One thing I acknowledge about myself is that I’m an empath who shares misery– even loses sleep about — the mistreatment of others. And these days my heart is aching. Can you imagine how it feels when your body is at war with itself? I can only try, but I can witness the relief when someone’s dysphoria yields to a decision to acknowledge it. And the joy when others accept it and one can be oneself. Can you imagine how it is to enjoy supportive treatment? And how heartbreaking to have it withdrawn – for no good reason?
So much talk about protecting women and children, especially in bathrooms. What is it with us Americans and bathrooms? What is the fantasy? That some guy may go to the trouble to disguise himself as a woman so he can watch a bunch of women scream when he exposes himself? Or maybe dysphoria is contagious? Or maybe some woman will go to the trouble of dressing like a man so she can shock a bunch of guys by exposing herself in the Men’s Room? (It does sound a little ridiculous, doesn’t it?) Of course, the solution to that fear is pretty easy – one-seaters. On our return from a cruise a year or so ago we had some time to kill. I chose to wait in a large, old church ‘cause I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to just relax into a pew. But first, as is my wont, I visited the restrooms. I loved the signs on the one-seater facilities: “Rest for all bodies.” What more is needed?
Or is dysphoria a sign that maybe life isn’t as dichotomously simple as we once thought it was. “there’s a right way and a wrong way to be” as one person I know was fond of saying, and, of course, the speaker knew the “right” way.
Or what does dysphoria have to do with whether someone does a good job, whether in or out of the military. Does discovering that someone is trans suddenly reveal poor work behavior?
What possible justification could there be for causing misery for someone by withdrawing treatment, or firing from a job, or just plain hating them? C’mon, now. What possible reason could there be for a man, in this patriarchal world, to “choose” to be a woman. – just for the fun of it? Why devote time and energy to blame someone for not being the person you think they ought to be. Isn’t it enough just maintaining control over oneself?
Oh forget it! My words can’t convey the grief I’ve seen, and the joy I’ve observed when someone became truly themselves with the physical treatment to support it. I’m just ranting, and I hurt, because observing cruelty – for cruelty’s sake – makes me almost literally sick. Really. What skin is it off anyone else’s nose whether someone uses “him” or “her” or something in between?
monagustafsonaffinito 