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Opinion? Prejudice in our own ranks?


ShawnaLeigh

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First let me state again that I am very naive to a lot about the LBGT community.  I am still learning a lot of terminology and simply what’s what dealing with this new life I am heading into.  
I grew up in a safe northern town that did not have racism or hardly anyone in it that are typically the victims of such.   I have never met anyone transgender until I met my therapist a few weeks ago.  Maybe have known of, but not known anyone gay or lesbian.  
So I ask this from the prospective of what could be considered a sheltered little girl with no knowledge of the life she is heading into.  
I have been reading so many negative things that we have happen to us and it is so scary.  
Bigotry is scary.  Prejudice against us for just being us. 
But I wonder if it exists in our LBGTQ++ community as well?   Meaning I am A Trans MTF and consider myself Lesbian since I never changed the sex I am attracted too.  
How would two Cis lesbians view me?   I’d like to think like anyone else but maybe not.  
 

So has anyone here encountered prejudices from other LBGTQ++ people?   Or have heard of this?

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Generally I have found that gays and lesbians aren't particularly interested in or fond of trans folks, but find them useful to bolster up their LGBT political activist presence. That is a generalization of course, we can be friends with gay and lesbian folks, it takes a little effort at initiating it on our part. I have two young lesbian women living close by, I had to reach out to them initially and they have become very warm and mutually accepting as a result. We can't expect anyone to like us just because we exist, there will always be prejudice and bias and it takes work on our part to overcome it and it's more a matter of changing minds and heart attitudes as opposed to laws which will do nothing to endear us to anyone and more than likely contribute to additional polarization. 

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Mostly what I have found prevalent among gays and Lesbians is a lack of knowledge about us and our community.  That is why the West Hollywood Trans Advisory Board decided to hold "Trans 101" seminars for the LG community there.  I think that, if there is discrimination, it is rare and individualized.  On a political level, I think its an "I don't care" (I would use stronger language if not for this being a PG site) attitude.  We were useful while the LG community wanted support for marriage rights.  Now that they have it, on a collective level, they have thrown us under the bus.

 

That is my personal opinion and does not reflect the policy or opinions of Trans Pulse.

 

Carolyn

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52 minutes ago, Carolyn Marie said:

Mostly what I have found prevalent among gays and Lesbians is a lack of knowledge about us and our community.  That is why the West Hollywood Trans Advisory Board decided to hold "Trans 101" seminars for the LG community there.  I think that, if there is discrimination, it is rare and individualized.  On a political level, I think its an "I don't care" (I would use stronger language if not for this being a PG site) attitude.  We were useful while the LG community wanted support for marriage rights.  Now that they have it, on a collective level, they have thrown us under the bus.

 

That is my personal opinion and does not reflect the policy or opinions of Trans Pulse.

 

Carolyn

 

I share that opinion as well.

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This is consistent with what I’m reading.  I take it with a grain of salt because who knows for sure from reading anything on the internet.  
It’s sad to me that it exists at all.  
Don’t we have enough issues with others to be getting crap from our own?

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Well I am on the other spectrum. I grew up just outside Detroit. So right there was a judgemental area. My father was some what racist. Mostly in the ethnic portion. I am not really sure of his views on the LGBT community.

 

While I knew some gay men. No lesbians that I can recall. No transgender people, and still don't outside the internet. I must not be going to the right places. LOL. I did know a straight crossdresser but I think he moved out of the area.

So that being said, I am like Shawna take it with a grain of salt.

 

Kymmie

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I (lesbian transwoman) am mostly friends with supportive straight cis people, and have only publicly transitioned for a couple months, so I don't have a ton of relevant experience. I did, however, go to a gay bar with a burlesque/drag show with some friends last night, and I'm pretty sure there were other transwomen there, and one person who I overheard say they were non-binary. The host (a cis bisexual woman, I think?) made it a point to talk about trans inclusivity a few times, and spoke about starting an "all bodies, all genders" strip club. My cis female friend who did a drag king act was asked what her pronouns were, and one of the other hosts defaulted to "they" because he wasn't sure. The bar also had gender neutral bathrooms, and I felt safe and comfortable there the entire time.

 

I know, sounds kind of -still unclean-, but it was a good time and despite the bar appearing to be primarily for gay cis men, it was extremely trans inclusive.

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