Transphobia in the GLBT "Community"

Many people think of the GLBT community as just that - a community. Even people who identify as part of said "community" make this mistake repeatedly.

In truth, the GLBT community is divided. Gays and lesbians often band together, but even they can get weirded out or totally transphobic when it comes to interacting with transgendered people. Drag queens are one thing, but actual oh my god transpeople throw off their groove.

There's a boy at my school who is very flamboyantly gay. A few weeks ago, I heard him describe something as a "hot tranny mess" and I was a little appalled. That same week, I'd heard him get very offended when someone made a slightly racist remark. So racism is totally offensive, but saying "hot tranny mess" is totally acceptable? Wow.

You'd think that gay and lesbian people would be among the first to accept transgendered people. You'd be wrong.

At the beginning of the year, I went to the Gay-Straight Alliance meeting at my college. I figured that was the best place to begin to look for acceptance. Boy, was I wrong!

During the course of that meeting, I was told that I am heterosexual because I like boys, even "if I become male."

There is so much wrong with that statement. With that outlook.

I am not going to become male. Why? Because I am already male, regardless of the fact that I have breasts. Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not a girl and I never have been!

Secondly, I am a boy that likes boys. That makes me homosexual. And I've had a long hard road, here, so let's not label me something else that I'm not, okay? Okay.

I was also told that, instead of performing in drag as a woman, that I should be a drag king!

I was shocked into speechlessness. These people, who were supposed to be part of some imagined community, just did not understand. I can't be a drag king. Boys are not drag kings. I had mentioned that I've performed in shows as a girl, effectively making me a drag queen, and this is the response that I get?

I've found that the gay community is just as uneducated and transphobic as the straight community. It seems to me that there is something so inherently wrong about this. I honestly thought those of us who are looked down upon for our sexualities and gender identities were supposed to stick together.

I look forward to the day when there really is a community, and we can all at least try to understand each other. I hope such a day can really exist.

Some days it's hard to keep the faith.