I began succeeding at it. I began writing again, creating things, being my old self. Being the self I’ve wanted to see for a long time. I could get out of bed easier, and stay productive longer. I’m less anxious and more excited about approaching life, about going to school. My social life has flourished and I finally have a chance to start over.
Recently, the New York LGBT Center canceled an event that would give voices to right-wing LGBT individuals after the public put together many petitions, as well as made the center aware of the beliefs and values many of these individuals held. One such Youtuber targetted was Blaire White, a transgender conservative female who is very open about her political values such as her support for Donald Trump. She is one of the first transgender celebrity figures to openly identify with such values, and by being open about them, she has raised questions about what it means to be in the LGBTQ+ community.
The moves that my school has made provides a starting point for discussions about transgender students, and the unique issues we face when approaching college. While I am forever grateful to be able to avoid being deadnamed in my school system, I can’t help but feel as if a plan must be put into place providing school systems with the proper limits, boundaries, and resources to create an environment that’ll allow us to succeed like our peers. Performing at the best possible level is the only thing a student should be worrying about when approaching college, not the complex legality issues we currently face.
While we adjusted quickly, the world around us did not. The first day we held hands, I remember someone approaching us… he barely knew A himself, but he felt comfortable enough to say this: “Why do you even like her?” He brushed it off, but it stayed in my mind. Later, he was asked more and more inappropriate, intimate questions about my body