Yes, thanks to my fabulous sister they've done it before, but also because they're fantastic people. The so-called bathroom bills that are popping up all over this country do not keep children safe, they force trans people into using bathrooms where they can be beaten and or murdered. These are only the recorded homicides so, since trans people do not all fit in the tidy gender binary statistics of murder rates, it means the actual numbers are higher.Īnd though we have come a long way since Silence of the Lambs, we continue to be demonized and vilified in the media where attack ads portray us as potential predators to keep us from even using the goddamn bathroom.

A horrifying disproportionate number of the victims were trans women of color. In 2015, the transgender murder rate hit an all-time high in this country. Transgender people without support, means and privilege do not have this luxury. Having the support of my family and the means to afford doctors and therapists has given me the chance to actually survive this process. This means when you're transgender you have to face the hard reality of living the rest of your life in a world that is openly hostile to you. We live in a majority-enforced gender binary world. 'There's another one! Let's drag 'em out in the open so we can all have a look!'īeing transgender is not easy. An editorial in the 'not-a-tabloid' demonized her as a damaging influence on the children's delicate innocence and summarized 'he's not only trapped in the wrong body, he's in the wrong job.' The reason I knew about her wasn't because she was transgender it was because three months after the Daily Mail article came out, Lucy committed suicide.Īnd now here they were, at my front door, almost as if to say It was the 'news' organization that had played a huge part in the national public outing of Lucy Meadows, an elementary school teacher and trans woman in the UK. I just wantedneeded some time to get my head right, to feel comfortable.īut apparently I don't get to decide this.Īfter he had given me his card, and I closed the door it began to dawn on me where I had heard of the Daily Mail. You know, when you're living as an out transgender person it's … kind of difficult to hide.

I knew at some point I would have to come out publicly. I find talking about my art frustratingly tedious and talking about myself a wholly mortifying experience. My sister Lana and I have largely avoided the press. And that I really had to sit down with him tomorrow or the next day or next week so that I could have my picture taken and tell my story which was so inspirational! And that I really didn't want to have someone from the National Enquirer following me around, did I? BTWThe Daily Mail is so definitely not a tabloid. He proceeded to explain he was a journalist from the Daily Mail, which was the largest news service in the UK and was most definitely not a tabloid. Sometimes it's really tough work to be an optimist. 'This might be a little awkward,' he said in an English accent. Standing on my front porch was a man I did not recognize. Then last night while getting ready to go out for dinner my doorbell rang. And being the optimist that I am, I was happy to chalk it up to progress. The editors of these publications didn't print a story that was only salacious in substance and could possibly have a potentially fatal effect. Okay, mega sarcastic.īut it didn't happen.

Not to mention a slightly sarcastic wrap-up that 'revealed' my father had injected praying mantis blood into his paternal ball-sac before conceiving each of his children to produce a brood of super women, hellbent on female domination. It had a lot of politically relevant insights regarding the dangers of outing trans people, and the statistical horrors of transgender suicide and murder rates. In response to this threatened public outing against my will, I had a prepared a statement that was one part piss, one part vinegar and 12 parts gasoline. Each was preceded by an ominous email from my agentreporters have been asking for statements regarding the 'Andy Wachowski gender transition' story they were about to publish. The 'news' has almost come out a couple of times. Up until now with dread and/or eye rolling exasperation. There's the headline I've been waiting for this past year. 'SEX CHANGE SHOCKERWACHOWSKI BROTHERS NOW SISTERS!!!' Lilly Wachowski, 48, sibling of Lana, 50, came out in a statement to Windy City Times, after being threatened with outing by other media. The second sibling of the filmmaking duo known as The Wachowskis has come out as transgender. This article shared 481029 times since Tue Mar 8, 2016

Alisa blasingame