Tips For Finding Love And Acceptance In The Trans Community. Starting With The Men.
Angela Ponce, 25 Friday became the first transgender woman to win a Miss Universe National Title. We’re not surprised. And there will be more awesome advances for trans people everywhere. Congratulations Angela!
Sometimes, large organizations are among the slowest to wake up and smell the roses. But at least they do….eventually.Is th
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced it is revising its international manual of diagnoses in order to DECLASSIFY transgender as a mental illness.
Just in time for Pride.
A big deal?
Well..it is a big deal because according to IFL Science, which first broke the news, codes in the manual of diagnoses are used by countries to determine where to invest resources as well as how to set certain insurance billing standards. By declassifying being transgender as a mental illness, it now becomes an sexual health issue of, not a mental health one, which removes a lot of stigma from being trans and might offer more resources to the community.
At least at the international diplomatic level.
But hey, every bit of progress IS progress and should be celebrated.
WHO says enough evidence exists suggesting that being transgender is not a mental disorder and classifying it as such can cause “enormous stigma” for those who identify themselves as transgender.
Of course, we knew that.
Now, we also knew there always has been evidence confirming being trans (or trans attracted) is not a mental illness. It’s understandable though that WHO is making the “now there is enough evidence” argument: they have to reach all their constituency, which I’m sure includes people who still disbelieve.
It’s great to see the WHO joining the growing list of organizations coming to the right side of history. Here’s a video of a WHO representative speaking about the revision:
Seems every minority has a month. The LGBTQ community is no exception. This month is Pride.
An interesting factoid about Pride: it was spearheaded by the transgender community. Pride sprung from the Stonewall Riots. A major figure at Stonewall was Marsha P. Johnson, a well-known black transwoman in the community. Her and other transgender people were primarily responsible for sowing the seeds which became pride festivals celebrated across the country.
But that’s not really the real interesting factoid. The really interesting factoid is that while gay, lesbian and bisexuals primarily benefit from Pride awareness, those same communities once rejected transgender people from their ranks.
To some degree they still do. Despite this, we see a tremendous upsurge of transgender awareness. I think that’s exceptional. Trans people will not be held back. They represent a leading edge of what it means to be human and humanity is wanting to express itself in ALL ways.
Regardless how others think about transgender people and the people who love them, Pride offers a reminder for transgender people and those who find transgender people attractive to check your stories. What is it you’re thinking about who and what you are? Are your stories positive? Are they uplifting? They better be if you’re wanting what you want.
Your stories about you, about the world, about everything are determining your life experience. This month, take a moment to reflect on what you’re thinking, sharing, tweeting, reposting, reading.
It makes all the difference in the only world that matters: yours.
Katie Couric and producers at National Geographic nailed probably the best presentation on the transgender “movement” and the broader gender awakening in the United States while blending in salient perspectives from around the world.
Gender Revolution is a National Geographic documentary which explores how the gender binary is falling way in the wake of generations of human beings who defy this “norm”.
If you’re trans-attracted or transamorous – even if you are aware or think you are aware of the issues and subtle nuances of what’s happening around you – this documentary is definitely worth watching.
The show examines multiple perspectives of the movement: the nomenclature, characters, political changes underway, their impact on human lives and more. It personalizes what it means to be queer, making it clear to those who don’t understand what is happening that what is happening is real, is serious and needs their attention. If anyone you know is struggling to understand what is happening in the field of gender expression. This documentary does a good job as a general overview.
Some salient points:
Another seemingly obvious conclusion to draw from all this is that men who are attracted to these people – particularly transpeople for our purposes – are as normal as the people they are attracted to. It’s also a safe conclusion to make that these men (men like you and me) have been around for as long as our objects of affection have been.
So what is there to be shamed about? There is so much evidence in the world that you are normal and healthy. But that evidence is invisible to you if you are steeped in stories of shame and embarrassment. Change your beliefs and discover an entire world that supports you as you are. You’ll be glad you did.
National Geographic’s Gender Revolution can be seen on Netflix.
Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently joined a long-running list of trans-allies when she declared recently her department would no longer hear cases where transgender students were denied using the bathroom matching their identity.
WTF you say?
We have always asserted, and will continue to do so, that often those you think are the vilest enemies of transpeople, actually are allies. In a world where everything is always working out for everyone, there’s no such thing as an “enemy”. For even “enemies” foster fertile ground for getting what you want.
Take Trump, for example. Many on the left, and pretty much every transgender person in the United States, save maybe Cait Jenner, believes Trump is the vilest of enemies of the transgender movement. Yet, from our perspective, Trump’s presidential win, his administration and his policies are responsible for some of the most significant and proactive initiatives. Those initiatives will have long-lasting implications for the United States; particularly in the legislative branch, and in courtrooms and city halls across the country. For now, more than ever, we see person after person, who happens to be trans, running – and winning – public office.
What’s more, we see more and more transgender leaders throughout our society – models, CEOs, inventors, school teachers, school principals – coming out one after the other. Following them are scores of young people who are far more comfortable identifying out of the gender binary than at any time in the history of the country. And following them are man companies realizing the right side of the transgender issue is supporting transgender people.
These trends are sure to continue. As we have said before, conservative agendas are losing agendas. Progress will always prevail in the end. DeVos will not forever be head of the education department. Nor will Trump administration policies remain in place forever. Neither will The Donald.
Besides, there are far more interesting things to be focusing your attention on than what’s happening in Washington. A great place for your scrutiny: what’s happening in your head. I presume, since you’re reading this, that you’re either transgender, or trans-attracted or transamorous. If you fall into any of these categories, it would behoove you to think about why you’re still hiding the fact that you are trans, or that you find transgender people attractive, if that’s what you’re doing. With so much positivity happening in the country, the time couldn’t be better for you to come out.
Besides, it’s highly likely if you do, those who matter in your life will embrace you. Once you embrace yourself.
