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There are few things more dangerous to a transgender woman than the risk of a straight man not totally comfortable in his sexuality or masculinity realizing he is attracted to her.
Names are important. Not just in the transgender community but everywhere.
one of the first steps in marginalizing someone is to remove their name.
Our identities matter. They help make us who we are and shape our outlook. Existing in them is a radical act, one that requires, in many instances, courage, hard work, and determination.
Still, for many, being publicly out and proud is not an option, even for those who have transitioned. Too often we universalize the need for LGBTQ people to be out in order to move equality forward. This is an unfair burden to bear for an already marginalized community.
Principles are worth something only if you stick by them even when they feel inconvenient.
The promise that we will be judged on our merits at work and ensured equal access to basic necessities no matter our identity is a sacred covenant upheld and defended by our government. It is the foundation for any person to pursue the American Dream, and as I had learned as a little kid reading history books, each generation has been defined by whether or not they opened the doors of equality, opportunity, and prosperity for people long unseen and forgotten.
No one should ever be threatened with violence for exercising their constitutional right to advocate to their elected representatives.
A person’s safety or dignity should not depend on their state or zip code. Equal means equal.
For LGBTQ people to be able to live and thrive without fear of discrimination, it’s not enough to be protected from nine a.m. to five p.m.
How could anyone think that children with cancer deserve to live only if their parents are financially secure?
But as I reworked my speech, a friend reminded me of the Maya Angelou quote that had guided much of my advocacy: “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”
