December 29, 2003 4:46 PM GMT
Frances, I agree with your statement "man is conservative by nature," in the non-political context. Most individuals tend to fear significant change on the societal/cultural level, even if they embrace change in their personal lives. Understandably, the status quo represents normalcy, stability, and safety for most of us. It's no wonder that most representatives in government don't want to be seen as agents of change, when it comes to social issues.
I also agree that, if we want the general public and the politicians on our side, we trannies should be putting our best foot forward, collectively. Pride parades and awareness marches are fine, but even if there's just one or two wild participants, that's who shows up in the news to mess it up for the rest of us. We M-to-F trannies have to demonstrate that we're just like anyone else, only trans. They should be made to understand that we trannies represent no real danger to society (despite the perceptions of many), and that a new status quo which included acceptance of trannies would not make their lives any different (although it would mean a wonderful difference for us).
I think most of us would agree on that. The question is, how do we go about gaining acceptance? The homosexual community is on the right path, and while there is still more to be done, homosexuals are much more accepted as a normal element of society today than when I was growing up. How did they accomplish this? Should we follow their lead, or go a different way? Should we chip away slowly, at the grass roots level, one tranny at a time (like Rikki and Heather, who have recently made the transition), or do we need immediate national attention and support, or a combination? I think we have to approach the situation from every avenue available to us, simultaneously.
In order to get national support (the backing of legislators and their constituents), I would think it helpful to have high-profile role models. As with homosexuals, people need to see that 1) we exist all around them, not just gathered in San Francisco (or other popular stereotypes), and 2) there's nothing wrong with us. In the recent past in the USA, gay characters were never in the spotlight on television or mainstream movies, but now there have been several shows (even if most are just sitcoms, and even though I don't watch them - LOL) that actually feature gay characters, not just treat them as comedy relief roles. Decades ago in the USA, the same was true for television shows that featured black characters, but now we all consider black and white characters as being equally mainstream.
Even though the Internet has now assumed a prominent role in our daily lives and taken away some of the power from television, television is still an important way to both reflect and influence our culture's values. Perhaps someone will be successful in getting some positive (or at least normal) TG/TS/TV role models on television, so that others can see that we all aren't crazy over-sexed drag queens with no fashion sense. LOL Politicians usually need something tangible - some reference points - before they embrace a given cause, and that's where we come in. We have to provide them with reasons to fight for us. Maybe television is only one means to do that, but I think it's a good example of what I'm trying to demonstrate. Local organizations, such as the Tennessee Vals, where I live, and international groups, such as Trannyweb, could do things to be more visible to politicians, in positive, non-confrontational ways. I'm sure some groups have already done things along this line, such as meeting with local elected officials, to make them aware of the presence of TG/TS/TV voters and their concerns (as well as non-tranny voters who support the TG community).
Of course, popular opinion is that politicians rarely fight for anyone other than themselves, so they have to think that their careers will be helped by helping us. Whether they support our cause for our sakes or for themselves is not as relevant as getting them to support our cause. Unfortunately, we have to understand the system and the way politicians and voters think. There are some politicians who would genuinely care about us as trannies, but not enough to make a difference, in my opinion. We have to focus on getting the support of anyone who can make a difference, even if their motives are selfish. We'll never be able to make any one politician change his own personal values, unless he really wants to do so, from within. However, we can get politicians to work for us, which is supposed to be their job as our representatives, in the first place. It all begins with voting, though. If we (we = anyone who supports TG/TS/TV issues) aren't registered and active voters, politicians won't value our opinions.
January 8, 2004 2:47 AM GMT
Good advice, Heather.
It all starts at the local levels.
My "latest long post"? LOL Thanks.