Pros And Cons Of A Trans Community

Community is a word that is often used in modern day to describe people with similar experiences or beliefs. We use this word “community” to put a label on those we feel we resemble in some way. For the people in the trans community, we are all similar in our identity; that we feel as though we are not the gender that was assigned to us at birth. We have many different ways we experience our being trans, including different experiences and beliefs that can be polar opposites. The trans community forms together in online spaces, such as forums or blogs, to support each other and discuss trans-related topics. In these “safe” online settings, protected by a strict communication code, many important discussions happen that both strengthen our bonds
There are groups and forums online devoted to trans people connecting, sharing experiences, and offering support to combat the negativity in society aimed at them. Through these forums, we can see a clear dialogue of shared fear for the public. In one post I can recall, someone sharing a video of them getting yelled at on a subway on their way to work in NYC. Many people offered supportive comments. Intermingled with the support was stories of past abuse and harassment. Many different people, from all over the world, shared similar stories. They talked about the fear and pain they felt, how they coped with the negative feelings an attack such as this can bring about, and about the strength to endure. The Williams Institute estimates that 70% of transgender people have been assaulted or harassed because of their gender identity or expression. If we haven’t been harassed ourselves, we’ve heard of people like us being attacked. Because of this common fear, the trans community is very tight-knit and supportive of its members struggles, more so than other communities I am a part of. Stories of abuse and pain are common, but so are encouragement. Converse to these unifying feelings, there are also moments when members of the trans community are torn
Some trans people feel like these super rich, beautiful stars are misrepresenting what being transgender is like. Caitlyn is not a representation of a sizable majority of trans people. She has enough money to be able to afford the expensive healthcare that comes with medical transition. Usually trans narrative includes saving, fundraising and struggle to reach the point of surgeries and/or hormones. She also came out in early 2016 with her support for Ted Cruz, a republican presidential nominee who has, in the past, advocated for “bathroom bills,” laws excluding transgender people from public bathrooms that match their gender identity. Ted Cruz was once quoted by NBC as saying, “As the father of daughters, I’m not terribly excited about men being able to go alone into a bathroom with my daughters,” showing his general lack of empathy for the transgender plight of equal bathroom access. Many people in the community have spoken out against her, some pointing out her hypocrisy, some even taking it so far as to revoke her “trans status,” misgender her, and use her dead name. This is seen as extreme disrespect and almost cruel, from one trans person to another, as it is a breaking of our strict communication code governed by our shared