One of the battles we transwomen constantly wage in order to be our authentic selves is the war against shame and guilt. A portion of it is an internal struggle we wage in terms of getting over the negative programming of our youth and young adulthood. Another portion of the shame and guilt we battle is from society and people pimping a failed political philosophy.
And most maddening is the shame and guilt coming from the one institution that should be the most supportive of our struggle, the church.
Well, news flash for all you people peddling shame and guilt on one level or another. I don't have anything as a transperson to be ashamed of.
But you do.
All you gay and straight folks who are fighting trans civil rights need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.
All you people who are hating on me and my transsisters because we go the extra mile to be the best people we can be while being true to our authentic selves need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.All you people who have actively participated in visiting violence upon transpeople need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.
All of you 'religious' people who quote Bible verses out of context and are trying to spin them into an anti-transgender religious doctrine where none exists need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.
All of you people who claim that I'm not part of the African American community because I transitioned need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.
All of you gay and lesbian people who claim we are not part of the GLBT/SGL community need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.
And all of you politicians who are working hard to keep transpeople from becoming contributing members of society just so that you can stay in elective office need to be ashamed of yourselves, not me.
It has been a long, hard pothole filled road to get to this point in my life where I love this Phenomenal Transwoman.
I stand tall in the morphed body I inhabit. I express my pride and joy in loving the reflection that stares back at me in the mirror. I revel in the life journey as an estrogen based lifeform and say 'bless them' to the 'christian' people that curse me.
I don't have anything to be ashamed of, but you do.