Donna I agree theres quite a bit of misunderstanding and non-educated people out there. The one rider they did interview in this story refered to Jordanas a man and may the comment of what if a women came into the bathroom and found Him standing up instead of sitting down. This is a great example of the lack of understanding likewise I'll say that the officer who was interviewed used the Him and He pronouns. I feels this is direct corilation to the fact that Jordans Sex is male his Gender Identity may very well be female and she and she difinitly paases very well as a female. It goes back to the fact that sex has been seen as male and female for over 2000 yrs and thats not going to be easily changed. It leaves me wondering what caused this ? Did someone see her go in ? Did she get read or did a women in the bathroom complain ?

It one reason I choose to do my GRS first and give the hormones more time to work on my face. I wanted to be LEGAL. I weanted the same legal rights as any other female. I've never had a bathroom issue no ones ever giving me a second look while using the lady's room. I known some aren't so lucky. I still feel this world has a long way to go and I honestly dought it is ever going to accept anyone who has a penis as female. They may accept the fact that many want to live in another gender role but they're never going to accept anyone in that role as long as they have genitals of the other sex, thus that's why we have the term shemale. Soceity is willing to bend but its only going to bend so far they will go along with people changing gender roles as long as that change is complete. Wehn it comes to sexuality anyway American is way behind the curve, so getting them to understand much less accept a women with a penis is going to be tuff. Just being the Devils Advocate.

Brandi Parker
SWVA Rep Equality Va

Excellent article, one of your best. It points out why we are angry at times.

donna,
i am flattered to be described as a hero but would not personally claim that title. i do agree that as a minority class, those who are transgender face daily challenges that require courage above and beyond. and most live their lives with humility and dignity in spite of all the indignities and oppression that we face. we are a special people. so very ordinary in almost every way, and yet we live our lives under such extra-ordinary circumstance. i would say that we are survivors, rather than heroes. we do what we have to just to get from one day to the next. and so it goes.

presently, we are in a struggle for basic human rights....up to and including the right to be human, the very right to exist and to live. we are not the first minority to experience oppression, and we won't be the last. it has all been done before. in some parts of the world, it is happening right now. women, gays, and whatever religious or ethnic group of the day suffer from persecution. there will never be a clear victory in the fight for human rights. the fight was not over for people of color with the emancipation proclamation. equality for women was not realized with the right to vote. those of jewish ancestry are not safe solely because of the creation of israel. every day since has been a struggle for equality; for the simple recognition of our common humanity. the fight for that principle is one that will never end because the world always seems to be in flux between enlightened principle and ignorance and bigotry.

i am reminded of a scene in a film, "starman". a scientist asks an extraterrestrial what he likes most about human beings. he answers that we (meaning humanity) are at our best when things are at their worst. well, we sometimes need to be at our best. that doesn't make us heroes. just very much human. be well, and stay true...

Excellent, Donna! While some may claim that the above incidents are isolated, they certainly can have far reaching effects on all of us. While I've never really given the bathroom more than a passing thought for years, now I'm finding it come to mind like say, yesterday at IKEA when I had to relieve myself. And noticing how when I entered, I did a quick check around to see if anyone was questioning whether or not a man with intent to rape (as we're being portrayed in Florida) had just entered the premises. Oh great, I thought, more day-to-day stress to deal with.

I wish I knew the answers. But I do fear that as in most like -instances, the more progress we make, the greater backlash we'll have to trudge through on our way. Let's just pray that most of us make it out in one whole and healthy piece.

Thanks for the work you do!

We see a different form of indignity that is aimed toward African-American trans women here in Atlanta. It's called "WWT," or "Walking While Trans." It comes from the popular term, "DWB," or "Driving While Black." The Atlanta police constantly harass trans women of Color on the streets of Atlanta, regardless of how they are dressed, where they are going, and even if they have been shopping and they have bags in their hands. It can be very degrading.

Monica Helms -- they do that here in Phoenix, too.

And LA.

Here, its WWH as well as WWT, since here its often the hispanic women who get treated as such (and its bad enough given they are subject to being asked anyway if they are "legal").

I've been accused of prostitution simply walking to the corner store.

In broad daylight.

They have no shame, because to them, it is not shameful.

Excellent post.

the walking while trans happens in DC, too. and we even have a general order signed by the chief of police that forbids the harassment. you cannot legislate bigotry into a void. we still have a lot of work to do....

My anger's second-hand, if you like. I've ever been personally bothered by transphobia.

OK, there was the 20 month fight to get a passport, but even then "it was just business, nothing personal" as the Mafiosi say. It was the institution, the system, not the people I dealt with. They were "just following orders".

What angers me is the way others have been treated, those without my resources. Those least deserving of it. The trans girls thrown out on the street by their "loving" families, who have to peddle their bodies just to eat. Those without the support I've had from colleagues, family and friends.

I don't get mad, I get even. By doing what I can, letters, blogging, talks with the Human Rights commissioner, and some personal and practical help too. I feel I owe it to others. I've had immense good fortune, it is only right that I spread it around to the extent I can. Anger is an energy, as the PLC song goes.

Welcome to my world, people. One I've had to deal with since birth.

http://transgriot.blogspot.com/search?q=welcome+to+minority+status

As a white trans woman, I've had one instance of a police officer stopping me for "walking while trans." I had just started living full time and was going to a hobby store that I'd shopped at for several years (and continued to shop at for several more). This hobby store also happened to be in the middle of a part of the city that had a large number of strip clubs and adult bookstores, although it wasn't adult-oriented.

Anyway, this police officer stops me because I have "things...hanging out." That is to say, I was wearing a blouse with the top three buttons undone and he saw a flash of cleavage. He made it clear to me that he believed I was a prostitute and he was going to do something, although he wasn't very clear. Fortunately, I was able to convince him that I was going to this store where the people have known me for years, but it was a real eye-opener - and yet a relatively mild experience. The officer ultimately didn't take me in, try to extort sex acts from me, or engage in any violence against me.

Of course, that was nearly 20 years ago. My run-ins with the police have been thankfully few - my second being an occasion when someone called the police on me for using the women's restroom, but the F on my photo ID meant nothing came of it. I realize that I'm not experiencing the worst of it.