Columnists’ words hurtful to transgenders

Transgender youth — and all transgender persons — deserve dignity and respect. Whatever Jane Ann Morrison’s Monday column was trying to communicate, suggesting that transgender persons are not capable of deciding which bathroom to use is offensive. At best, Ms. Morrison’s column (and columnist Sherman Frederick’s unacceptable words from the day before in “More thoughts on sex education”) misrepresent and distort the actual lived experiences of transgender youth. At worst, they are yet another smear directed at some of Nevada’s most vulnerable citizens.

Words matter, and the slamming of transgender youth in media harms us. Our journeys include an awareness that emerges as we grow that the label applied to us at birth — as “girl” or “boy” — doesn’t fit for us. Because we don’t conform as others do to these labels, we are often seen as “confused” or “disordered.”

Such judgments harm transgender persons as we grow to clarify our identity and express ourselves more honestly. In a culture which does not understand us, we can become convinced we are “confused” or “disordered” — and we struggle. Rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, homelessness, self-mutilation and suicide are all markedly higher among transgender persons, with higher rates still for transgender persons of color.

Not surprisingly, Ms. Morrison and Mr. Frederick also reinforce stereotyped cultural fears that listening to and respecting transgender persons would lead automatically to the violation of others. Such stereotypes support the belief that our open, honest presence would inevitably lead to harm.

This is, of course, irrational and not supported by evidence, as transgender persons use public spaces for the same reasons others do: to urinate, shower and get dressed. Just like everyone else, we are just trying to get along. Further, we certainly agree that when a person is acting badly in public space that such behavior should be stopped and the perpetrators held accountable. Our presence alone does not constitute bad behavior, and the truth is that we have much more to fear in such public spaces than cisgender persons do.

We at Gender Justice Nevada, a local grass-roots nonprofit (www.gjnv.org), have worked for many years to build coalitions leading to outcomes such as the successful passage in 2011 of transgender-inclusive civil rights protections. We ask that media use their power to constructively inform rather than thoughtlessly promote fear and stereotypes.

Jane Heenan

Las Vegas

The writer is co-director of Gender Justice Nevada.