Are You Guilty Of Unintentionally Bashing The LGBTQ Community?

Transgender individuals often accuse cisgenders (identifying with your birth assigned sex) of transphobia. Any type of negative comments about their lifestyle, choice of partners, or any other popular culture news discussion is off limits.

They control the narrative. As a cisgender woman, I don't want anyone feeling judged. I work hard to not judge anyone. I firmly believe that love is love. I hate hearing the media stories about trans people being attacked or killed, just because of their sexuality.

What Is Transphobia?

Let's start with the basics. According to Wikipedia, the definition of transphobia is a collection of ideas that encompasses a large range of negative attitudes, feelings, or actions toward transgender people. Transphobia can include fear, aversion, hatred, angry, and discomfort toward those individuals that refuse to conform to society's norms.

In short, it is a discrimination similar to racism and sexism. The statistic show trans people are often the target of racism, sexism, and transphobia. The trans youth often experience sexual harassment, excessive bullying, and violence in schools. As adults, transgender people experience public shame, misgendering, threats of violence, and false arrest based on their sexuality.

It's easy to understand how they might not feel safe in public. Another statistic stated many trans people experience the worst harassment from their families, the people who should support them.

Another threat is the Bible thumpers and conservative groups. They believe they are "sinning" by changing their gender and refuse to understand or accept them as part of society. In response to the extreme harassment they receive, many transgender individuals turn to drugs, run away from home as teens, and consider suicide.

The general census from many transphobia people is cisgender individuals are superior to trans because they are a "defiance to nature," at least in their opinion. Of course, we all know that is not true.

Transgender People Deserve Human Rights

They often exclude trans people from entitlements most of us take for granted. For example, no one gives me any side eye if I walk into a women's bathroom. However, a trans woman might get dirty looks or be told she needs to go to the men's bathroom.

Homeless shelter, hospitals, and prisons often deny women the right to be housed with other females. Hospitals will misgender trans people, which causes emotional pain for the individual.

Misgendering

Misgendering is a complex issue. It is something I am working on in my own life. I rarely mix it up, but I have unintentionally mixed up pronouns. I would hate for someone to call me a he when I am a she. The same goes for non-binary individuals. They don't want to be called she or he, when they prefer they/them.

A research study, 81 trans people, in Philadelphia concluded nearly 20% of the participants said their doctors refused medical care after they revealed they were trans.

"Broader efforts to address transphobia in society in general, and in medical education in particular, may be required to improve the quality of medical care for [transgender and gender diverse] patients," the study reported.

It's a problem for the trans community because they need medical care for hormone replacement therapy. In one case, Robert Eads died of ovarian cancer after being denied by two dozen doctors to treat him. In another case, Tyra Hunter was involved in a horrific car accident. After the first responders learned of her trans status, they backed away and didn't work as hard to save her. She died several days later in the hospital.

Everyone Deserves To Feel Safe

A research study in Canada asked trans high schoolers how safe they felt in high schools. - over 80% of the participants said they didn't feel safe in schools. Of that 80%, 40% reported someone had physically abused them.

I started this article to learn to understand what transphobia means. It's more than not accepting them or not understanding. If you make jokes about sexually identifying as a car, or whatever lame meme you share on social media, it could be considered transphobic.

It's easy to pick on people you don't understand. It takes a bigger person to say, I don't understand why you changed your sex or felt you were born the wrong sex, but I accept you as you are and I want to see you succeed.

I don't want to see anyone - cisgender, gay, lesbian or trans - live in poverty. But according to a 2018 survey, nearly 40% of trans people live in poverty. Jobs will often not hire them, worrying about how they will relate to customers and co-workers.

What You Can Do

This is a big problem in society, and we need to fix it. Let me be clear, I don't think making fun of someone who is trans, bi, gay, straight, black, white, or latino is funny. It's mean and a big character flaw.

When I was 16, one of my cousins was a cross dresser - that's what we called them in the 80s. My great-grandpa, who was born in 1889 in London, England, told me something I will never forget. He said don't worry about what Jim does. He isn't inviting you to his bedroom or asking you to pay his bills. He just wants to live life authentic to him. And, we as his family need to support him. Later, Jim transitioned and became a beautiful woman. Her new name is Lucy.

It's time to start loving each other, differences in all. I don't have to understand what would make someone want to change their sex. It's not my business. I can accept everyone as they are and demand they have access to the same liberties I have - the right to healthcare, love whoever I want, and to feel safe.

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Originally posted on Medium.