Accepting Transphobi My Experiences

Freak. Fag. Lesbo. Queer. Tranny. Eath insult is more hateful than the last. Every since I began to present and identify as male and experiment with my gender expression, I have experience a wide variety of reactions. Some could be simply be chalked up as not understanding or a result of close mindedness. But many reactions have a specific reason behind them. Transphobia.
Transphobia is when someone treats a transgender person negatively because of their gender identity and/or expression. It can range from everything from asking inappropriate questions to assault. Nearly every transgender person has experienced transphobia at one time or another. I’ve experience the normal slurs and insults from my high school peers. I’ve had total strangers
I acknowledge that I can’t speak for every transgender person and my experiences don't always reflect theirs. Transgender women especially transgender women of color, have a higher chance statistically of experiencing physical and sexual assault than I ever will. But this doesn’t mean that I should remain silent about my experiences.
I believe that the key to ending transphobia is education. If more people were educated on what it means to be transgender and transgender issues, many would be more understanding and accepting.
In order to educate others, I first need to learn how to get over my fear of speaking in public. In addition, as a transgender man it’s easy for me to only look at issues that affect other transgender males and myself. I need to educate myself on issues affecting transgender women and others in the community.
Even though I plan on majoring in chemistry, I aspire to be an activist in the LGBT+ community. I desire to live in a world without widespread transphobia. No one should ever have to experience the looks, the hateful words and slurs, and the acts of assault and violence. By combining information and education, widespread transphobia can become thing of the