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Gilda, thank you for opening up this topic to discussion. Over the course of my college career I have taken several classes on human sexuality, including one on the history of sexuality in which we had to read Joanne Meyerowitz's book "How Sex Changed." In my women and sexuality class we read excerpts from the book and an article (the name of the author has slipped my mind, but it is referenced in a paper I wrote that I don't have access to at the moment) dealing with transsexual hate crimes.
Transsexuality is an issue many ignore, including others marginalized by their sexuality/gender (for instance, the GLBT community just came around to welcoming transsexual/transgendered folks under their umbrella in the late 90s). Hate crimes committed against transsexual/transgendered people are also largely ignored. I wrote an extensive paper on that topic for my women and sexuality class, focusing on the media coverage of the Mathew Shepard case versus a similar incident in Texas that happened to a transgendered teenager. In my paper I addressed the fact that the media tends to make transsexual/transgendered people into a circus sideshow versus trying to treat them like normal human beings. The example of Christine Jorgensen illustrates just how the media has done this--Christine's tabloid coverage is the first really clear example and there are many more that follow.
I've yet to meet a transsexual, and believe me, I desire the opportunity to humanize them versus thinking of them in some nebulous scholarly context. They seem to be the one thing really lacking in our GLBT community on campus, though I'm sure they are out there. I can only hope I'm a loud enough voice that they know they have an ally and friend in me.
Please tell Sissy that even though I am a stranger I am enormously proud of her for being true to herself despite the hardship of doing so. The same goes for you, Gilda. The both of you deserve much applause for having the spine and strength to be yourselves. I can only imagine the difficulty Sissy is facing in her change but I imagine it's worth it in the end. I wish her the best of luck with her surgery, and I'm glad that she has a sister like you to support her. I hope everything goes well for both of you.
Thank God for Harry Benjamin, eh?
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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau
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