: Attacks on TG people :
I was out this evening at my weekly TG group social gathering at a cafe in Montrose, a predominantly gay part of Houston. I was with my friend Kyla ("Eye of the beholder" - Oct. 7, 2005) and while we were there, she got accosted by a man who clocked her (identified her as TG). When she asked him what his problem was, he made some scathing comment about how at least he was "normal" and that he had served in the military. He continued to snicker at her, until finally his friend (who was black AND gay) came over and apologized to Kyla for his friend's behavior. I wonder if this guy realized that probably three-quarters of the people in the cafe at that time were probably either gay or transgendered. Sometimes the ignorance, immaturity and intolerance of some people amazes me.
Kyla thinks that it's possible this guy was attracted to her, until he realized that she was TG (how he realized that, I'm not sure). But some guys have been known to get more agitated in a situation where they find themselves attracted to a t-girl before discovering she used to be a boy. An extreme example is what happened to Gwen Araujo, a young t-girl who was murdered by three men after they discovered that she was biologically male. This is the primary reason that I advocate telling a potential romantic partner about your genetic history before things get serious (i.e. before kissing is my personal rule).
Kyla gets clocked more than I do, but she also gets a lot more unsolicited compliments on her looks as well. Several times people have literally stopped us to say how pretty she is, or how they love her hair or her makeup. But with her flashy dress and sense of style, (she has purple highlights in her brown hair now) she realizes that she has to take both the good and bad attention. But to her, it's worth it to express her individuality, which she has been doing since she was young. Unfortunately, the world is full of people like this guy tonight who still live by playground rules, where those who are different can be mocked with impunity.
Kyla thinks that it's possible this guy was attracted to her, until he realized that she was TG (how he realized that, I'm not sure). But some guys have been known to get more agitated in a situation where they find themselves attracted to a t-girl before discovering she used to be a boy. An extreme example is what happened to Gwen Araujo, a young t-girl who was murdered by three men after they discovered that she was biologically male. This is the primary reason that I advocate telling a potential romantic partner about your genetic history before things get serious (i.e. before kissing is my personal rule).
Kyla gets clocked more than I do, but she also gets a lot more unsolicited compliments on her looks as well. Several times people have literally stopped us to say how pretty she is, or how they love her hair or her makeup. But with her flashy dress and sense of style, (she has purple highlights in her brown hair now) she realizes that she has to take both the good and bad attention. But to her, it's worth it to express her individuality, which she has been doing since she was young. Unfortunately, the world is full of people like this guy tonight who still live by playground rules, where those who are different can be mocked with impunity.
