When I look back at my life I see my being transsexual as one of the least radical and least revolutionary things about me.
Perhaps others view it that way but I cannot.
I simply see it as being myself and living my life authentically.
You supply your own suffix to the word trans… Your life, your choice of words for describing that life…
For myself a quote from Anais Nin has always seemed to describe the reason why I came out while I was 21.
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
I was fortunate. I grew up and came of age when authenticity was far more important than image. I live among people who valued authenticity and honesty.
As Dylan sang, “When you live outside the law, you must be honest.”
Coming out was natural ones I dug deep enough and found my authentic self. Anything less wouldn’t have been living up to my personal ideals.
Recently TransGriot, Monica Roberts posted: It Is Revolutionary To Be Trans
In it she quotes Laverne Cox “It is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen and visible in a world that tells us we should not exist.”
I beg to differ.
Living authentically is just being yourself.
Further given all the hatred of anyone who is different in any degree from some imaginary standard any act of non-conformity takes courage.
When one is down by law due to something about their being, and we should know that includes things like race, class, and a whole slew of other factors including trans… Well then just the being trans isn’t revolutionary or even radical.
If it were then sisters who are silicone pushers are revolutionary even as they maim and kill other sisters.
If simply being trans is revolutionary then the vicious name calling trolls like Jennifer Usher and others are revolutionary.
The same could be said of those sisters and brothers who are openly racist, proud to embrace right wing values.
Or those trans-folks who wind up dying from substance abuse because they never had the courage to 12 step their way into sobriety.
Just being something that one is born is not revolutionary.
On the other hand being trans and living your life with honesty and dignity, showing generosity and kindness to other sisters and brothers, well that’s pretty radical.
You don’t have to be a leader to do this, you simply have to strive to be good and decent.
Too often we show jealousy and spite towards each other.
Spite and jealousy are not virtues, living down to all the negative stereotypes people have of us isn’t revolutionary.
Sometimes being a good example rather than a bad one is the most radical thing one can do.
One of the big short comings of the Trans-Movement has been the way everyone declares themselves a leader.
People who say they just want to live their lives are told they need to be leaders.
Why?
Why can’t we just relax and go about our lives being good decent people, supporting our various progressive causes, while living quiet lives as ordinary decent ethical people?
Actually being a revolutionary is a hard life that tends to lead to an early death.
It isn’t a term to use lightly as though it were an advertising term.
