By David A. Fahrenthold Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, August 13, 2002; Page B01
Two transgender teenagers, best friends who were biologically male but dressed and lived as women, were shot and killed early yesterday in Southeast Washington -- a crime that police said was unusually violent and has left them with few leads.
You can read the full article here; there are also other news stories here and here.
This really saddens and frightens me, both because it was such a terribly violent act, and because I'm the 24-year-old genderqueer partner of a 21-year-old pre-op transsexual. It's a scary world for those of us who don't fit neatly into the little boxes marked "male" and "female."
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I'm no familiar with the term "genderqueer" would someone like to define for me?
Anyway, this is completely unacceptable. The mass culture of America is taught to be afraid and disdainful towards transgender and transexual people. This is one glaringly obvious represntaion of what that fear and hate causes.
Sure it may be hard for some of us who feel comfortable with the sex we were born as, or the gender we were raised as to see why anyone would want to do this. But why should people that don't feel as comfortable with their sex or gender be FORCED to live a lifestyle that doesn't fit them, or even makes them uncomfortable? Isn't that affecting their pursuit of happiness? Isn't it their right to chose how they want to live their life? They are not hurting anyone.
It's ridiculous how close-minded some people can be, and what hate makes people do. Isn't there enough ugliness in the world already? Why does anyone have to add to it.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure what is the best way to promote acceptance of transgender and transexual people other than by example. Education on why people choose it can only do so much on it's own.
quote:Gender Queer (or Genderqueer): A person who redefines or plays with gender, or who refuses gender altogether. A label for people who bend/break the rules of gender and blur the boundaries.
quote:Genderqueer (adjective): any individual that doesn't -- or won't -- adhere to the expectation of the only two gender presentations that which our culture allows, as based upon one's ministerial and external 'birth sex'. (as in, "When Patrick was a kid, he didn't realise the extent of how genderqueer he was, despite his inherent tomboyishness on the playground.")
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David Steinberg wrote a really good article (Comes Naturally #129) about the murder of Gwen Araujo, the girl who was killed in Newark.
Unfortunately, the only place I can find it is in the Sexualituy.org site, which has 18+ "restrictions", so I don't think I can post a direct link to it? yes/no?
------------------ "If you don't like gays, then they're everywhere, coming out of the woodwork to corrupt little children... but if you are gay, especially if you're in high school, you're the only one in the universe..."
Posts: 66 | From: Perth, Australia | Registered: May 2001
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Another thing you could do, Maharet, if you want to try and stimulate discussion on the article, is post a few selected quotes from it here. You're allowed to do that.
------------------ "Frank, get back to work! And if the acid burns you, well, good!" -Ms. Gusto, Grade 11 physical geography class
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