Cousin Butchie!

A few friends and I were discussing a problem which still exists in the gay and lesbian community. We all are beyond bothered by the way people think that the transgender people (who have come out of nowhere) are suddenly identified with normal gay and lesbian people. We already went through the problems of growing up and deciding with lots of fear and trembling to come out of the closet. This transgender hype throws us back into a closet of fear that people are thinking that we are possibly transgender. I don't mean to be prejudice or stupid about this situation, but we are living it and it's not fair.

Not Stupid


Hey, Not Stupid!

In my humble opinion, you are stupid! Perhaps that's insulting to you, but I believe your comments are insensitive and not well researched.

A blog posting before mine by Simone illustrated her experience of prejudice on two levels-- as an African-American woman and as a lesbian. You might go back and read what she has to say.

IMO... In some places and situations there is a greater acceptance of lesbian and gay people, and possibly a better understanding of bisexual people. However the entire awareness of the presence of transgender people has arisen rather quickly. Be that as it may, THEY ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. We have used LGBT (occasionally GLBT) as a description of our community for many years now.

No one is asking you or your friends to date transgender people, but giving them the kind of respect that you cherish is more seriously owed to these brothers and sisters. Some may forget the need for protest marches and demonstrations and the fight for marriage rights. These transgender people are worth our love and listening and compassion. Their journeys have definitely been more difficult than most of ours.

I will say that I needed to take a little time to study the entire background and meaning of the transgender men and women. I was able to understand about 80% at that time. Then I met several transgender people and their stories were inspiring and often very sad because they reminded me of the stories I have heard about the horrible treatment we all received prior to Stonewall and for years to some.

In the present political climate, we don't know exactly how much of our rights and protections will be supported by the Trump Regime. It's time to place the love of our brothers and sisters beyond our sexual attraction to them. We have no excuse to refuse them their proper place in our LGBT community.

Cousin Butchie


P.S.-I realize that I left the "Q" (and other letters) off the LGBT identification. If anyone cares to discuss that, write to me here.

P.P.S.-I have just read that there are 1.25 million transgender people of all ages in the United Sates. How painfully long they remained anonymous is a very somber thought.