Trystan's Letter To The Lowell Sun About The Chaz Bono Holiday Parody

TransGriot Note:  The Lowell Sun newspaper on December 19 posted a transphobic parody of 'Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer' with remixed lyrics slamming Chaz Bono and the just passed Massachusetts trans rights law.   Another one of my fave kick azz Massachusetts trans men, Trystan Dean, compiled a letter to the editor slamming their contribution to Hatin' On Transpeople for the Holidays.

Dear Editor,

   I'm writing in response to the recent parody you published that mocked Chaz Bono. It was mean-spirited, to say the least. Obviously, some of the folks working in your newsroom have sophomoric senses of humor and ought not be left unsupervised. Frankly, I think the person who published that parody ought to be fired. But hey, it's Christmas, so perhaps a little mercy, plus A LOT of education, would be more appropriate.

   Like Chaz, I am a transsexual man. I'm in the middle of my transition, hoping and praying for the means to medically complete the process. The necessary surgeries are expensive, painful, risky, and currently not easy to access, if you are not blessed with wealth, like Mr. Bono.

   However, for those of us suffering from gender dysphoria, and/or intersexed conditions, transition can save our lives. Gender dysphoria is a diagnosed condition, that is treated medically with therapy, hormones and surgery. Chaz was diagnosed with gender dysphoria, like me, then he was prescribed male hormones by a physician, like me, and, then, he underwent surgery.

   These are not steps that can be made easily or lightly. Gender transition from female to male can result in a shorter life span. Hormone therapy can stress the kidneys and liver. There is medical supervision every step of the way. Risks are clearly spelled out. It's a tough decision, and it's only made when a patient's life is at stake. Gender dysphoria can kill. It fuels debilitating depression, self-hatred, and self-destructive behaviors. It is a malady that can intensify as a person ages. It's much worse than simply feeling trapped in the wrong body. It's about bone-deep despair that saps the will to live.

   Transsexuals and transgender people are fighting for civil rights in our society, and throughout the world. Thankfully Massachusetts just passed a civil rights law. Among other things, it categorizes violence against trans people as a hate crime. This is important, because trans folks experience unacceptably high levels of murder, rape and assault among all measured minority communities. There has been a rash of trans murders in the last 2 years in Boston. The law just passed is not frivolous, and it didn't deserve to be parodied, along with Chaz, and by extension, all trans people. Like all other human beings, we deserve respect and compassion while we seek wholeness and  happiness in our lives. That is the American Dream. We'd just like the equal opportunity to fulfill our dreams too. I don't think that's too much to ask. Merry Christmas!

Yet Another Reminder On Why the Po Po Is No Friend to People of Colour

Another post from Renee of Womanist Musings, who is all that and four bags of ketchup flavored potato chips.


I have written many articles on how I intend to teach my sons how to behave in the presence of cops, and why this information could someday save their lives.  Each time I write about the absolute importance of preparing a Black child to deal with the ongoing harassment that they will be subject to, thanks to racist police departments across North America, some jackass shows up with statics to claim that the police are justified in their response because of the fact that Blacks are over represented in the penal industrial complex.   This response is racist and denies the way in which minorities are specifically targeted and the effect of racism, under-education and poverty have on those who commit crimes. The truth of the matter is that though there are more Whites in prison than Blacks, Black people still represent criminality in the eyes of the law.  This leads to a lifetime of harassment that can have a devastating toll.

I found the following article in the N.Y. Times. 

WHEN I was 14, my mother told me not to panic if a police officer stopped me. And she cautioned me to carry ID and never run away from the police or I could be shot. In the nine years since my mother gave me this advice, I have had numerous occasions to consider her wisdom.

One evening in August of 2006, I was celebrating my 18th birthday with my cousin and a friend. We were staying at my sister’s house on 96th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan and decided to walk to a nearby place and get some burgers. It was closed so we sat on benches in the median strip that runs down the middle of Broadway. We were talking, watching the night go by, enjoying the evening when suddenly, and out of nowhere, squad cars surrounded us. A policeman yelled from the window, “Get on the ground!”

I was stunned. And I was scared. Then I was on the ground — with a gun pointed at me. I couldn’t see what was happening but I could feel a policeman’s hand reach into my pocket and remove my wallet. Apparently he looked through and found the ID I kept there. “Happy Birthday,” he said sarcastically. The officers questioned my cousin and friend, asked what they were doing in town, and then said goodnight and left us on the sidewalk.

Less than two years later, in the spring of 2008, N.Y.P.D. officers stopped and frisked me, again. And for no apparent reason. This time I was leaving my grandmother’s home in Flatbush, Brooklyn; a squad car passed me as I walked down East 49th Street to the bus stop. The car backed up. Three officers jumped out. Not again. The officers ordered me to stand, hands against a garage door, fished my wallet out of my pocket and looked at my ID. Then they let me go.  (Source)

Nicholas K. Peart wrote specifically about his experiences living in N.Y. city, however the same story could be told by many people of colour living in North America, because despite the so-called post racial world that we live in, part of the role of policing today is to enforce White supremacy.  This means the ongoing harassment of people of colour, which for some leads to a lifetime of living in fear.  I would label some of the survivors as existing with PTSD but the fact of the matter is that we still have not entered the era when the word post is an accurate label.


We live in a world in which it is largely understood that people of colour, regardless of their gender, or sexuality are perceived of as violent, drug dealers, drug users, hyper sexualized and problematic, while Whiteness is understood to be the eternal victim.  This ahistoric view only exists because Whiteness continues to ignore and actively negate the history of violence it has perpetrated against people of colour. Slavery ended years ago, but people of colour are still being slaughtered.  Violence has not always taken the form of physical punishment, and in fact, on a daily basis it is often realized through impoverishment, character assassination, and a lack of education.  Violence need not leave any physical markers to be understood as violence.

Black children exist with a scant few years of innocence, and the belief that they are equal, before Whiteness begins its project of othering and dehumanization.  When I look at my six year old son, I know that he is in the last cusp of mental freedom, before the active persecution begins.  It is important to note however, that through his access to media, and by media I mean everything from television, to the internet, to books, and movies, he has already begun to internalize the passive racism that Whiteness is so very proficient at.

The police are only free to perform in the manner that they do because they are the military arm of Whiteness.  I know that there are cops of colour who do attempt to make a difference policing our communities, but they are overwhelmed and must still to some degree subscribe to the over arching message of oppression.  To be of colour in this world, is to be a continual target of aggression and hatred, despite the fact that so many White people openly declare themselves to be non racist.  Being called a racist has reached the level in the minds of many to being akin to a slur, though in actuality, it only really serves as a marker of privilege.  No matter how well intentioned, or if your best friend in grade school was Black, to be White is to participate in passive racism at the very least, and to benefit from every single act of racism. 

No matter how we struggle against our oppressor, until every single White person is actively engaged in challenging their privilege, the state of unequal in life, in every single social institution, and every single situation will continue to be a reality for people of colour.  Reading this may cause shock, dismay and even outright denial, but until you are actively attempting to decolonize your mind, and challenging the status quo, you support the racist actions engaged in by police departments across North America.  Pretty platitudes about shock and awe, get us nowhere.

Living Authentically In West Hollywood

TransGriot Note: This op-ed by TPOCC founder Kylar Broadus was originally published by the WeHo News

As I flew into Los Angeles for the first ever trans people of color town hall and the thirteenth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR), a time to honor the memory of those whose lives were lost due to anti-transgender violence, I had no idea what was happening 30,000 feet below me.

When I landed on the ground, I immediately heard that a trans woman of color, 32-year-old Cassidy Vickers, had been murdered. Another victim had been shot at (but not harmed) in nearby Plummer Park.

Ironically, Plummer Park was where the TDOR event was to be held on Sunday, November 20. 

Sadly, it had only been less than a week since I had been on a conference call with folks in Detroit in response to the brutal murder of yet another trans woman, Shelley Hilliard, who at 19 years old life was just beginning.

In light of these senseless murders, it is common for misplaced blame to fall on the victims.  But no one deserves to die in this way.  

All people, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation, deserve dignity and respect as a human being.  Someone should not be a target because they live their life authentically.

According to a recent report released by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs,  trans people of color are disproportionately impacted by LGBT hate crimes, with trans women constituting 44% of LGBT hate crime victims in the past year, and people of color constituting 70% of the victims.

These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg.  As reporting of these crimes has gotten better, law enforcement and the media are beginning to identify our gender identity correctly.

Identification of who we are is important because it raises awareness and fuels tolerance.

Unfortunately, there still remains much work to be done. Often times missing trans people are never reported by family members who have rejected them.

I am certain there are many of us in the morgue or whose bodies have never been found and go unaccounted for. In fact, most of these cases go unsolved.

In addition to being more susceptible to violence than other groups, trans people of color are denied employment, education, homes, healthcare, and access to shelters, hospitals and simple things such as riding the bus or getting identification. These obstacles put our community at greater risk of being victimized. All people need access to these basic structures of society in order to survive.

Despite all the work that lies ahead us, I am hopeful.

At the West Hollywood Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony, it was encouraging to see community, government and law enforcement work hand in hand towards solving this problem.

It was extremely moving to see that the City Council of West Hollywood was there in force and offered support.

It was impressive that the Council has an appointed body of trans leaders that are empowered to work all year to address these issues and concerns.  This kind of commitment must be present from our government officials. The showing of solidarity by law enforcement was also unprecedented.

While some of us may not have had positive experiences with law enforcement in our life, the presence of law enforcement officials was powerful.  It felt as if they had lost one of their own.  The concern and emotions the officers had were almost palpable.

The event was deeply moving.  From the performances to the speeches, each moment was a tribute to those that we have lost and a call to make sure this does not continue.  There was such a diverse gathering of people and an immense sense of unity.  It was my honor to be a part of it.

TDOR in West Hollywood was a promising example of how everyone from the local community, government officials and law enforcement must work together.

The message must be sent that there is zero tolerance for these senseless acts—from the use of anti-transgender slurs to workplace harassment, bullying in schools and family rejection of our youth.

These all have the potential to fuel hostility and lead to violence, in some cases murder. When our society rallies together to raise awareness and ensure that the trans community receives equal protections, the message will be clear: transgender equality is about everyday people who want the same chance as everyone else to earn a living, be safe in their communities, be safe in their schools, and take care of the ones they love.

It will take a combination of education, laws and policies to even begin to scratch the surface of addressing these horrific tragedies.

All these pieces must work in tandem.  We must each do our part.

***

Kylar W. Broadus is founder of Trans People of Color Coalition (TPOCC), the only national organization dedicated to social justice for trans people of color (TPOCC).

We are here to provide visibility and a voice for all trans people of color. We do advocacy and education to promote the empowerment of trans people of color.

Apparently Black Hair Products Justify Racial Segregation

TransGriot Post:  You're going to get a two for one guest blogging holiday treat today. Two of my fave bloggers weighed in on this latest racism eruption in Cincinnati.   Here's Katrina Rose's commentary on the subject and Renee's for your reading pleasure   

Ever since segregation became illegal, there have been some White folks willing to jump on any opportunity to bring it back. Of course, this never makes them racist, because they have some trumped up excuse to explain the need to exclude Blacks.  

CINCINNATI (AP) — A landlord found to have discriminated against a black girl by posting a "White Only" sign at a swimming pool wants a state civil rights commission to reconsider its decision.

The Ohio Civil Rights Commission found on Sept. 29 that Jamie Hein, who's white, violated the Ohio Civil Rights Act by posting the sign at a pool at the duplex where the teenage girl was visiting her parents. The parents filed a discrimination charge with the commission and moved out of the duplex in the racially diverse city to "avoid subjecting their family to further humiliating treatment," the commission said in a release announcing its finding.

An investigation revealed that Hein in May posted on the gated entrance to the pool an iron sign that stated "Public Swimming Pool, White Only," the commission statement said.

Several witnesses confirmed that the sign was posted, and the landlord indicated that she posted it because the girl used in her hair chemicals that would make the pool "cloudy," according to the commission.  (source)

Don't we live in a wonderful post racial world?  I love how people keep trying to claim that things are getting so much better, and yet we have incidents like this continually cropping up. It was just a scant few weeks ago that Hermain Cain Uncle Ruckus, was lecturing Black folks about our failures, and declaring racism a thing of the past, as the GOP clapped happily.  Apparently, Whiteness does not mean to be racist, but they somehow keep coming up with reasons to exclude or oppress us at will.

When I write about Black hair, the usual pain in the asses show up to tell me that my complaints are a figment of my over active imagination, and yet Black hair continues to be a site of oppression for Black women.  I must admit that this is the first time I have seen hair used as an excuse to deny us access to a pool; however, Black hair has been known to lead to problems in employment, as well create the belief in White people that we exist to be petted.  Black hair is continually politicized and created as problematic.  It is simply another tactic of Whiteness to other us.

No matter what the White person looks like, no racially specific characteristics are considered problematic. Whiteness is perceived of as the only acceptable norm in existence. Straight hair is prized and promoted at every turn.  Even things like supposedly innocuous shampoo commercials often feature White women tossing their long straight locks around like it's a gift from heaven.  Whiteness continues to be the standard by which all others are judged, and any failure to comply is quickly subjected to discipline.

What bothers me the most about this is the fact that even those who choose to chemically treat their hair, often end up using very natural products to dress their hair, because Black hair is extremely fragile and breaks easily, for example, if for some reason I use gel, I use aloe vera gel, the very same gel that is used to treat burns. Products designed for Black hair, unless someone is still stuck in the soul glow days (shut up, I know I am aging myself), are specifically designed not to be harsh, but then that landlord would know this, had she bothered to learn the first damn thing about her Black tenants.

I am sure in her mind what she did was not racist, and only had to do with protecting her property, but it still amounts to setting up two different standards and purposefully excluding Blacks from public spaces.  These kinds of attacks dehumanize, and I can completely sympathize and empathize with the young girls parents.  One of the hardest things I deal with as a parent of colour is accepting that no matter how much I love and desire to protect my children, I cannot stop the hatred and bigotry that they will face at the hands of Whiteness.  I don't have the words to describe to you what it feels like to know that your are helpless in the face of this massive systemic force, or the pain that is experienced when you look into the eyes of your child, as you try to explain that to many they are considered less than human.

The stress from dealing with the ongoing onslaught of Whiteness is one of the reasons that Blacks die at a younger age.  Despite all of the consequences that come with racism, Whiteness still fails to take responsibility for its past, and present actions, and instead we are offered meaningless platitudes, and criticized for speaking of racism in systemic ways. One need not hang a sign to say no Blacks allowed to benefit from the action, and this is why Whiteness is culpable as a group.

On Being Transgender - Part II

TransGriot Note: Guest post from Denise Norris and her follow up to the previously published December 5 On Being Transgender one

Labels

While nearly everyone hates “labels,” they serve a valuable role in social organization.  I have identified three basic classes of labels.  In order of their value to a social group they are: Organizing, Defending and Contempt.

We often label ourselves in an effort to get our needs met. We use labels to advertise our primary alignment/position within a social structure and what our needs are as part of that structure.  By advertising our label, we seek other people of similar alignment and needs to form voluntary associations.  In Unity there is Strength.  These are Organizing labels.

The very act of labeling ourselves implies the automatic creation of the “not-us” label for outsiders.  We may perceive that some of the not-us are preventing us from getting our needs met and we label them as an enemy by using a specific term.  By grouping our perceived enemies under a label, we can advertise for supporters in the battle for our needs.  Any Enemy of my Enemy is my Friend.  These are Defensive labels.

Defensive labels, when taken too far and without the counter-balance of Organizing labels, can become Contempt labels.  Contempt labels are often used to define outsiders in such a way as to empower the labeler at the expense of the labeled.  When we use these labels to acquire a false sense of empowerment, we do so at the expense of members of the not-us population.  False empowerment, instead of increasing the empowerment of the group, only gives the illusion of empowerment by disparaging the not-us or another group with derogatory defensive labels without actually increasing the self-esteem or confidence of the labeler.  We hold members of the labeled group in Contempt.

As an example of this, I have witnessed Transgender individuals being called ‘Sissy’ by cisgender bullies.  Does the labeler actually gain self-esteem when they disparage the transgender?  I think not, they only gain the false sense of power by having the appearance an increase due to the lowering of those around them.  Imagine someone standing in the 4ft deep section of the pool.  Are they really any taller if they simply drain the water out of the pool? Clearly the answer is no.  Seeking to elevate ourselves at the expense of others is delusional thinking.  Like snorting a line of cocaine, we only feel better for a short time and then the realization that we are actually no better off set in, so rather than actually do something that increases self-esteem and empowerment, cut another group of people off at the knees.

Transgender is an alignment of interests

Since repurposing in the 1990s, who exactly is Transgender has become a social hot potato with everyone pointing in different directions and at different people. Some Transsexuals will point at crossdressers while saying “Not us!”  Others will point at themselves and say “Not them!”  Crossdressers point at the transsexuals and say “Over there.”  Some will announce “That’s us.”  Cisgender society in the United States points mainly to transsexuals when they think of Transgender, but in India and the East, Transgender can even include effeminate gay men (ie Kothi).  In fact, Transgender was originally intended to be the label used to describe the sociopolitical alignment of interests between multiple groups who face discrimination, harassment & violence due to having non-conforming gender expressions.
 

This alignment was created because society already grouped us into one community usually with the derogatory label similar to a “Man-in-a-Dress” which justified the discrimination, harassment and violence against us.  The intent was to take away society’s label for us and replace it with one of our own choosing.  That choice was eventually to be Transgender.  We are aligned as Transgender because society defines us as such.  As Transgender, rather than submit to discrimination, harassment and violence, we fight back on all fronts including legal, social, political, and cultural by defining ourselves with our own label.

Who should identify as Transgender?

In 1994, the Charter of The Transexual Menace (http://tinyurl.com/Menace-Charter) defined “the Gender Community as consisting of anyone who breaks or challenges the traditional rules governing the behavior of the genders, be it sartorial, erotic, psychological, physiological or otherwise. “

Nearly twenty years later, we have a term for “the behavior of the genders, be it sartorial, erotic, psychological, physiological or otherwise” – we call them “Gender Expression”.  It was an early attempt to define the emerging alliance with phrase “Gender Community” representing Transgender.

Recognizing the need to enlist sympathizers and supporters in the crusade to fight discrimination, harassment and violence, the charter also said that “A person need not be a member of the Gender Community to be a Member of The Transexual Menace.” This was an early attempt to enlist allies in the alliance.

At this point, we can modernize the answer of the question “Who should identify as Transgender?” with:

Anyone who perceives they have been, are being or will be discriminated, harassed or suffer physical harm because of their gender expression.
 

Before going further, let’s take a moment to explore the significance of Gender Expression as the basis of transgender.

Expressions of Gender

In the RationalWiki, Gender Expression is defined thusly:

 

Gender expression is the manner in which individuals "perform" their gender roles. That is to say, an individual may identify as a particular gender, but that individual may express that gender in various ways.

 

 For instance, Chuck Norris and Michael Moore are both male, and to the best of anyone's knowledge, both unquestionably identify as male. However, both express this gender far differently from each other, although there are commonalities between the two. Again, both Norris and Moore express their gender in a much different way from a drag queen, even though all three identify as male.

 

 Judith Butler, in her book Gender Trouble, stated "There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; ... identity is performatively constituted by the very "expressions" that are said to be its results." This strongly suggests that what we perceive as gender has little direct attachment to the deeper gender identity of the individual. Many of our expressions of gender are culturally based performances, according to Butler, and while many take these for granted as part of the natural gender, in fact they are overlaid on gender and not truly connected.

 

 An example of this cultural difference is the longstanding assumption in Western culture that males are better at math and hard sciences than the arts-oriented females. However, in Japan and other Asian countries, the reverse is assumed to be true.  Neither are based very closely on actual test results, and are in fact cultural assumptions based on gender. Individuals may live up to these expectations precisely because they are part of the expected performance of their gender roles, rather than anything inherent in gender itself.

 

 http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Gender_expression, Accessed Dec 12, 2011

Everyone expresses gender even non-expression is an expression.  And the gender they express does not always represent their core gender identity.  This is not always obvious to cisgender individuals, but some transgender individuals often define themselves by their incongruity between their core gender identity and their predominate gender expression.  “I am a woman trapped in the body of a man.”  Since cisgender individuals as a rule don’t have this sort of disharmony between identity and expression, they tend to judge gender identity solely as a function of their requirements for acceptable gender expression.  When society sees a gender expression that falls within their requirements, it is said to be conforming.  Gender expression outside the accepted cultural values is non-conforming.

Discrimination, harassment and violence begin to occur when the gender expression falls outside the accepted norms for that culture.  The further from the median expectations the expression falls, the more likely the non-conforming individual will experience discrimination, harassment and violence

The Theory of Passing

Actively seeking to achieve a conforming gender expression is frequently known as passing or blending within the Transgender alliance.  The term passing comes from the experience of people of color who had sufficiently light-skin to pass as a member of the empowered white society.  Many of us seek to pass as a member of the empowered cisgender society.

The problem with passing is that it can take on obsessive proportions as we try to become fully cisgender empowered or cis-privileged.  This progression is often driven by the deep frustration of not being able to achieve cis-priv.  The person eventually achieves a state of pseudo-cisgender when that someone is like cisgender, but not really and they have the qualities of cisgender and yet at the same time they are not cisgender.  Pseudo-cisgender to describe a place that approaches cisgender, but can never really reach it. Sort of like the speed of light – Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity says we can get real close to, but never actually travel at, the speed of light.  My Theory of Passing says the same goes for cisgender and cis-priv – real close, but never actually achieve it.

 

Rather than chase cis-priv, Transgender is about creating empowerment as ourselves - trans-privilege.  We achieve trans-priv every time we stand up to discrimination, harassment or violence using legal, political, cultural, physical, etc… means.  Every win in court, every law passed, every diversity training done, every pride day marched, we empower ourselves and others in the Transgender Alliance.

A Voluntary Alliance of People Involuntarily Lumped in the Same Bucket

There are many different groups within the transgender alliance; most of us share mutual needs and others have unique needs. It is vital to remember that while we label ourselves for our unique needs, we freely have joined together to achieve our mutual needs.  While we label those with unique needs as Transsexual, Crossdresser, Intersex, etc…, we are bound together by our mutual needs to stop harassment, discrimination and violence.

Transgender is a voluntary alliance of people with non-conforming gender expression which arose as a reaction to discrimination and harassment/violence from society at large.  Transgender is also an involuntary community of people gathered into one category by society – the same society who frequently sees anyone with a non-conforming gender expression as queers, faggots, sissies, men-in-dresses, dykes, or perverts.

This dichotomy puts pressure on the unity of transgender with people who prefer to stand-alone and outside the alliance.  Society, with its need to sort and categorize, promptly puts the stand-alone people back into the alliance, whether the stand-alones like it or not.  Justifiably resentful of being categorized into a groups they wish to avoid and knowing full well the futility of trying to convince society of their apparent-to-them uniqueness, they turn on the Transgender alliance trying to undermine and destroy it so that they can get their unique needs met first.

Unfortunately this pressure creates a fragmentation within the transgender alliance and people put their unique needs before the mutual needs.  Resolving the mutual need for protection of non-conforming gender expressions will resolve 90% of the needs for any one group.  Once this main objective is accomplished, it becomes simpler to address any remaining unique needs.

When I joined the Automobile Association of America, it didn't make me change what car I drive or any less transsexual, white, tall, financially stable, or any other sociopolitical, physical or cultural attribute.  It did make me more empowered as the AAA fights for the rights of drivers (and I get free towing).  There are Automobile Associations in many countries around the world, each addressing local needs, but the mission remains the same overall.

Suppose that instead of Transgender, there is the Trans Association of America (apologies to my trans-siblings in other parts of the world, but stay with me for the moment) whose membership was anyone who perceives they have been, are being or will be discriminated, harassed or suffer physical harm because of their gender expression. 

TAA's mission is to provide or fight for legal, educational, political, social, health, etc. benefits for it's members in order to stop discrimination, harassment and violence against non-conforming gender expression.

Would you join?

This is what Transgender really is after removing the nonsense.

Meeting discrimination, harassment and violence against non-confirming gender expression head on and winning that battle will cover 80% or more of the needs of all the member groups in the Transgender alignment.  Individuals in our member groups will be able to live openly without fear.
 

This is not gradualism, but a realistic assessment of the situation as we lack the numbers to get all our needs met at the same time. As a movement, our strength is in our numbers and by forming a voluntary association of people whose Gender Expression is non-conforming; we increase the likelihood that our mutual needs – Stopping Discrimination in Employment, Healthcare, Housing, & Public Accommodations and Preventing Harassment and Violence against us – will get met.

***
Author’s Note:
This is starting to turn into a lengthy series of mini-essays revolving around the general theme of Being Transgender.  Each section has to be read holistically with the other sections to get the entire gestalt of what I am trying to present. For TransGriot readers, please visit http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/12/on-being-transgender.html for Part I of this series.

I don’t know how many parts are still unwritten but if you want to contribute ideas to my writing, stop by https://www.facebook.com/groups/trans.reboot/ and join in the discussion on Transgender – Rebooted/Reloaded.
-Denise Norris