Sophia Adamski

Say My Name: On Trans Youth, Visibility, and Cages

We are often told from a young age that we are allowed to be whatever we want
to be. This,however, cannot be true, because the only thing that matters after your
college degree is your status quo. Slavery is over, yet people of color continue to
purchase drugstore skin-lightening creams. Every year, a trans person has a one in
twelve chance of being murdered. This statistic is higher for trans women of color.
While society and their followers are preaching these statements, they failed to realize
that they are part of the flaw that causes people to hide themselves.
Society has taught boys to be dominating and tough, and girls to be soft and
domestic. Gender roles, like many other things in life, are impressed upon young
children, often without knowing the consequences of these actions. Mothers and
fathers are still found frowning upon their daughters for wanting to hold traditionally
male jobs; some men have even reported to having lost the ability to weep because
theyve been repeatedly told that boys dont cry. Often times, we dont consider the fact
that a handful of these children will come to terms with the gender they were born
with. Again, we often forget to distinguish gender from sex when explaining the way
things work to our siblings or children.
Although sexuality is becoming less and less of an issue with every passing
frame, many people are still misinformed on the difference between sex and gender,
and take it upon themselves to try and dictate someone elses birth-given identity.
Some argue that being trans is a mental disorder or a choice. However, if said
individuals took the time to study basic human biology, they would come to the
realization that genes play a factor in your gender identity and sexual or romantic
orientation.
Some children realize very early on that they dont feel comfortable in the body
they were assigned with at birth. An age gap from parent to child will often feed into
how the guardians take steps in supporting their young. Many parents are too afraid to
let go of the emotional bonds they have established with a child; some have counted on
having a boy or a girl and struggle to come to terms with the new circumstances they
are presented with.
Sixty-four percent of Americans under thirty have reported leaning towards
LGBT+ acceptance, while only twenty-seven percent of people age seventy and older
hold the same opinion. Young transgender* individuals are usually even further
oppressed by peers. Many report being excluded from groups and clubs because they
are trans*, and sixty-three percent have said that both classmates and teachers have
harassed them in a typical school environment.
By the time a trans youth turns twenty, more than fifty percent will have tried to
commit suicide. A large sub-percentage of these people have already been diagnosed

with some form of mental illness; others have been bullied and stepped on without any
form of support. Arguably, In California and in Colorado, laws have been passed
forbidding citizens to discriminate against trans people. Again, people argue that
disagreeing with the transgender agenda is prohibiting some of this is shrinking due
to cities and states across the nation stepping up about trans rights. their right to free
speech. Many of these same people are the ones who have left the bodies of our sons
and daughters in alleyways and creeks, in places better left to the night.
West Hollywood is the only city in California to require gender neutral
bathrooms. Other states are not far behind, but there must be other things done in
order to be certain that everyone is allowed to be who they were born to be. Of course,
allowing humans who differ from a certain cookie-cutter ideal to fulfill their basic
needs is dangerous. Because trans people are obviously just lurking in bathroom stalls,
waiting to pounce on your children. Not only is this argument lacking in any sort of
structure or real material to work with, it simply backfires on itself the moment
someone tries to use it to their advantage. Wouldnt it be more odd to see a female who
presented as male using the womans bathroom?
Many people strive to change the world, and many of those same people do just
that. You dont have to donate to a charity or make a speech, or win an award; you
simply need to stand up for what you think is right, and preach your ideals often and
peacefully.

Furthermore.
Q: Why is there an asterisk after trans/transgender*?
A: Trans* is an umbrella term to encompass not only trans people, but
genderqueer, genderfluid, gender non-conforming, etc.
Q: What does cisgender mean?
A: Cisgender means that your sex and your gender identity line up.