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Unfortunately, the transgender community suffers from severe victimisation. Society often reacts to gender transgression by trying to discourage the behaviour, punishing the individual. Transgender folk are much more likely than others to commit suicide, to be fired from their job, to be abused, assaulted, and to be hurt in many more ways, some as blatant as open ridicule, some as insidious as discrimination in employment. There are occasions when individuals, simply because their gender expression runs contrary to the norm, are subjected - usually by their families - to emotional trauma and physical suffering, carried out for the "welfare" of the individual, but tall too often done to comfort the individual's family. The level of trauma suffered by transgender folk is much higher than the norm and is reflected in more difficult lives and greater incidence of depression and despair.
All of this is beginning to change as people learn that there is no harm visited on either the individuals, their families or workplace, by gender transgression. In fact, there are and have always been cultures where gender transgression is accepted as a natural part of the life of the culture.
The only harm visited by transgenderism is the same harm that is still too often visited on others by the forces of racism. In the case of transgender folk, the words for the feelings that cause people to opress us are fear of difference and transphobia. These words for the feelings that bring about an end to the suffering and a healing of this aspect of our society are compassion and tolerance.
Nancy Nangeroni
Nancy Nangeroni is a former Executive Director as well as member of the Board of Directors of IFGE. She is also the creator and co-host of GenderTalk Radio, the leading radio program covering issues of transgenderism.
© 1996, 2001 by Nancy Nangeroni and Ninja Design, all rights reserved. Reproduction on this website by kind permission of the author.
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