Being Trans Is A Worldwide Thang

One of the things that I love about the Net and compiling TransGriot is that it consistently reaffirms for me that I have brothers and sisters all over the planet.

It reminds me that no matter what corner of Planet Earth we call home, we transpeople deal with the same basic issues of fighting for our human rights, dignity and self respect. I'm reminded that we have wonderful cisgender allies who support us in our struggles as well.

One of the fringe benefits is that some of my international sisters like Pau Fontanos in the Philippines or Leona Lo in Singapore have become my friends. I'm looking forward to meeting many others if I'm blessed to one day resume my Air Marshal traveling days or they cross my path here in the States.

But whether the Forces of Intolerance want to admit it or not, transpeople are part of the diverse mosaic of human life.

We have also reached the tipping point that all oppressed peoples soon reach.

Transpeople are fed up with having our human rights trampled upon by cisgender people desperately trying to prop up their specious fundamentalist religious beliefs, their failed political agendas and personal prejudices.

We want the same things cisgender peeps want. To borrow from the United States' Declaration of Independence, we want life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

As we courageously stand up and fight for our rights, we also find that it's liberating and powerful as well. We move beyond the shame and guilt over being trans and proudly embrace that part of our identities.

We transpeople simply want the ability to live our lives peacefully in our various homelands, pursue our versions of happiness, want a fair shot at gainful employment, a roof over our heads, food to eat, and non-judgmental health care.

We want friends and family who love and care about us while maximizing the talents our Creator has given us for the benefits of ourselves and the various nations we reside in.

The Forces of Intolerance can delay, deny, resist and even kill us, but they will lose. The moral arc of the universe is bending toward worldwide justice for transpeople.

I hope I'm blessed to live long enough to see that day.