I'm feeling a little discouraged tonight...

[bleedingangel84]

I got hit in the face with my grandmother's transphobic prejudices tonight when we saw the advert for the show that's coming on soon, Becoming Us.

I myself am not transgender, but it hurt me to see the disgust on her face when the commercial for the show came on. I personally am glad this show exists. I think the transgender community needs to be seen from a more positive angle than it is now, and I say it's past time.

I'm tired of people saying and thinking that transgender individuals are disgusting. Especially people I love and share a gene pool with. Transgender people deserve respect, not contempt.

Just because someone is different doesn't make them disgusting.

Anyway, I'll get off my platform now, but I'm feeling a bit low, and I thought someone here might understand.

Take care, and love to all.

Comments

[my_thestral]

You know, I was raised in quite a traditional family. Both my parents are devout Catholics and my mother's family especially was very religious. Yet I can't remember picking up any prejudice from them. Both my sister and I are quite open-minded. I'm annoyingly het - the trouble the men put me through, sometimes make me wish I wasn't - and I'm comfortable in my gender, but when an American friend of mine informed me that she (at the time) felt like a man her whole life and she effectively became a he - I had no problem dealing with it. It did come as a surprise, I would be lying if I said otherwise, but nothing I couldn't deal with. It's still a great human being I'm talking about and I can't see how switching between gender would ever change that.
But having said that, you must understand what a massive shift in thinking your grandma already experienced in her life. Throughout most of her life homosexuality was very probably illegal and the very idea of a man living like a woman (or as she probably sees it - "pretending" to be one) or the other way around (though that's more accepted) probably seems like an attempt of fooling god-honest citizens and like a contempt of god's work, if she's religious. I'm not defending her, I think it's more than just a little bit sad that people can't get over their prejudice, but put yourself in her shoes - what would you do if someone told you that from one day to another it was alright to steal? You'd probably think they were mental and you'd be appalled, but to her it probably at least partially feels like that: she's asked to accept and approve of something that was once even a criminal activity or at least entirely morally wrong.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, that it's probably not realistic to expect your grandma to change, but you can't let it depress you either. She's a reflection of her world, the world of old, while your thinking and your willingness to accept "different" as "not hostile" is the reflection of our, new era. Aren't you happy that we're the future and not the other way around? :)

[bleedingangel84.livejournal.com]

I see your point about putting myself in her shoes, and I know she was raised in a time and place where homosexuality and someone being transgendered was looked down on. Where I'm from, it still is because there are so many religious people here. It just hurts that she can't seem to look beyond the outside of a person. And I think the fact that it's mainly because of her religion is what's really bugging me. I just hate to see anyone being so closed-minded, even though I can understand where her viewpoint comes from. I'm just beyond grateful that I don't share that particular value set with her. *shivers* Thank goodness. Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I really appreciate it.

[enchanted-jae.livejournal.com]

Not to excuse your grandmother, but keep in mind the era she was raised in. And, be incredibly thankful that we're in an era where people who are transgender are becoming more and more accepted and even encouraged.

[bleedingangel84.livejournal.com]

I'm know that my grandmother was raised in a time when things like being transgendered weren't as accepted as they are now. Where we live, they really still aren't, but I'm thankful that other areas are starting to come around. It just drives me a bit batty that someone I love so much can be so closed-minded. Thank you so much for replying.