A Confession of Sorts
I’m considered to be a soft butch. I don’t dress up and I don’t really like dressing like a girl; never have. If I’m wearing makeup, or wearing anything considered girly, I feel like a different person, and not necessarily in a good way. I don’t judge by appearances. For me, a great personality, sense of humor, and pretty eyes are what make me fall for someone. If they have those, then they’re the most beautiful person to me.
I’ve only had one relationship that only lasted a month and a half. That was this year. I’m glad it happened though, because it showed me how much I love love; how beautiful love is. Of course, I’m not referring to sex, I’m referring to just love and how amazing the feeling of being in love with someone is…and how much I miss it.
Today, 20 November 2009, marks the Eleventh Annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance. It’s the day that we set aside to commemorate the lives of people murdered due to trans hate and discrimination and prejudice. This year, we know of one hundred sixty-two persons who have been killed because they were trans* or were perceived by their killers as trans*. (Link to the T-DOR 2009 materials in English at the Transgender Day of Remembrance Website.) We don’t know — can’t know — the names of everyone who has been killed.
It doesn’t matter. Every murder hurts us. Every life stolen because we — everyone outside the cis binary, whether trans or intersex or nonbinary or any or all of those (I will be using trans* as a shorthand for this) — are seen as less than is precious and irreplaceable. We mourn for those who are gone. We grieve with the people who were closest to them.
I personally am angry. All over the world, in every society, we are there and we are dying. Because we are still seen as less than, as mistakes, as inherently deceptive, as the butt of every cruel man-in-a-dress joke, as freaks. Our genitals are viewed as substandard facsimiles at best, our sexualities are commodified and sold when they are considered at all. We are discriminated against in employment and housing, in immigration and criminal justice, in airplane travel, in language. Our medical needs are routinely denied coverage by insurance providers in the United States — even those needs which would be covered, if the insured were a cis person — and can be difficult to obtain even in countries which provide health care to their citizens. Worst of all we are dying because people feel entitled to kill us. Because we are who we are, there are people who feel we deserve to die.
Know an LGBT youth at risk for suicide?
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.
The Trevor Project operates the only accredited, nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth. If you or a friend are feeling lost or alone, call The Trevor Helpline. There is hope, there is help.
Sweden’s Lutheran church names first lesbian bishop.
Sweden’s Lutheran church consecrated its first openly gay bishop, just two weeks after it gave clergy the right to wed same-sex couples.
Eva Brunne became bishop of Stockholm’s diocese in a ceremony Sunday.
She lives in a “registered partnership” with another woman, a civil union between gays used in Sweden before same-sex marriages were legalized this year. The couple also has a child.
“It is very positive that our church is setting an example here and is choosing me as bishop based on my qualifications, when they also know that they can meet resistance elsewhere,” the 55-year-old Brunne told The Associated Press by phone.
Brunne’s spokeswoman Annika Sjoqvist Platzer said she didn’t know of any openly gay women who had reached the position of bishop in other countries.
Lesbians are super awesome.