No Laughing Mattter

Required Reading.... Why laughing out at what many in the world describe as a "guy" dressed as a female isn't a laughing matter. Being the target of jocularity provides the vehicle necessary to trivialize and marginalize those who are truly transgender and simply trying to live their lives. We don't laugh at people who are born differently or who face special and unique challenges in their lives. That same underlying respect should apply to everyone. Although the intent may not be there in this latest public meme, trust that the connotation of how this is interpreted by the majority of the public will only play to enforce that meme of gender conformity....or be laughed at, mocked, trivialized and marginalized. I know many of us don't have problems out there in society as transgender individuals but there are many who do...some facing violent actions taken against them, That, in itself, indicates an underlying problem rooted in fear and ignorance that needs to stop being reinforced as we see here and elsewhere.  We don't need to continue and foster the violent crimes perpetrated against so many transgender individuals by fueling it in a negative way.  All fires start from a small, lit match.

The transgender community often uses words "Tranny" and other such terms within their own circles and suggest that these words are not negative in and of themselves. Perhaps not... BUT... consider the perspective here in that a transgender person has omniscience and understanding of the transgender group as a whole and knows the context they may be using this within. They also have at least some understanding of the plights and hardships which transgender individuals face in their daily quest for survival and integration into and within society. The general public, who is ONLY generally fed these negative terms has no conception to base an accurate opinion of a transgender person on.... and no way to ascertain what the real problems they face in this world really are.... because they are never presented with accurate views or terminology. We must consider this and consider the perspectives we, as a transgender community exist in, and the omniscience of understanding we possess uniquely....and realize that the general public still doesn't have this. It means we need to continue to foster positive thinking, positive role modeling and positive terminologies which better comprise and envelope the "ALL" of who we are and not just the media faced caricatures which dominate and pervade today.

An excellent link to a well written story worth reading....   Thank You....

http://www.out.com/news-opinion/2014/01/27/justin-biebers-drag-race-troubled-pop-star-looks-girl-funny-right