Welcome to Transgender Pulse Forums, I think you'll find that there are a lot of us who had their first therapist reconsidering our story and recommended us to gender or LGBTQIA specific therapist. I made my first therapist cry after asking me what was my worst experience or memory. She was not prepared for the can of worms I brought to the couch. My second therapist is a gem, she's my age and knows how to work with my thoughts.    My two kids were also involved in the arts programs in school one in theater, the other combined art and modern music.   Best wishes, stay positive, and motivated,    Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋  
    • Abigail Genevieve
      Welcome.   This can be a good sounding board and a place to say things you otherwise could not. Be yourself. Find out what that is.   Abby
  • Upcoming Events

Contact TransPulse

TransPulse can be contacted in the following ways:

Email: Click Here.

To report an error on this page.

Legal

Your use of this site is subject to the following rules and policies, whether you have read them or not.

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
DMCA Policy
Community Rules

Hosting

Upstream hosting for TransPulse provided by QnEZ.

Sponsorship

Special consideration for TransPulse is kindly provided by The Breast Form Store.
×
×
  • Create New...