Jamie Burton
01-29-2012, 11:05 PM
This past evening I spent a few hours speaking and answering questions about being transgendered with the teen group at a local church!
The pastor had contacted the Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (of which the local support group is a part of) about having someone come to speak about being TG with their teen group. The kids had apparently requested the opportunity to learn about something they did not know about.
As the leader of the group, I felt that I HAD to be one of the people to go: how can I ask someone to be that out in public if I myself am not ready to do so? So I agreed to go and asked the group to see if anyone else wanted to: one other person did, we we arranged an evening to go and talk with these kids.
I fully admit that I was incredibly nervous about this. I have been out in a few select spaces but have never done anything like this before. I would be very much on the spot and very much the object of attention for what turned about to be a group of fifteen to twenty teens and a few parents. There was no slipping in and out quietly, not making a fuss, not engaging with other people.
So Jessyka and I arrived at the church and met the pastor and the kids and it proved to be a very positive and interesting time. They had many questions to ask and were all very polite about asking them. We talked in some detail about the difficulties of growing up as TG and how we come to grips with this aspect of ourselves. We also talked about the ways that they can help those who are TG they will meet in the future - two people there acknowledged that they already knew TG persons through their school or work.
It was an affirming experience to take part in. My nervousness left very quickly, despite being under much scrutiny the whole time. I think I represented our community in a positive manner and I know that these kids learned a few things as well.
So, ladies, if sometime down the road you find an opportunity to engage with the public and help our community, please take the chance. With luck, you'll find it as positive an experience as I did!
The pastor had contacted the Quad Citians Affirming Diversity (of which the local support group is a part of) about having someone come to speak about being TG with their teen group. The kids had apparently requested the opportunity to learn about something they did not know about.
As the leader of the group, I felt that I HAD to be one of the people to go: how can I ask someone to be that out in public if I myself am not ready to do so? So I agreed to go and asked the group to see if anyone else wanted to: one other person did, we we arranged an evening to go and talk with these kids.
I fully admit that I was incredibly nervous about this. I have been out in a few select spaces but have never done anything like this before. I would be very much on the spot and very much the object of attention for what turned about to be a group of fifteen to twenty teens and a few parents. There was no slipping in and out quietly, not making a fuss, not engaging with other people.
So Jessyka and I arrived at the church and met the pastor and the kids and it proved to be a very positive and interesting time. They had many questions to ask and were all very polite about asking them. We talked in some detail about the difficulties of growing up as TG and how we come to grips with this aspect of ourselves. We also talked about the ways that they can help those who are TG they will meet in the future - two people there acknowledged that they already knew TG persons through their school or work.
It was an affirming experience to take part in. My nervousness left very quickly, despite being under much scrutiny the whole time. I think I represented our community in a positive manner and I know that these kids learned a few things as well.
So, ladies, if sometime down the road you find an opportunity to engage with the public and help our community, please take the chance. With luck, you'll find it as positive an experience as I did!