Living Our Authentic Selves

As a school age child, I knew I was different.  I used tools with the “wrong hand,” was called

sinister, lefty and special by teachers and other students.  Some in authority even tried to force

me to use my right hand instead. One teacher would switch my pencil to my right hand when

she walked by my desk.  I learned to never write until her back was to me and relied on other

students to distract her attention to finish my work. Or I would hold a pencil upright in my right

hand and put a second one up my sleeve of my left hand to complete work.  There were two of

us who were lefties and we had one left handed desk that had been retrofitted for an older

student. Could another be crafted for our mutual comfort? No, that would be wasteful, we were told. It wouldn’t serve the best needs of the greatest number of students.  It would be special treatment for just a few people. It was often frustrating when we did art. The left handed scissors were dull and I found that the right handed scissors were fine, if held upside down. I made do with the resources available, but was not given any tools to assist in my adjustment.  I eventually became ambidextrous in several tasks just to make fewer issues and draw less attention to myself. I knew that to try to become a full righty was just not in my makeup. In order to engage my brain, skills, and neuro transmitters correctly, I had to use my left hand.  

It wasn’t a choice, or something I was exploring to see how it fit.  It was how my brain and neurons
were wired. I could no sooner change the hand I utilized in writing than I could change my skin tone,
or eye color.  It was a distinct part of my being and identity. I identify as a left handed person and no
amount of rules, restriction, bullying or descrimination was going to change that.  My family didn’t see
a need to advocate on my behalf. It was just something we had to get used to and deal with as subtly
as possible to not make waves.  

I’m talking about being left-handed in the 1970s in a private school. Insert trans-gender for left-handed to see what this is like for people who identify as other than the sex their biology appears to determine. Read this as someone forced to appear, dress and act as something different than their true self. Read this as someone literally dying to live as their true indentity against all costs, because the frustration of being forced to live against the grain often results in suicide attempts by transgender youth. Ostracism by family, bullying by peers, a lack of understanding and feeling it's a phase or social experimentation are some of the many forces working against transgender youth. Then society as a whole attempts to deny their right to access a bathroom. Would you want your child or yourself to be subject to that kind of hatred and ignorance?

In the 1990s, I worked in a building that had security-coded single-use bathrooms. One of the other employees in the building was living her true self as a female to satisfy conditions put in place by the medical field to validate hormone pills, injections and other steps that would complete her transformation from male to female appearance. The uproar from other colleagues it caused JUST to give her the CODE for the women's rest room was insane. Wasn't this person going through enough? Who would put on pantyhose and control garments if they weren't FULLY committed? Apparently, we haven't progressed as much as I had hoped.

 A small group of people at our church gathered and engaged in discussion after watching together
The Most Dangerous Year
https://www.amazon.com/Most-Dangerous-Year-Annabelle-Knowlton/dp/B07SCKSGX4/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+most+dangerous+year&qid=1571099632&sr=8-1

A movie documenting the path of families supporting transgender school age children. It is
available for about $4 from Amazon Prime and is well worth the cost and time to view the movie. 
Among these were 90yo grandparents with a need to understand and know how to support those in our
midst traversing this road, not by choice or whim, but by the need to live their authentic selves.

The most ironic point for me came when our blind Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib was one of the only
politicians with the CLEAR VISION - let that sink in - to recognize that protecting the civil rights of these
children and future transgender persons was clearly equal to protecting ADA rights that he had been
subject to discrimination for due to his blindness.  He also assured my vote for him for as long as he
chooses to run for being on the right side of history in standing up to protect the rights of LGTBQIA -
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (and any other letters necessary
to be fully inclusive) as a commitment, not due to politics, but because it is an issue of moral integrity.

Be educated, be aware of signature gathering efforts to eliminate the rights of others.
Be open to the plight of others who fight for rights that in no way threaten your own.
Be on the RIGHT side of History.