'I am transgender and I want my voice to be heard' by iReports CNN

CNN iReports made a request for 'transgendered, transsexual or questioning individuals to put a message they would like others to know about them on a sign, and to take a self-portrait holding it up'.  12 portraits were selected out of ~83 submitted to CNN, each with a picture and caption that tells part of their story which was posted on their iReport site on April 14th.

An extremely well done article was written by Jordan Sarver, who highlighted many of the concerns that transgendered people have.  While the issues are similar to each other they also show that trans folk are indeed different from each other as well.  Knowing one transperson's feeling related to their gender does not mean that it can be applied to all as they are nuances.

The selected pictures were an overall representation of some of the issues that trans, gender fluid, intersex folks face such as; family rejection, stereotypes, employment issues, coming out vs being stealth, not quite passing, being made fun of, finding true acceptance, the role of religion, and being trans is not about hurting another but being true to oneself.  Many of the pictures not selected echoed the same themes while others added thoughtfully things we may have heard or thought before.  It was refreshing to see this on CNN and not the normal gay press.

This was an impressive project of iReport's and it relayed an overall message that those trans-identified have similar thoughts and feelings as the rest of societies members and should be treated with respect rather than by stereotypes.  CNN started with the premise that trans-identified folks felt misunderstood and provided a platform to have their voices heard.  I invite you to look at the many other pictures/stories that were not selected as they were equally moving and may tell your story or that of your loved one.

I lost a bit of time looking at the pictures, reading the stories and the responses.  Of course, in an open internet platform people have the option to write anonymously as much nasty stuff as they can muster and it is wonderful that we can selectively ignore them.  There were also many many supportive and moving posts that embraced the people that posted.  I appreciated the many that provided support for the posters for who they were!

I know that things do not change overnight and for many of us that have been fighting some of these battles for many years it can seem like change is never quick enough.  I do believe that we have to take notice when we have small wins or acknowledgments, be grateful for any progress, push for more and remember that together we are strong! 

From the heart,

Ms T