Another Huge Anniversary

Coming up very soon in August will be the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment to the constitution known as the right to vote for American women. To put the whole struggle into perspective, the movement started all the way back in 1848 and the campaign was not easy.

Vintage Flapper" Cross dresser

Disagreements over strategy threatened to cripple the movement more than once, I can imagine! I was watching the History Channel and they were running a promo for the anniversary which said one rally drew 5000 women and 100,000 men. I can imagine the turmoil which the whole subject may have caused in my household. I am seventy years old and my Dad's mother was plenty old enough to be involved in the process. My family was very patriarchal dominated so I wonder what my Grand-dad thought too. Of course I will never find out. My parents would have been too young to experience much of the 20's and they have been deceased now for years.

I'm sure if times were equal, not all women back in the day probably agreed on acquiring the right to vote anyhow. It's like today when you would think no self respecting woman would support "Benedict Donald" and even more so a transgender woman. I won't go into why, because this didn't set out to be a political post. Plus, transgender women are notorious for not agreeing on anything.  

It's hard for me to believe I am but two generations away from women taking the right to vote. Just think, five years ago when I changed my gender markers to female I was busy appreciating the move. What I should have been doing was remembering all the women who came before me who did all the work! 

It's something for me to remember as we approach the anniversary.

Jewish Changes

Over the recent years, I have had the opportunity to be accepted into one branch of the Jewish religion. I have not converted but my daughter has. I believe the temple she and her family belongs too is part of the Reform Jewish movement. I have always appreciated the complete acceptance I received. From Southern Florida comes another example of transgender acceptance from one branch of the Jewish religion:

Samantha Zerin (above) headed home from a Yiddish class she had taught as part of her synagogue’s adult education program on the evening of Dec. 19 and knew her life was about to change. That evening, the 775 families at Temple Emanu-El would be getting a message that she knew would surprise some of the people she had gotten to know since joining the community 3 1/2 years earlier.

“Over the past several years, Sam has been exploring Sam’s gender identity,” read a message sent to the congregation from Samantha and her wife, Rachel. “This has been a journey for both of us, full of introspection, learning, and growth. Through this journey, we have come to realize that, although Sam was raised as a boy, she is in fact a woman, and she is ready to begin living her life publicly as such.”

There is much more to Samantha's story you can read here.  The article is called "Coming out as transgender when you are married to a rabbi. Becoming a Rebbetzin.

While we are on the subject of being Jewish, my grandson's Bar Mitzvah turned out to be a virtual affair for Liz and I. She (Liz) wasn't feeling well and since we are living in a virus hot spot in Ohio,  we decided not to go. Fortunately, Liz later felt better. 

So we are home being safe and always wear masks when we go out.

Stay Safe

This "Independence Day" may not be the time to be independent and throw caution to the wind. After all, the virus is taking the toll on us all. Especially if you live in the United States where some people think it is against their personal rights to even consider wearing a mask. I feel sorry for the health care workers who have to take care of all those selfish people. However, I am not going to take up blog space with a rant today. 

So I will leave you with this. Without protest, change never comes.