Minority rights in the US...
 

I know i shouldn't post another topic, and I feel like a bit of a hypocrite, but I found something very good I needed to post.

I found this on Venus Envy:

http://venusenvy.keenspace.com/d/20041105.html
http://venusenvy.keenspace.com/d/20041108.html

She sums up my feelings pretty well.

Minorities, especially people of alternate sexuality, have it petty rough in America right now.
As a fellow trans lesbian, I want to marry a girl some day. It's possible in some states to use their own idiocy against them, and cancel out the trans and lesbian to become a "straight guy", and get married that way, but I doubt that loophole will exist for very long, and you'd have to move to those states as the marriage wouldn't be allowed.

I want to get married dammit! It'd break my heart if I couldn't. I want to have a wedding in a big forest and kiss my same-sex bride and be happy for oncei n my fucking life. I was going to move over to America at one stage; fuck that, I'm either staying in Ireland/UK, or moving to the US where my basic civil rights are weakened each day.
Which am I going to choose, do you think?

I don't want a "Civil Union". Where's the roses and romance in that? Or the legal benefits? But giving me my rights opens the door to all kinds of crazy things, like equality?

But that's okay, because there's 51% of you that are perfectly happy with your choice, right?

I empathize with your position. You'll have to fight for your rights, and what's scary is, you'll probably lose...

I empathize too, but please, you have remarked many times in many threads you're a lesbian transsexual, we're kind of aware now. People are oddly enough more tolerant when they don't have to be constantly reminded of someone's choices and sexuality. It's the frequently stating 'hey I am like this, different == okay' attitude that tends to offend the sensibilities of otherwise moderate people.

I guess it's just my opinion. Really, I don't need to have it brought up several times. I'm not saying this as a mod, just as shiney. It might have something to do with why everyone complains so much, a vicious cycle of sorta. They are unhappy because you keep clamoring, you keep clamoring because they are unhappy. *shrugs*

I totally hear you on that one. Suffering the reality of gender dysphoria is hard enough, but having the world's largest super power bat us around for it? When the hell did the US go from "Leaders of the Free World" where one's "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" were gauranteed to some crazy war mongering Patrio-Act Police state where it's okay to rob people of the basic joys of living because of your own biggotry?

...Sigh... Not that Canada's overwhelmingly better *Looks down at post card addressed to the Premier as part of a massive trans letter writting campaign* Equal health care my ass, I want my surgery damnit!

EDIT ('cause I missed it.):
Just be glad that I got an LJ and that a trans-youth-group formed in my city, otherwise I'd have driven you insane. I haven't been around for a long time (Owing to school and work on my own comics.) so I can't really comment on Wetflame's posts much, but at least I can speak from my own experience.

You know how I was pre-transition? With all the angry ranting and gay bashing and rampant insanity? Of course you do! You're the one who banned me for it back in the day! :D Well, you can basically attribute the lot of that to the repression of my gender dysphoria. You can't expect it to be less of a factor in my life when I'm only now dealing with it.

I wake up each mouning to a mountain of trans-related pills and thereafter spend every momment before leaving for school fussing over trying to look like a normal girl. Throughout the day I sctutinize every utterance to come out of my mouth and every move I make trying to ensure that I pass as a girl. After school, I can relax with my friends, all of which are also transsexual/transgendered, or otherwise affiliated with the GLBT community. Then as for the media, I'm confronted at least on a weekly basis with something related to gay marriage, the trans health care appeal in Ontario, awful talkshows/documentaries/reality TV programs mocking my existence, as well as the occassional peice of depressing trans literature (Venus Envy made cry...)

So what can I say, it's a rather ridiculously predominant aspect of my life, as much as it shouldn't have to be. I know people with one track minds are annoying, but it's something I really can't help. One more thing, you stated "choice" in there... I'm going to assume that was a mistake because I'm sure it's been made painfully clear by many people even besides myself that no one chooses to be queer and anyone who would is simply insane...

So ya, respectfully yours,

Annoying t-girl Devon Laura Lake

I agree, and I'd just like to point out a sad issue in the world: many of the supposed "homophibics" and gay-haters out there are actually homosexuals who cannot come to terms with their own feelings, so they lash out in order to convince themselves and the world around that they are not really what they actually are...

Devon: choices and sexuality. Not of. :) Sorry for the misunderstanding, I meant with the way they present themselves...being gay/gender dysphoria certainly isn't something you decide to be, but what you do with that fact is. The people who find it necessary to never drop the issue actually tend to make matters worse, in my opinion. Those who merely 'are' gay/whatever else, live their lives as a normal person really don't. They're just another aspect of society, trying to get along instead of forcing (trying to) everyone to get along.

I agree with you to some degree, but on the other hand, ignorance is a major problem with regards to our community. Most people don't know the difference between transsexuality, transgenderism, transvestitism, crossdressing, drag, or what have you, and that can really skew the hell out of things. I've seen surveys claiming that about 50% of people in the US state that they don't know any gay people (Far more likely, they don't know any that are out.) Considering that statistically its people who actually know gays that sympathize with them, that's a rather dangerous fact. Not that that necessarily applies here.

The “It’s okay that you’re queer, just don’t flaunt it,” attitude is fairly common, even within the GLBT community to some degree. To them I would reply that trying to just act normal and fit in is what got us into this mess in the first place and that as a marginalized group we need to celebrate our diversity. Gay pride is one of the few events where I can walk around and feel totally normal; you can generally let lose and express yourself anyway you want and be respected and appreciated for it. Being able to break down one’s personal inhibitions and come out can provide a strong basis for other much needed self-exploration; you may discover that besides being gay, you’re also a total fairy. I strongly believe that this aspect of gay culture needs to be accepted to.

As for queers who just won’t shut the hell up… Sure it can be annoying if you’re just not that hardcore about the issue, but then, people obsessed with anything get annoying. Like Trekkies or Buffy the Vampire Slayer fanatics… Ugh… Anyhow, I still try to tolerate these nuisances. Sure, it can be tedious as hell trying listening to my fundamentalist Christian friend droning on about the glory of God 24/7, but I understand that it’s the basis of his entire life so I really can’t hold it against him for doing so. Anyhow, my solution for dealing with people who just won’t shut up about their new girlfriend or the cat or whatever is usually just to ignore them; to tolerate them, but from a far, far away…

Ok, first off, I'm F'ing pissed right now, I had this long thing typed out, and my F'ing browser screwed up (i accidently hit the "tab" button) so when I hit the "backspace" key, I wasn't in the text window and it counted as the shortcut for the "back" in my browser, so I lost the whole thing I was almost done typing, and I'm too lazy to type it up again. So I'll paraphrase.

I really wisah people would stop using the word "homophobe." It just doesn't make sense in the context that it is being used. The two roots that are conjuagated pretty much literally mean "fear of sameness." So ya, it doesn't make sense.

Sorry about being so "in your face". I don't mean to. It just hurts to much not being able to tell a lot of people in real life, I have to tell someone.

But anyway, this is very much the way America has gone in general, rather than just specifically Bush.

Devon, I don't know the accuracy of surveys. You're not necessarily taking a poll of 280 million people to make this survey count. Rather, you're taking a poll of 100 - 200 people and having that fit for the rest of the world.

Many people have their own things to deal with. For some gender issues are more a personal thing. Hell, it could be a religious thing that seriously offends people.

Wetflame, why is a union from the state so important?