The “T” in LGBTQIA+ stands for Transgender. This refers to someone whose gender does not align with their birth sex. To understand what this really means, one must either experience it themselves or educate themselves on the topic and employ empathy.
If you’re cisgender (your gender and birth sex align), take some time to imagine waking and discovering you’re inside the other sex’s body. You don’t find it attractive. People think you’re just pretending you’re the gender you are, because all they care about is this wrong body. You’re not welcomed in public restrooms, so being out in public long enough to have to pee becomes a nightmare. You begin to hate your body and your life.
You are condemned by others and their religions. You are fired from your job. Your family disowns you. People often look at you with disgust when you go out in public. All because you can’t hide your gender, as much as you try, and it doesn’t line up with your body.
As you may be able to imagine from this thought experiment, something shared by many transgender individuals is gender dysphoria. It can range from mild to debilitating, and can even drive one to take their own life. Solutions which have been proven to help include social transitioning and gender affirming surgery.
Whether one has surgery has no effect on their gender. Someone doesn’t become a man because they had bottom surgery (metoidioplasty or phalloplasty — penile construction), and they don’t become a woman because they have breast implants. They are already a man or woman. Some choose surgery while others do not.
This month, just like every month, we celebrate you. You are amazing. You are perfect just the way you are. And you deserve the same respect as anyone else, even if you’re not just like everyone else.
You are valid. You belong. And you are loved.
