I really enjoyed watching the video "Beautiful Daughters" and reading the article "Trans Women Manifesto". They were very opening, especially the video in my opinion. I've have the privilege of seeing the Vagina Monologues and it really is a great, empowering show. My best friend is running it this year at UNH and I can't wait to be in the front row for a second time to see it. It shows the strength of women and all they go through to gather that strength and stability. The fact that the production of "The Vagina Monologues" was a complete transgender cast helped to empower this group of women and the entire transgender society.
Honestly, I've always been very iffy on the subject of transgender. Not because I thought it was wrong or anything, but because I've never been fully taught about it, or fully into becoming knowledgeable on the subject. This past semester, I've had the opportunity to talk to my roommate who was an intern with Transgender New Hampshire. Through talking to my roommate, my eyes have been opened to the situations and complications that someone who is transgender has to face. When Eve was talking to the women about "you were men, didn't you know all men wanted was sex?" and she said "I finally got it, you weren't men, you were always women. I finally got it" I could really relate. I had that moment this past semester and it's that moment, that 'Aha!', that everyone needs to witness and experience. Once I experienced that moment of realization, everything made sense to me. Learning about transgender people is a very difficult and sometimes overwhelming thing. At first I was very confused and didn't want to learn more but through Transgender New Hampshire, my roommate and I discussing it, and this assignment it's much clearer to me now.
This movie and the article challenges the preconceived notions that transgender people just decide one day "I'm tired of being this gender, time for a change". That's not how it works. These women were born women. They unfortunately were born in the wrong body. They have had the chance to change that and that's what makes them so empowering.
The main thing cisgender people can do to help transgender people, is to stop being afraid! Why are you afraid of someone who is transgender? Cisgender people categorize trans people as untouchable almost and it's the complete opposite of what actually needs to be done. It's up to cisgender people to get out there and act like there is no difference! Half the women in the video said they weren't out to their coworkers. Just imagine how many people you have talked to that you had no idea were trans. These men and women are no different than us, we were lucky to be born in the body that our soul identifies with. The only difference is that they had to change a little. That doesn't mean they're damaged goods, it just means they are better now because they are who they want to be, and who they always were in their minds and their hearts.
I also was never taught much about this subject, and thought that comment " you weren't a man, you were always a woman." really opened my eyes, and it clicked for me. I loved that the whole cast had gone through the experience, you can tell they all have a really close bond, and they were not afraid to share their stories with the camera.
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