the advocation of violence

Fair warning - this article is extremely upsetting. It contains statements made by two Sacramento DJs about how one should physically and verbally abuse transgender children to 'fix' them.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rowe/krxq-sacramento-radio-hos_b_210637.html

In the days since this show, the hosts sweep the issue under a rug and their station manager excuses them as "equal opportunity offenders."

In the wake of Dr. Tiller's murder, I find this frightening. It makes me think of the suicides a few months back of two young children who were threatened and berated by their peers.

It makes me think about myself, too.

I am twenty nine years old. For almost all of those years, all that I remember, I have never been comfortable with thinking of myself as a girl or a woman. Inside I have always thought of myself as male. For most of those twenty nine years I have only expressed that in tiny ways and have never really spoken about it. The only times I've really written about it online I've locked it away so people, specifically my family, couldn't see. I've been more open about my sexuality, that I've had relationships with both men and women. But I have breasts and big hips, the legacy of a long line of German women from the farm. I look female. I don't look anything like how I am in my head. I have always been afraid on some level to express this feeling, this identity, because I don't 'look' like what I am. But thinking about how angry and how sad I've been about Dr. Tiller and now this, I realized that I cannot be cowardly about it any longer. Even if I never quite figure out what to do about it all I can at least be honest to myself and to you.

I am twenty nine years old. I am a male person who looks female. I am bisexual. I am married to a man who is far better to me than I deserve. I am a transgender person who owns a home, who votes and who doesn't want to hide this anymore.

Today I wrote a lot of emails, to KRXQ and to their advertisers. I encourage you to do the same. (Scroll down the comments of Rowe's article for email contacts for the advertisers.) Snapple and Chipolte have already pulled their contracts due to the show, so show them some love. Comment and tell me what kind of Snapple you like, or how you like your burritos. I'll buy you one the next time I see you.

An open letter from the father of a ten year old, non-conforming boy.

20th Anniversary of Tianamen Square

The protests in Tianamen Square culminated in the massacre on June 4th, 1989. I remember my mother saving the newspaper that day, with the enormous front page story and picture of a lone person in front of a tank. I remember her saying it was important to remember this.

There's never been any definite identification of the man in front of the tank. Godspeed, wherever and whoever you are.