Somehow in the blur that was the month of March, I completely missed this WONDERFUL, thought-provoking piece from the ACLU‘s #WomensRightsProject director Ria Tabacco Mar.
I speak often about how the warm embrace of my #cisgender female colleagues greatly aided me after I came out in my workplace, and how, as I continued to live into my authentic self at work, I found myself living at the intersection of gender equity and gender inequality. Reading this piece made me realize how much transwomen share the same space in the battle that is the women’s rights movement. As Ria so aptly points out, “Not only is there no conflict between demanding rights for women and for all transgender people, advances in #trans #rights hold a specific promise for women’s liberation. . . Defending trans people is not only a moral duty for the #feminist #movement; it is central to it.” Thank you for standing in #solidarity with my #community, my sister!
Trans Rights Are Women’s Rights
As we move from Black History Month #blackhistorymonth and into Women’s History Month, #womenshistorymonth, the beautiful and poignant words of Maya Angelou #mayaangelou give me hope at a time when there is so much hate and bigotry directed at the transgender community. If only those that seek to legislate us out of existence would stop the nonsense and embrace the indisputable fact that we are . . . One Human Family . . . .
“I note the obvious differences
In the human family.
Some of us are serious,
Some thrive on comedy.
Some declare their lives are lived
As true profundity,
And others claim they really live
The real reality.
The variety of our skin tones
Can confuse, bemuse, delight,
Brown and pink and beige and purple,
Tan and blue and white.
I’ve sailed upon the seven seas
And stopped in every land,
I’ve seen the wonders of the world
Not yet one common man.
I know ten thousand women
Called Jane and Mary Jane,
But I’ve not seen any two
Who really were the same.
Mirror twins are different
Although their features jibe,
And lovers think quite different thoughts
While lying side by side.
We love and lose in China,
We weep on England’s moors,
And laugh and moan in Guinea,
And thrive on Spanish shores.
We seek success in Finland,
Are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
In major we’re the same.
I note the obvious differences
Between each sort and type,
But we are more alike, my friends,
Than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
Than we are unalike.
We are more alike, my friends,
Than we are unalike.
Songwriters: Maya Angelou / Shawn Rivera
My colleague in The Movement, Erin Reed, does an absolutely amazing job of tracking all of the hate-filled anti-transgender bills in various states of consideration across the U.S. in her #ErinInTheMorning column on #Substack. The total number of bills is both jaw-dropping and frightening: 370!! But remember, to be a strong ally, means being an INFORMED ally!
Anti-trans bills are proliferating throughout the United States – 367 in total – making it daunting to keep track of them all. Rather than inundate readers with details, this overview will provide a bird’s eye view of the major trends we are seeing… Read Full Article
PLEASE STOP whatever you are doing and take a few minutes – it’s only 13 pages long – and read this wonderful summary report by the good folks at the MOVEMENT ADVANCEMENT PROJECT! I think it does a very thorough job of encapsulating the breadth and depth of the outright assault on #lgbtq people – most especially #transgender people – in our country today. In any published op-ed I have ever authored I have always been quick to point out that the only goal of those that oppose my #community have only ONE goal: our eradication. Make no mistake, these attacks are systematic and coordinated. As the authors put it, “Anti-LGBTQ forces want nothing less than to eliminate openly LGBTQ people from the fabric of #society.” We need our #allies more than ever…Read Report
*featured image is from lgbtmap.org
What a privilege to be included amongst such an amazing group of voices for our movement! Thank you again for having me!
Thank you for joining us for our #FARSIGHTFRIDAY last week on Gender Identity. This was a powerful conversation that covered everything from recent laws and attacks on our trans communities, to the need for advocacy over allyship, to best practices for what advocates and allies can do in society and in the workplace, to supporting our children and youth who are exploring their own gender expansion. If you missed it, stay tuned for the video coming soon!