One of the questions I get asked often by many people I come in contact with is whether or not I get tired of being a role model. Nope.
It comes with the territory of being a trans activist for over a decade. Many times the first contact a person may have had with an out African descended transperson is me.
I'm cognizant of the fact that as one of three African-American winners of the IFGE Trinity Award, I represent not only myself but an entire community.
One of the things I complain about from time to time was the lack of African descended trans role models when I was growing up back in the 70s.
I also remember the indifference, being dissed or ignored by the trans girls who had transitioned at the time before me. They guarded the knowledge of what to do, where to go, who to see and how to do it like it was the secret recipe for KFC.One of the things I promised myself when I began transition was that if I were in the position to mentor or give advice on trans issues to younglings I wouldn't be as shady as some of my trans elders were.
Then there's my personal desire to be the best person I can be. I want my appearance to be on point, my dealings with people inside and outside this community to be ethical, transparent and above board, and my word be my bond.
Call me old fashioned, but those are the values I live by.
There's a saying we had posted in several TBLG bars back in Houston that I agree with.
What I do reflects on you
What you do reflects on me
What WE do reflects on the ENTIRE GLBT community
By living those values, I not only help myself, I help an entire community as well.
Then there's simply me living for me. I have a certain image I want to project to the world. I was blessed with God given intelligence I'm not dumbing down for anyone. I was blessed with looks, height and a lean body build that hormones enhanced.
It also looks good in most clothes that I put on my fine brown frame.
I come from a long line of classy, smart, educated, spiritually tuned in and elegantly dressed women proud of who they are, cognizant of their history, proud of their sororities and proud to be Black women.I grew up being surrounded by numerous examples of those types of Black women outside my family as well. Those women are the ones I seek to emulate as I continue to evolve and grow into the type of Black woman I want to become.
As I have said numerous times and will repeatedly say it until I'm six feet under, I wish to be perceived as a compliment to womanhood, not an embarrassment or a detriment to it.
I strive to be the friend who has my sister's back be they cis or trans, not sticking my claws in it. As a Phenomenal Transwoman, I'm proud of who I am and don't see being Black and trans as something to be ashamed of.
So do I ever get tired of being a role model?
Nope. Somebody has to for an AA trans community that hasn't had over its history a whole lot of them to point to.