Reflections of a trans feminine

Diversity provokes many reflections. In a fast vision of the panorama that surrounds us we infer that the world is diverse, we observe infinity of life forms with its multiple characteristic expressions. Science intended to order this diversity and to classify for a better understanding. The classification in Biology separates living beings into two great kingdoms: the animal and the vegetable. Science continued its classification effort with species, genders, families, orders, classes and kingdoms. But nature created a problem: there were organisms that did not properly fit like vegetables or animals, thus scientists needed to expand the categories: fungi, protistas, moneras. Indeed, nature complicated existence in order to express living diversity.

In the famous studies of Kinsey on sexual behavior, he found a range of sexualities (in a scale of one to ten) of intermediate behaviors between absolute heterosexuality and homosexuality. The human species is a diverse expression within this universe, as both in nature and in behavior. This diversity seems logical, it does not need greater commentary, and it is sometimes redundant. Nevertheless, there are thinkers who do not believe in this range of diversity, and instead, who believe they have the authority to interpret the world, and fix the ways people live. Particularly in the sphere of sexuality some preach a script that tries to govern citizens and control social norms. They determine, through law and morality, what is good, correct, and healthy and also what is bad, perverse, harmful. They praise heterosexuality sexuality as “normal”, and that its aim is procreation; and alternative sexuality are marginal or not normal. The fundamentalist thought maintains that everything that strays from the norm is immoral. Regarding LGBT (lesbian, gays, bisexuals, trans, intersexuals) they affirm that they are not included in the plan of God, and that LGBT people are against the basic and sacred nucleus of the society: the family. There are many other arguments by fundamentalists but the list is so long, it is not worth describing.

Although many are not pleased with those in the LGBT, we are here with vital presence and full energy. We are certainly expressive of sexual diversity. To whom do I talk about? Trans people, a term that gathers several cultural creations, such as transvestites, transgenders, transsexuals. How we complicate the matter, unfolding greater contrast in the diversity! Many exclaim why not to simplify the gender expressions, lets accept the simply construction: man-woman. But the reality is standing there to contradict those proposals against the fundamentalist , conservative and static thought.

Our transvestites friends, very versatile, travel from one gender to another, assume a masculine or feminine behavior , induced by different circumstances or events. Our transgender friends have emigrated from a feminine/masculine spheres and have settled themselves in masculine/feminine spheres being culturally constructed as men/women, but responding to their deep feelings and understanding of self. Finally, our transsexuals friends, have made the route of the transgenders, but in addition they have chosen to modify its genitals radically, in an purpose to erase all vestige that can act as a reminder to a biological reference and to align their feelings with masculine/feminine physical ideal expression .

Those who defend sexist positions, upon an fixed vision of gender, suffer panic and fear, to see how with art and strong assent trans people transform their bodies, release their bubbling eroticism and mix between masculine and feminine multitude. Our trans friends, especially in the instance of the transgenders and transsexuals, recreate their body, until satisfactorily they change it to their expectations. They take it like raw material to shape a singular creation. Sometimes I meet with perfectly shaped trans people whom I admire. It is sometimes easy for certain people to imagine that somebody could be trans because they have a mischievous vision, are solely complying with a playful whim. However, on the contrary, the perceptions of trans people are often influenced by symbols that reveals our anguishes, our fears and in many cases the terror to approach the field of sex, sexuality, pleasure, and the body. The changes of the trans body creating questions about fixed identities and open unknown spaces. Now there is a more open attitude to approach these subjects, but the inheritance forged by the ignorance and the prejudices is still very hard. A trans person trans challenges patriarchy and fundamentalist ideology. The marginalization, the stigmatization, and the invisibility of trans people are all evidence that they are challenging society.

There are several circumstances under which trans groups live. Since the moment we live fully our gender identity, our possibilities of development are truncated. The implacable labour of power practically relegates us of any rights. Who can say that there are equal conditions for the opportunity of work. The fact is that we’re marginalized because of our gender identity. If in any opportunity we have access to work we are requested to behave seriously, we are prohibited to express freely our identity, which is an unacceptable form of oppression. Our labor rights are not well recognized, which is the reason we are often forced to accept difficult work conditions. If we denounce the difficult conditions under which we work, the door opens directly to the streets. Naturally, those who can’t find labor, and with no education are often thrown into the oldest job of prostitution. This is, of course, in the case of feminine trans. The marginality of masculine trans is a different case. In society trans people are marginalized, made invisible, and are the objects of ridicule and insult. These systematic insults notch our self-esteem and, appealing to defense mechanisms , we fall back and are circumscribed to ghettos. Regarding the political level, we did not get to exert representation, our organizations do not have influence, and our voices are left silent. Politics does not respect the rights of trans groups or representation. Culturally we are also ignored. However, in spite of everything we live, we express ourselves and we create; there’s a torrent of creativity to know, of which much is unnoticed.

The lines above exemplify some general aspects of the situation for trans people. This state of oppression is mainly translated as an expression of frustration. Trans people formulate demands because they want society to be aware of the unjust and extreme violation of human rights. Thus we have the following tasks:

· We must deconstruct the gender stereotypes that ignore our existence and do not express our reality, criticizing the patriarchic, sexist and transphobic culture.

· To encourage the marginalized to take advantage of technological resources for greater forms of communication. Insert ourselves in our surroundings and take the spaces that the formal democracy extends. Emerge from the margins and conquer public spaces to generate a community that allows us to be visible.

· Develop political actions to respect our rights, which are inherent to all humans, fortifying our self-esteem and create organizations who express our demands, creating more of our own networks of TLGB organizations who fight for human rights

· To flag the fight for the right of gender identity, demanding respect to free determination.

· Demand the State include us in effective programs of health, going beyond the control, prevention and treatment of the VIH/SIDA, but which also includes also our sexual and reproductive health.

· Our fundamental action must be centered in the empowerment of trans people to overcome structural oppression.

In the diverse range of meetings for trans people, they express questions, beliefs, positions and practices. Those expressions of ideas enriches enrich the debates and discussion on the right to the self-determination of our bodies, sexuality, gender identity, among other restricted rights. Some discussions we have had:

· If just being a trans person is a subversive presence?

· If becoming a woman or man means glorifying the constructions of gender? How is this gender paradigm influenced by patriarchy? What does it mean to be a woman or man?

· Does being a woman or man necessarily mean you have to have a vagina or an aesthetic penis?

· What type of relationships are we looking for? Civil union, marriage, sexual fidelity or sexual freedom?

As an epilogue, I’ll say that the aim of all people is to obtain the happiness and well-being, based on the respect to our rights and the fulfillment of our duties, with total exercise of our freedom, which is made concrete in the universal declaration of the human rights and constitution.