I Got A Wedgie
As I have written here in Cyrsti's Condo, this week is yet another step towards my goal of slamming the door on my former life...and paying forward the best I can.
Just to catch you up a bit, I am attempting to step up and out in my hometown to do what I can to further TLGB goals. Last night was a public meeting in City Council Chamber outlining the local Springfield (Ohio) Equality Group goals. The location of the meeting and who was going to be there gave me tons of angst. For the first time ever I was going face to face as a trans woman with a veritable who's who of the leaders of the place I was born and active in for most of my life.
As with what normally happens with me, I said to hell with it-hitched up my big girl panties and headed to the meeting. In the process, I gave myself one of the bigger wedgies I have had for a while.
I have my own little motivation mental speech in situations such as this which basically says "nothing is as good or as bad as it seems". Last night was no exception. Upon arrival, all the good seats close to the door were taken - of course and I had to walk around the entire room to find a seat. For the most part, it didn't matter. I garnered very little attention, found a seat and fidgeted around until I fixed my wedgie. It seemed I was mostly invisible with the general public in the room and totally transparent to the local Equality organizers. They are as exclusive as the Pentagon and their speaker never uttered the transgender word. But hey I'm used to that from the male gay community and the presentation got better.
The Equality Ohio speaker who spoke next, was truly inclusive to all- including we invisible transgender people in the room and she did explain the upcoming huge discrimination vote in the Ohio legislature. She specifically said it does include gender identification.
As far as the parent group goes here, I am now a paid member and will take my crusade of one to the general membership meeting this coming Thursday. So this isn't over for me.
Two final positives were presentations by a youth group leader who (yes) included trans women and trans men in her group discussions and a minister who spoke to religious acceptance vs tolerance in a place of worship.
Look, in no way do I think this will ever end in my life-for me. But I continue to feel the youth of our culture will change my generation's ignorance.
Now I have to do something about those pesky wedgies!
Just to catch you up a bit, I am attempting to step up and out in my hometown to do what I can to further TLGB goals. Last night was a public meeting in City Council Chamber outlining the local Springfield (Ohio) Equality Group goals. The location of the meeting and who was going to be there gave me tons of angst. For the first time ever I was going face to face as a trans woman with a veritable who's who of the leaders of the place I was born and active in for most of my life.
As with what normally happens with me, I said to hell with it-hitched up my big girl panties and headed to the meeting. In the process, I gave myself one of the bigger wedgies I have had for a while.
I have my own little motivation mental speech in situations such as this which basically says "nothing is as good or as bad as it seems". Last night was no exception. Upon arrival, all the good seats close to the door were taken - of course and I had to walk around the entire room to find a seat. For the most part, it didn't matter. I garnered very little attention, found a seat and fidgeted around until I fixed my wedgie. It seemed I was mostly invisible with the general public in the room and totally transparent to the local Equality organizers. They are as exclusive as the Pentagon and their speaker never uttered the transgender word. But hey I'm used to that from the male gay community and the presentation got better.
The Equality Ohio speaker who spoke next, was truly inclusive to all- including we invisible transgender people in the room and she did explain the upcoming huge discrimination vote in the Ohio legislature. She specifically said it does include gender identification.
As far as the parent group goes here, I am now a paid member and will take my crusade of one to the general membership meeting this coming Thursday. So this isn't over for me.
Two final positives were presentations by a youth group leader who (yes) included trans women and trans men in her group discussions and a minister who spoke to religious acceptance vs tolerance in a place of worship.
Look, in no way do I think this will ever end in my life-for me. But I continue to feel the youth of our culture will change my generation's ignorance.
Now I have to do something about those pesky wedgies!
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