Friday, April 5, 2013

Why does being trans get such a bad rap?


Update 4/6/13 - The Jeff Probst website is not showing the video from the show I am referencing.  My apologies.  In its place, you can view a video where his guest, Dr. Bowers, a leading gender reassignment surgeon discusses the myths and truths about transgender people.

As a gay man, I would not want any of my civil rights to be violated or taken away from me.  Personally, I have not experienced discrimination as it relates to my sexual orientation, but many things could have bearing on that fact.  For one, I was previously married to a woman and lived a predominately heterosexual life.  Secondly, I still live in a heterosexual world.  I have many heterosexual friends and most people assume I am straight.  However, transgendered and transsexual individuals are oftentimes viewed and perceived with disdain and confusion.  Transgenderism can be confusing, no doubt, but transgendered people are still people.  I must confess that I have not quite understood them and wondered if they were dealing with some level of psychological abnormality.  I would never believe that someone would arbitrarily choose to change their gender, so the issue would have to be much deeper than that.  However, my eyes have been opened based on a story that Jeff Probst featured on his show.  He talked to a young man named Sam who was born female.  A few things on this show amazed me as I watched.  The first was how Sam described when he was in 3rd grade, he “got it” when he learned about XX and XY chromosomes.  It became clear to him that his chromosome simply got ‘messed up’.  (I love the simplicity.)  Secondly, when pictures of Sam were shown on the show, it is so blatantly obvious that he has always been a ‘boy’.  No disrespect is intended here at all, but Sam looked like a little boy in girl’s clothes and a wig.  That look was a manifestation of something deep with him.  When he came on stage and the audience had a chance to see him, everything about him was so naturally masculine that I couldn’t believe it.  Click the link below.  You have to see it for yourself.  Tell me what you think!

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