Transgender Rights in South-Western Ontario

If you live in south western Ontario you probably heard about the incident that is currently going on in my city of London, Ontario.

http://www.am980.ca/channels/news/local/Story.aspx?ID=1543775

A vendor is now being denied the ability to have a stand in the market because one of her employees is MTF transgendered. They have now told her that if she wants to hire a transgender person that there is no way she can have a stand in the market because it's a family environment and transgenders have no place in "family settings".

Oh Trails End Farmer's Market, if you only knew....





idiots.


So some of us are thinking of going to protest with the rest of the people protesting. I'm not sure because I'm sick and all....I might though.

Hopefully this shit fixes itself mighty quick.

 

it sucks how close minded people can be

 

Yeah.

Thing is, it's a whole bowl of stupid. They can't even be a creative hater.

Like cummon, what washroom will they use? They bring religion into it. If they are going to break a law then at least be creative and lie your way out of it by saying it has nothing to do with being trans, at least save yourself the mega lawsuit. They could've said the woman was doing something improper or something.

....but the washroom? and calling trans "Those people", and mentioning religion at all....

Damn bowl full of stupid...

 

I am a 57 year old woman and right now my best friend's child is transgendering male to female. I love this kid with all my heart--have known her since the diaper-changing days. You know what is hard for me to deal with about him becoming her? That this world will treat her like what you are describing and worse. I get so scared for her.

 

Oh. Ok.

 

^ Huh?

@herbavore: It really is shameful, isn't it? I don't know if you've come across this in your online journeys, but check out Balls Out: A column About Being Transgendered, on McSweeney's. It's technically a humour/art publication, but I find that it has a lot of amazing columns on different lives that are incredibly fascinating. To the point of looking into getting the print version even! But yea, Balls Out is an excellent read, and has been an eye-opener into the process and life of one particular young MTF trans looking back on her transitioning.

@ONCOR: Small-minded people are everywhere, it seems. It's easy to get outraged, but I find pity to be a lot more fun as it pisses the bigots off a lot more. It reminds them that they are just small people who are only able to have any sense of self-worth by pushing perceived different (or what not) people down. And they really are to be pitied too, as they are limiting their associations to people who are so alike to themselves that they will never experience the true variety of humankind. That's the new tack that I'm taking with bigots anyway, as, unfortunately, I have more than a few of them in my family. Open antagonism isn't an option, but subtle pity works quite nicely.

 

Dave- Oh I'm not outraged, quite the contrary. I am laughing about this whole thing, it's completely ridiculous. Sure I am angry too because this woman deserves the same amount of respect than any other person.

Herbavore- Depending on what country/state/city you live in, most people are not that awful towards trans people, as its becoming more common these days. Mind you there will always be some hate but it's different then pre-90s where they were viewed as freaks. I find with my own experience since 2001 (in Toronto, Ontario) that people are slowly warming up to the transgender community. I think the major cities like New York, San Fransisco, Toronto, are copasetti with it because it's been around and in people's faces for a few decades now. I am sure your friend's son will be just fine and if she finds herself facing issues there is now ways to protect yourself and seek mental help from any depression etc. Now that the internet is available to anyone who has a computer/laptop and a wifi connection, people are more able to connect with people of similar situations and interests. I hope your friends kid is able to transition without issue.

soundsystem - ??

 

FU--Yes this young transwoman (her word for herself) comes from a very accepting family and lives in a very tolerant place (Portland OR) however the shame she has inside has been buried so deep for so long that she was suicidal until she finally got enough courage to even come out with this to herself. And that comes from the larger culture in general. You are right that there are many places that she can find safety and acceptance and she has. Still, it is a profound disconnect for the psyche to know that you will always be seen through this filter first. (true for race, sexuality, etc. I know, but this difference gets scorned across the board, it seems.)

I do have faith that she will find her place in the world and I am very proud of her. I am also thankful for people like you that say, "it's not that big of a deal." That's where we want the whole world to be, right? So, thank you for leading the way!

Dave--I emailed the link to both of them. That person is an incredible writer. I love that he said, "I hated being a boy but I loved being a son."

 

Herb- I am a transman (female to male) and so I understand in my own way how it goes. While other people might be accepting of us, it's our own thought process that hurts ourselves. I was messed up for many years and took various drugs and self harm before I realized that everyone that was worth my time fully accepts me as whomever I am. They have accepted me as trans completely. They actually told me it was no shock to them at all, that they realized that I was before I was even ready to accept the fact myself. I come from a background where dating outside ones culture is not done, never mind gay or trans. I had to wait until first generation Canadian immigrants (from Greece) had all died to keep up the facade of good little girl in their eyes. I always found it funny though, now that I look back my immigrant grandparents would have been more accepting of my sexual orientation and my girlfriend then my dad's side of the family which has been in Canada since...forever (they're native and french).
You do feel disconnected from things if you believe in labels because a trans person will never fit a label completely, its when one gives up on labels is when one can find peace in oneself. Fuck being a man or a woman, fuck being homosexual or heterosexual fuck being anything but who you are. Comfort in oneself is not acceptance from another but acceptance of oneself, once one can accept oneself then that is true peace. I always hope people can be accepting of others BUT I am more hoping people can be accepting of themselves. So I hope your friends child is on her way to accepting herself and loving herself just as she is. A human.

A side note: I am also a parent to 2 lovely children (11 & almost 7) and my almost 7yr old son is almost certainly gay. He is like the boy "Scot" from the movie "Breakfast With Scot" . If you click that link you can see the trailer of the movie. My son is very.....colourful. LOL.
My family has known this and the whole neighborhood and is very accepting of his...personality. Actually they are more accepting of HIM then they were of ME when I started dating a woman. Which I am thankful for. My son has been blessed with the charm of not giving a damn what other people think of him or what he does/wears. Some days he'll sport fashionable sandals and pink painted nails, and others he'll be in jeans and a t. We never know with him. lol.

I just hope with the new generation, my son's generation being more exposed to the GLBT community, more than we children of the 80s (and prior) have been will see being gay, lesbian, trans, etc as nothing but a label and people will live as they will.


Dave- I missed that link previously, I so gotta check that out when I have time, sounds interesting.

 

Hey Oncor, I am happy to make your aquaintance and that you shared a little bit of your story with me. When my oldest son (now 23) was little he loved to wear pink and he loved anything that sparkled. we went to sears to buy shoes for me one time and I let him pick up these little Dorothy sparkling red shoes and the salesman kept literally taking them out of his hands and putting them back and saying,"those are not for boys." I told him that they were for anyone willing to pay for them but that we would take our business elsewhere. That was when my son was about 3. Two years later when he went to kindergarten in his favorite color hot pink high-tops he came home the first day and sadly told me,"mom, there are two places you can't wear pink shoes: Sears and school." Anyway he grew up to be a straight guy that no longer wears pink shoes but I'm proud to say he'll defend anyone's right to do so regardless of gender!

fuck being anything but who you are

you say it so eloquently :D and I couldn't agree with you more.

 

My son would squeal for those shoes LOL We have yet to have issues with people commenting on what he wants to wear, he varies so widely. Austin (my son) we are certian but would limit him because of his current quirks, wants etc....but....he can vary from wearing girls dresses and make-up and kissing boys to wearing jeans and a transformer shirt. He'll watch everything from Hairspray, Strawberry Shortcake, ICarly to Phineas and Ferb, Bakugaun, and Mighty Machines. He got suspended in JK for kissing a boy in his class, he wasn't even embarrassed or upset he just shrugged and said "Was worth it" haha. We have no doubt he's gay and if he turns out to be straight then alot of people would be shocked. but hey we'll accept him no matter what he is, so it really doesn't phase us either way.

I speaka da good french I'm a multi-generational brat, so I've grown up with colourful language and people.

:D