Why Do I Continue To Be A Trans Activist?

There are times when I sort through the hate mail, the negative comments from other trans people and other assorted fools and question why I continue to speak up for people who don't appreciate it.

Then I'll check my e-mail and see one from a transwoman thanking me for writing a post about not having anything to be ashamed about for being trans, and then confiding in me that reading the post dissuaded her from committing suicide.

I'll get another e-mail from someone who tells me they love my blog and thank me for telling the story of African descended trans people and talking about our issues.

I'll have a college kid and school administrators who sit in on my lectures tell me how much they appreciated me coming to their school.

I'll get e-mail on my Facebook page from people who not only consider me a role model, they tell me I inspired to fight for GLBT rights after reading one of my speeches or blog posts.

It's the knowledge that your peers around the world have much love and respect for you, the work you do and having someone to chat with from time to time that feels your pain when you're feeling down.

There are a lot of reasons people become activists. But one common thread amongst all of us is that we are justice seeking individuals that want a world better than the one we arrived in.

I hate injustice. I hate the erasure of African descended trans people from our history and the leadership ranks of this community. I want to see lasting legislation passed for all of us that will help us to lead better lives. I want to see better cooperation and a sense of interconnectedness and pride exponentially expand amongst transpeople of color. I want to see a world that's fairer and safer for transpeople to live their lives.

But accomplishing those lofty goals ain't easy and it's hard work.

They are goals that may not even come to pass in my lifetime or be accomplished a a future point in time in which I don't get a chance to enjoy them. But if it means the next generation of transkids don't have to deal with a tenth of the drama we had to, then it's worth fighting for and whatever crap I have to deal with to make it happen.

And that's why I continue to be a trans activist.