What is “Transgender?”
Transgender is a wide-spread topic in our day and time, from celebrities coming out as transgender, to children coming out as transgender at a young age. Some may wonder what transgender is, so in this short essay I will be answering some commonly asked questions.
Transgender is a term used to describe someone who lives as the opposite gender from which they were born.
Broadly speaking, someone who doesn’t fit the gender norm, whether it is appearance or behavior, would be considered transgender.
Someone who is transgender experiences transgender feelings in many different ways. Some people experience it early as a child, while others experience it later on in life.
You might say, “Well if someone is transgender doesn’t that mean they are gay or lesbian?” This is not always true; gender and sexual orientation are two totally different things. Gender is used to describe someone’s sex as male or female. Sexual orientation is used to describe who or what someone is attracted to. Just because someone is transgender doesn’t mean that they feel differently about their sexual orientation.
Transitioning is another big question directed toward the transgender community. People often wonder how someone can change from one sex to the other. Transitioning is a complex process, and is something that happens over a period of time. Transitioning typically starts by the individual adopting the appearance to the gender that they prefer, such as changing clothes, personal grooming, etc. Before any surgeries or HRT (hormone replacement therapy) are performed, the individual must undergo mental health counseling. The changing of sex starts with hormone replacement therapy, where the individual receives cross-sex hormones. There are many ways to transition; some are faster than others, but doing your research and being safe and smart will always get the best outcome.
My Story
Growing up as a transgender woman in the small town of Zwolle, Louisiana, I had to develop a tough skin while learning how to educate people on a matter that they couldn’t quite understand. In the process of growing as a young transgender woman, I learned that not only was I learning, but I was also teaching my family about something they had no idea existed. My family was very supportive, which was a huge relief; and as time progressed, my feelings of being transgender seemed to overpower my fear of being bullied.
When this feeling seemed to overpower everything in my life, making it so I wasn’t even comfortable in my own skin, I knew something had to change. From that point on, I knew that I was a beautiful woman, and I knew that would never change, so I did everything in my power to make this all come true.
School was probably one of the most challenging times in my life. I went through so many experiences with school, mainly negative. School was a battle for me, every day being told I couldn’t wear this, or I couldn’t act like that. My classmates were all very decent to me, but when it came to the administrative staff, they did everything in their power to make my days at school terrible. While trying to educate myself in school and dealing with them not understanding me, I felt that I would never overcome the challenge of society’s rule of what normal is, but I knew in the back of my mind that if there is a will there is a way. When I had finally reached my limit of what I could take, I left that school in 11th grade. At this point in my life I felt as if there was no place for a person like me. So my parents and I decided to move to Shreveport, Louisiana hoping that a change of scenery and different people, maybe things would be better for me.
Unfortunately, after being in Shreveport for several months things didn’t seem to change. Jobs were still hard to come by, and the people didn’t seem to be very different. That was until I attended Christ Church of Hope. That night I met some very amazing people. One of those people was Eric Evans, who invited me to attend the PC Wellness Clinic at the Philadelphia Center. I had no idea what the Philadelphia Center or PC Wellness Clinic was, so I just let it go in one ear and out the other. Once Eric and a few others started to talk about these things more and more, it caught my interest.
PC Wellness Clinic is a clinic where the LGBT community can get tested for STDs and HIV, while being able to feel comfortable and not have judgment placed on them. I was still attending Christ Church of Hope when someone, Darrell, told me that there may be a job at the Philadelphia Center. A job was a blessing, but a job at the place that I had just heard about and had piqued my attention so badly, was very exciting! I attended my interview there which went very well, and I started on Monday, December 23, 2013.
When I started at the Philadelphia Center, I received so much encouragement that I went on to get my GED as well as made plans to start college at the beginning of the year. I also started engaging myself in the community once I noticed that I could make difference with my voice for the transgender community. I realized, for once in my life, not only can I change the stigma of the transgender community, I could also lend a helping hand to my community.
Join Christina Craig and the Louisiana Trans Advocates support group
February 11, 5:30-7pm at The Philadelphia Center
2020 Centenary Blvd., Shreveport, LA 71104
By Christina Craig