Breadcrumbs

 

Sometimes you just have to comment on little bits and pieces of what's going on.

(1)Preaching to the choir.  That's what I do because those not involved with the LGBT community couldn't care less if we all fell off the edge of the earth.  As someone told me "we all have our crosses to bear".  Good analogy for an April day huh?  The same man who said people worship and claim to aspire to be like carrying a cross and having throngs of people cheer and clap as he went by.  Now versions and interpretations vary on this but there was one man, Simon of Cyrene who helped carry the cross.  Analogous to sharing the burden of a man he didn't really know. He could have been a Jew or could have been a black or could have been both but that should not really matter, except that the man he helped wasn't part of the world he knew.  Again I just ask you to change one word and put your descriptor in it's place.  Your name instead of Simon's would be easy.

Now I fully understand that it may have been that the Roman soldiers FORCED Simon to carry the cross.  Sort of like when  a law takes weight off someone's cross and those who feel themselves above the cross bearer feel that maybe a little of their rights are violated.  Yet the man did it.  It doesn't say anthing about him objecting.  In fact, there are suggestions the man became a follower.

OK now I scared several people who think that helping to bear a cross such as being LGBT will make them a follower.  In a way, yes it will.  It will make you a follower of the man who said "Love thy neighbor as thy self"

So, the image marked (1) above pokes fun at those who think their crosses are equal to others. and then beg off helping because "They already have their crosses to bear".  Remember "He ain't heavy, he's my brother" (which as it would happen, is the slogan of Boy's Town, a Nebraska landmark that should represent the middle American spirit.  Unfortunately, if it does at all, it is taken as "He is my white, straight, Christian brother").

Breadcrumbs for The choir

(2) Shows a good thing.  The whole article is at DenverPost.com transgender-soldier-caught-middle.  But it was FRONT page.  Not buried in the back.  Not hidden with the car ads...front damn page.

People who meet me tell me that the T community isn't marginalized.  That we are free to go and do what we want to do.  That we are protected by the same laws and rules that every 'Merican is protected under (except when we aren't because laws are passed to keep us out of mainstream...I digress...as always). 

In the last 4-5 years, mostly due to administration change and their support of equal rights, the "gay" community has made some advances.  Don't Ask Don't Tell has been taken off the books so gay and lesbian people can serve their country (which they have been doing silently ever since GAY was invented in 1969 in NYC at Stonewall).  Right now (and this could change with the next President or Congress) gay's can be married and enjoy all the physical and monetary rights that straights have abused for years.  They can adopt (sometimes maybe).  They can keep jobs (Sometimes maybe).  They are citizens (Sorta of kinda with caveats in many areas).

The transgender community fell behind. Often actually EXCLUDED from legislation intentionally.  DADT?  Trans are still a "Medical reason for discharge".  The use of public facilities (restrooms and lockers) are restricted.  Just to name two.

But now, because of the President and others like the man in the article the restriction on military service may be lifted.  The right to fight and maybe die for a country that still sees you as "Less" can be yours.  I don't remember any transgender people in my unit in the Army in the middle 70's...OK maybe one but she didn't show it because she would have been discharged, beaten, maybe even KILLED.  So she kept it to herself.  Funny she did her job and no one even suspected.  There were probably more but we (oops let that out didn't I?) didn't even acknowledge it between ourselves.  The article says 15000.  Fifteen THOUSAND serving right now.  Fifteen thousand patriotic Americans who are willing to give up their identity to protect those who pass laws marginalizing them.  I find that amazing.  How heavy is THAT cross?

Please read the article


One more breadcrumb...this one with a twist.
(3) is about a MAN who was in a women's restroom taking photos.  Not a transwoman; a man.  Oh he is not an oddity.  The oddity would be the man dressed as a woman in a women's restroom with bad intent. No this is the norm for sexual predators.  They don't take the time to disguise themselves...they , like Nike, just do it.

Yet this is still a major article for transpersons.  States still trying to pass laws (making OUR cross heavier) because of folklore.  15000 soldiers (see above) and who are the ones who sexually assault their fellow soldiers.  Not the trans...it is usually a man (There maybe cases of women too but they are rare).  The same in the Civvie world.  Transpeople aren't stalkers or perverts any more than the general population.  But we get special laws passed for us.  

Those who ain't in the choir (are there any out there?), please note.  We ( the transgender community which includes far more people than just trassexuals) are not dangerous.  WE aren't perverts.  We are your neighbors, you friends, your firefighter-police-military-medical-everyone you know. 

The man in the article was in the light because he is a pedophile.  Otherwise a man taking pictures of women in a restroom, would not be in the paper...it happens EVERYDAY.  But they are men...not transpeople, just men.  The odd one gets in the paper...so you will be able to say "Yep, only ________'s" are sexual predators.  We aren't.  We are good law abiding people who would risk our lives for you if you needed, without a second thought about "Oh they're straight" or "They are Christian" or they are from Indiana.

Damn  I ran out of bread
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