Another sign of growing acceptance from young people and business sector

[Rogina B]

Going back to Kim's original post..It was all about acceptance! Everyone around the person knew she was trans and they accepted her at face value...Like some others here,I am out in the mainstream every day sometimes in some places and with people that were thought to be behind the curve...People will accept you if you are genuine and own it..don't flinch...what you see is who I am... After acceptance comes inclusion...Tolerence [?]can even be changed to acceptance if you are willing to work at it!

[Jorja]

Please, Jorga, please don't feed the pink fog. 90% of us would get 'made' inside of ten seconds. Another 9% in 30 seconds more. Sure, lots don't care, and more are simply polite enough not to say anything or stare. But I don't think for a moment that they don't know. One guy came through work a while ago, wearing just slightly too pink clear nail polish. Every single person mentioned it about him later during the day.
They notice. Yes, they do.

Jorga, you say "we are everywhere" but a lot of the threads on here have said I have never seen another CD. Sometimes-miss thinks 99.9% of CD's are outed in a mili-second. Just wondering how you are able to see so many CD's, personally I've never seen one except looking in the mirror.

First, allow me to apologies for not getting back to this thread until now. I have been quite busy with work. I do not feel I am inducing the pink fog here. I have been involved with the transgender community for more than 40 years. As most of you know I am not a CDer but TS. I have been going out the door and actually participating in society for the past 35 years as Jorja, maybe longer. I know many, many girls that fall under the transgender umbrella. Most of the time when I am out, they seek me out to say hello when they see me. Yes, there are some that a person can quickly deduct they are really male. However, there are more that you would never suspect if you didn’t know. I would suggest if you are being easily detected, maybe you need to work on your presentation. Maybe it is just the area you live in. Maybe you just haven't been out the door. Whatever the case, we are out there and many of us are doing just fine in this world.

[wanagione]

Kim, I just came back from a conference in Pa. and you are so right. On Saturday a college class came and the kids were great, they where all gender varied and the y were activists on thier campus. I had lunch with several of them and they are such great kids. They are the future, they are smart and talented and they don't care, thier feelings are "just be yourself, you are human, not a boy or a girl, just tell me your story." It was very refreshing, and very nice.

[Claire Cook]

Yes, I think attitudes in general are changing. Perhaps not always acceptance, but certainly tolerance; just consider the changing attitudes about same sex marriage. I did say "in general", since I don't think it's 100% tolerance yet. There more we can do to change aptitudes, the better.

[janetcgtv]

don't accept acceptance is the same as toleration. Toleration is they know who you are and practice live and let live,and acceptance is where they will want to become friends and talk to you. the younger generation is becoming want we want from them and they will send the message to their children as the older generation dies out.

[Rogina B]

And janetcgtv...Inclusion sometimes follows acceptance and is the best part...Have to give to get! If you don't put yourself really out there,you will never know!

[ReineD]

I also see a difference in the younger generation, although I think it's easier to accept when it's arm's length: a neighbor, an acquaintance at school, a co-worker, someone you see on the street, someone you serve in a store on in a restaurant.

But I agree Kim, it's a great deal better than it was a generation ago. Someone mentioned racism as a contrast. This is hugely better than it was in the 60s as well, except there are still issues in some parts of the country, among some demographics. And while we're at it we can say that acceptance of women's authority or expertise in the workforce has improved significantly since the 60s as well, even though some professions and higher management are still predominately male. So I guess we are becoming more enlightened all around!

[kimdl93]

It's so true. Even here In Texas. And most of our relationships are arms length.

I can't even imagine being openly TG in the late 60s...maybe the 70s.

[ReineD]

I think that people were arrested if they did that. Wasn't it against the law? And then they used to think that even being gay was a mental illness, let alone crossdressing.

But I'm afraid there are still deeply conservative or religious pockets of people in this country who will lag behind. And unfortunately, they number a great deal more than a small percentage of the population.

[kimdl93]

Oh, that's so true. But I have gone out, rather routinely, in broad daylight, here in Longview Tx, ok, blending, but not passing, and well, either I'm accepted to some extent or I'm so frighteningly intimidating that they avoid confrontation. I really doubt it's the latter, but who knows

[ReineD]

I wouldn't think you'd be intimidating at all, Kim!

[Paula_56]

When did this pendulum suddenly swing?

I noticed a change around the time Chas Bono was on DWTS.

[Rhonda Jean]

I agree that acceptance and tolerance have dramatically increased. I've also seen examples lately of intolerant bigots who have become more and more frustrated and angry at the same time the rest of society has become more tolerant. Those are more likely to be the violent ones. A dying breed, but they'll go down cursing and swinging. Kim, I'll bet there's a sector of the old guard at your son's company that is old-school intolerant. Fantastic strides for sure, and how courageous of her for being true to herself! But, even at this progressive company, has she compromised her possibilities for advancement?

As I'm typing this I just happened to see the Taco Bell commercial where the old guys are sitting on a bench watching the young people eating Taco Bell for breakfast and bemoaning the demise of society. One of them yells to his grandson, "You better not grow a ponytail!". Funny, but not too far from reality.

I've previously posted on here about the young guys who work at Sephora or Mac or Ulta who wear full makeup to work every day. I think that's just the coolest thing ever, but I worry about them, too. When they're at work they're sort of in a bit of a protected environment. I'm not sure they realize the danger outside. Maybe they do, and they're just that brave.

On a side note as an example of baby steps, I frequently wear nail polish in male mode and always look for others who do the same. It's rare, of course, but since I've started looking for it it's been pretty amazing to see how many and who they are. Usually it's just polished toes, but occasionally fingernails. Back about Christmas I saw an older man, probably mid 60's, ordinary-appearing in every way, shopping with his wife in Sam's, with long Jade green fingernails. That's just cool!

[Eselka]

I've never experienced what it was like 30 years ago (wasn't even born ^^), but it's certain that in my social environment (social siences college students) there's a broad tolerance. Not only people don't flinch an eye about gender variants, they actually are very supportive.
A nice example of this possible generation gap comes to my mind : on May 17th (IDAHO), students in a French highschool were officially invited (by the government's department of education, mind you !) to wear a skirt, boys and girl alike, to make a symbolic action against sexism and homophobia. A considerable number of parents and teacher (not all of them fortunately, but still) started a massive protest against the event ("you won't turn our boys into girls", they said), whereas the kids were just happy about the idea and almost everyone participated.