Eye Opener

November 13, 2015. This is a selfie of me at the event. 

I attended the Trans Visibility Campaign. It was basically an informal presentation put on by a trans female and a nonbinary individual. The presentation was set up in a question and answer format. Anyone could ask questions and anyone could add on to the presenters’ answers as well. It was a very laid back environment and the purpose of it was to raise awareness and inform people about transgender people.

                Before attending the presentation I had a very small and limited amount of knowledge about transgender individuals. By attending it I actually learned quite a bit. I kind of got a feel for what they go through before, during, and after transformation. Some of the topics addressed were what it is like to discover you are trans, what nonbinary means, how much of the population actually is trans, the lack of benefits trans genders receive, what dead names mean to them, and the Caitlyn versus Bruce Jenner controversy. Considering the amount of knowledge I had prior to the event I found all of the topics interesting.

                One of the things that surprised me the most is how differently transgender individuals are treated. They do not have housing protection, healthcare, or employment protection. Doctors can deny treatment for them even in a life or death situation. That just disgusts me. They are just like every other human being on this Earth. Gender does not say much about a person at all. Although, I did not understand all the concepts and words talked about at the Trans Visibility Campaign, I did take a lot away from it. It really opened my eyes and made me realize everyone has their own story and you should never assume anything about anyone based on their looks and/or how they present themselves.