Hey all
Recently I created a thread entitled "Is the world today leaving us here behind", in which a lot of posters here contributed to. I was criticised, both within the thread itself and in private messages, for this thread.
I created that thread because, as someone who identifies as transgender, and thus has an obvious vested interest in any trans-related reporting, I was becoming concerned with a perceived back-lash that had seemingly sprung up in response to the many trans-related stories that were adorning the media. So much so, that a "meme" (of sorts) has resulted from this. Namely "trans-peak" - whereby people post their thoughts/feelings, and come from the perspective of, to paraphrase "I was ok with trans, but now it has become too much, and now I've reached my own personal peak, and now I'm not ok with it anymore".
It's now approximately one month since I posted that thread. And things, for me personally, have gotten a lot worse.
To give you a bit of background into why, before I proceed with the reason for creating this thread...
I am out. All my friends and family know. I was rejected by many, and accepted by few, and it was those that accepted me that I clung to, who helped me overcome the loss of others (friends, as family). I'm also gay. I came out as gay long after coming out as trans, and (this is only my own experience), more people accepted me for being gay than they did for being trans. Interestingly, some who didn't accept me as being trans finally did AFTER I came out as gay. Take from that what you will. (I certainly did.)
Anyway, recently I've spent some time searching the net, finding forums, reading (lurking) the thoughts of others. This is coupled with (occasionally) posting on here. And it's led me to (for me) an inescapable conclusion.
I can no longer identify with the trans community. I simply do not like what it has become. I do not agree with the trans-activists who have become so vocal. I do not agree with the way children, who when expressing a preference for toys, colours, or clothing, are being identified as trans (when in the past they were referred to as tom-boys, or girly-boys (note the use of the word "boy" in both scenarios), many of whom who went through such actually ended up not being trans at all.
I don't like the way kids today are being bracketed, labelled, and encouraged down a specific path, instead of being simply allowed to explore themselves and simply enjoy what they want to, at a specific time (childhood) without being labelled or identified in any way that could end up having a life-long consequence for them.
(That, funnily enough, was one of the reasons why I posted my previous thread. I couldn't help but feel that if I was born today, I would end up being a teenager on hormone blockers, set in concrete into a specific category, a category that doesn't include the word term "crossdresser" (which is what I actually am). I would have been identified as a boy who wanted to BE a girl, instead of being identified as a boy who simply wanted to WEAR the same clothes that girls did!)
I can not relate to the individuals who are being put forth as being spokespeople for the trans-community. I am tempted to name individuals at this point, but I'll refrain from doing so, in order to avoid offending any one here.
And I can not abide, after expressing my own thoughts and opinions, in places that I thought would be accepting of me and at the least value my opinion, even if they didn't agree with it, being told that I have to temper my own approach - which simply put equates to being told I have to temper myself if I want to "fit in".
So for all of these reasons, I no longer want to be any part of this community. Because this community no longer represents or reflects who I am.