To the Editor:
People born with red hair and blue eyes have three and one-half times more things common in society.
73% of those on the right are against red hair and blue eyes as are 45% of those leaning left.
19% are rejected by their places of worship though 45% of those rejected do find a new place of worship.
On average, unemployment is 4 times higher and their poverty rate is 29%. That's two and one-half times higher than the national average.
46% will be verbally harassed or ridiculed publicly.
26% of family members will end their relationship.
68% will end a family relationship if they are over age 35.
And of those supporting rejected family members, within two years, one in three will still support the rejected party. The suicide rate is nine times the average for the rejects, jumping to 12 times the national average without family support.
We spend out our time living incongruently in a society that accepts us as opposed to living congruently in a society that doesn’t accept us. 1842 was the first known use of the word to describe “a state of feeling unwell or unhappy." In 1973 the words bio-marker and moon roof become commonplace, and the first known use of "gender dysphoria" was used.
I know many will stop reading right here. But March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. A day to raise awareness of discrimination as well as our contributions to society. Some of us want to be visible; some of us do not. Some of us will speak up and be vocal, allowing others to be anonymity.
We have been invisible for centuries to fit in with social norms. This is what our community is willing give up and live with so we can finally be ourselves inside and out. Most of us don’t want the visibility. I enjoy the invisibility that comes with blending into the fabric of society. But to those who turned their backs, so we are invisible to them. And those there are those who feel pressure from society to turn their backs. I feel very saddened for you, because you have missed the best possible version of ourselves, for we are truly happy with ourselves now, living in congruence.
Simone Kraus