Living Proof

While sipping my coffee before work, I was scanning down my Facebook feed seeing what my friends were up. It was then I saw a note that was shared by my friend & comedienne, Mimi Gonzalez, written by a lady named, Ife Franklin. It was a heartfelt letter written to Bay Windows and being sent to the Governor of MA and the Boston Globe regarding men hitting on she and her wife in Provincetown, MA. As I continued to read it, it started to become much clearer that this woman was not just ranting about black men hitting on her, but she was ranting about the lack of care by "the white folks" who hire them and who have "the power to fire them". I'll just copy and paste her note first, and then my long comment afterwards. I apologize for such a long blog post, but I had to speak up. Feel free to leave your honest thoughts about this - even if you highly disagree with me. I understand she has a very unfortunate, traumatic past with rape and harassment, but this went...

(The photo above is me around the age of 7.) “Why can’t I be ‘me’?” I always heard these words in my own mind while growing up. And at times, I even heard, “Why can’t I be him?” A close friend of mine yesterday, Marlo Bernier, a wonderful filmmaker explained to me that she used to ask herself if wanting to be another gender was ‘coveting’ - although she knew better. It was just a rhetorical question that mimicked what some may have suggested due to religious standpoints. She knew who she was even when she was physically a ‘he’. Today seems to be much different. There are many more options available and a slight bit more acceptance, however you’d be quite surprised how 2010 isn’t much of a progression; it’s only by means of available hormones and surgical procedures that makes this manageable on some levels, both emotionally and physically. I can relate to praying at night, wishing I’d wake up a boy. ..with boy parts. I wanted to be a straight kid - a straight boy into a straight ma...