July 13, 2007 10:52 PM BST
I could not be more pleased to learn that the issue concerning Trannyweb coverage of my presidential campaign has apparently been resolved. Today I received an e-mail from "Tranny Tribune" staffer Robyn Webb proposing an interview which would emphasize both the positive and negative aspects of my candidacy as she sees them. With profound gratitude, I have accepted her gracious offer. (I cannot overemphasize the high esteem in which I hold Ms. Webb, regardless of any political differences between us. She has always been considerate in her relationship with me and was one of the first Trannyweb members I came into contact with when I joined this site over one and one-half years ago. I found it highly distasteful to be at odds with her regarding this matter.)
Additionally, I have also been informed by "Trib" editor Katie Glover that I ". . . have not been denied any coverage in the Trib." She has requested copy from me regarding my campaign to be published in the August issue. For this, I am also extremely grateful. (Promotion of Trannyweb has always been and remains an integral part of my campaign. Much of my campaign literature is composed of articles taken from this site and has been distributed electronically and in hard copy form in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, Nevada, and California. I have never failed to mention Trannyweb during campaign appearances.)
Finally, I felt that it might be helpful, in this highly-charged atmosphere, to clarify my positions in regard to some of the more contentious issues which apparently ignited this controversy in the first place and also address some recent questions concerning my character and intentions.
HATE CRIMES LEGISLATION: As any decent person would, I am vehemently opposed to the violation of anyone's civil rights for any reason, including transgendered status and/or sexual orientation. I simply do not favor hate crimes legislation as an acceptable method for dealing with this problem. For me, it is primarily a First Amendment issue and hate crimes legislation smacks of Orwellian "1984" thought crimes concepts. As the renowned jurist and Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes put it, "A man may have as bad a heart as he chooses if his conduct is within the rules." One Trannyweb member wrote that she has been the victim of repeated assaults as a result of her transgendered status. For the record, so have I. (Only recently I defended myself with a baseball bat against a young homo-trannyphobic basher.) Whenever an injustice of any kind is done to members of our community we should be vociferous in our outrage and bring all our resources to bear to see that we are treated the same (and I emphasize that word) as every other American.
OPENLY GLBT PERSONS SERVING OPENLY IN THE THE U.S. MILITARY: I neither support nor advocate the integration of openly GLBT persons in the U.S. military. Regardless of my views, however, I should imagine that this policy will be instituted sometime in the future. What I have said consistently is that I feel that such a policy is ill-advised at this time, when our nation is at war and military effectiveness and morale should be our primary concerns. To put it crudely, the primary function of the military is to break things and kill people and anything which detracts from that mission in a time of conflict should be avoided. A citizen who joins the military is voluntarily surrendering certain civil rights that he or she would enjoy in civilian life and at this time that includes the right to openly practice certain kinds of sexual orientation and/or the expression of a transgendered lifestyle or status. One member asked me, ". . . are you a veteran of the United States Armed Services. I am guessing that you aren't." Another, from Britain, wrote, "You may be shooting yourself in the foot here, perhaps because you are TG so obviously unable to use a rifle . . ." No, I regret to say that I am not a veteran. When I was eligible for the draft during the Vietnam era, I was an anarchistically-inclined, anti-government "yippie" (as we were called.) I avoided the draft by becoming a conscientious objector. Later in life, however, after having become much more patriotic as a result of my experiences as an expatriate in Europe, I felt that I had been remiss in not serving my country in that capacity and attempted to join the National Guard after returning to the U.S. in the late 1980s. I was denied admittance due to a 1974 marijuanna conviction. Neither of these examples had anything to do with my transgendered status, however, and I fully expected to comply with U.S. military regulations regarding this issue had I been accepted. And, yes, I do know how to use a gun and am an ardent supporter of Second Amendment rights. The closest I came to the military was an extensive career in private security in which I rose to the rank of sergeant in two different firms and stood many armed posts.
BEST INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY/GENDER STATUS/SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Perhaps one of the most disturbing aspects of this entire controversy has been the suggestion that my views are an indication that I don't have the best interests of the GLBT community at heart and the questioning of my transgendered status and sexual orientation. One member wrote, "I have to ask, are you sure you are gay?" Another, referring to my stances in regard to contentious GLBT issues, ". . . it makes me question if you have the best intentions regarding the TG community, or are you using it for it's (sic) support without representing it's (sic) interests." Yet another asked, "Is anyone actually aware of the fact that you are transgender apart from Trannyweb members?" Actually, I am not gay, but rather bisexual (although I have not amorously pursued women for many years). I do not mean to seem vulgar, but in regard to my homosexual inclinations, perhaps that question would be more properly addressed to the hundreds of men who have enjoyed my carnal favors over the last forty years. Because I hold views which are at odds with the party line of the GLBT establishment does not in any way diminish my commitment to the community; it simply means that I propose different solutions to our problems and that I am concerned with my role as an American citizen first. In regard to my being "out": I have been cross dressing and practicing my bisexuality since I was fourteen years old. As we say here in Kansas, "I'm out to everybody and their dog." Anyone who has any familiarity with me whatsoever is aware of my transgendered status and sexual orientation, including my mother, my son, my ex-wife, my university professors, my fellow students, my friends, members of my band, and the club owners who hire us. Not only am I completely out, but I'm out in a place where that can be potentially dangerous (a small, conservative midwestern town).
I hope this post has served to clarify the situation vis a vis my campaign and plan to eschew the submission of any other posts for awhile to allow the situation to cool off and prevent politico-fatigue from setting in among our members. Thank you all for you interest. (E-mail:
[email protected]. Web page: http://candidate.lpks.org/BenFerguson.)
Sincerely,
Bennie Lee "Ben" Ferguson
