The gay, lesbian and bisexual community has come a long way toward attaining equality, but the transgender community is still looked down upon by society.
America’s first transgender news chopper reporter Zoey Tur explained in a TMZ interview where her community stands.
“With the transgender community, we’re about 30 years behind the lesbian and gay community,” she said. “We have a 42 percent suicide attempt rate and six times the national average on suicide.”
But society has made it difficult for the transgender community. Preconceived notions are nothing new to humans, whether it is based on skin color, gender or lifestyle. Humans have been plagued by ignorance as long as they’ve existed.
In May, former Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner will sit down with Diane Sawyer for an exclusive ABC interview about Jenner’s transition into womanhood.
Jenner, part of America’s most famous family, has a tremendous opportunity to spearhead the transgender community’s fight for equality. If someone of Jenner’s stature speaks out, it could go a long way in boosting the morale of those who bear the brunt of society’s judgment. Jenner could also give closeted transgenders the courage to come out knowing that someone who is always in the spotlight is speaking on their behalf.
Jenner will not only tell about his transition in the next season of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, but Jenner’s journey will also be televised as its own show airing on E! later this year.
The Kardashians have been notorious for their ingenious and over-the-top marketing. From their countless TV programs, clothing lines, beauty products, the list goes on and on.
While most of Jenner’s family stages countless events promoting the Kardashian brand, Jenner prefers to spend his time playing golf or flying his toy helicopters and keeping a low profile. Jenner has always been portrayed as the outcast of the family, the sane one. So even if Jenner finally succumbed to his family’s greedy ways, he should still be cut some slack.
The transition from male to female or vice versa is long and difficult. First, transgenders must build up the courage to admit they feel trapped and dissatisfied in their body, hoping and praying for acceptance from loved ones. Then they face the task of fitting into society as they transition into the opposite sex with the use of hormone therapy drugs. These substances such as testosterone for women or estrogen and progesterone for men could cause infertility among other side effects.
Happiness is a simple concept. But for so many people, it can be something difficult to sustain. The many little hardships life has to offer can easily compound and overcome many with uncertainty and depression.
Fitting in is hard enough. Now imagine the struggle of somebody who feels they were born in the wrong body. How much must they go through, knowing that exposing their struggle will more than likely lead to them being ostracized by society?
Whether someone agrees with the life choices of another person should be irrelevant as to how they treat them. Humans come in all shapes and sizes with all types of ideals and dreams, but tarnishing someone because they are different is an outdated and shallow concept.
