Dot429 Brunch

Thank you to Dot429 for letting me join today's brunch mixer. Dot 429 is a professional network for the LGBT community and I had the pleasure of meeting many of the city's movers and shakers this morning at their event.

From Jamey Rodemeyer to Tyler Clementi, young people exploring their sexuality often face major hardships from their peers. The issue of bullying has been all too present in the LGBT community over recent years. The journey to self discovery and happiness is a personal one and it pains me that so many people feel the need to hurt those who are only trying to understand and accept themselves.

By the end of the event, as the guests trickled out, I found myself conversing with an impressive young woman who advocates for the Transsexual community. In the 30 minutes that followed she enlightened me to a side of our culture with which I was admittedly not terribly familiar. Right off the bat she clarified the difference between Transsexual and Transgender: Transsexual is someone who feels they were born in the wrong body/anatomy, while Transgender is one who explores the concept of gender role (think Drag culture.) I had a friend in college who underwent a gender change so have experienced the physical transition that some individuals undergo in order to match their externals to their inner self. This woman continued to explain how the loose and joking use of the word "tranny" in pop LGB culture is offensive and derogatory to those of the Transsexual community, since their gender struggle is hardly a laughing matter. I thought of all the times I heard that term thrown around on shows like Ru Paul's Drag Race and among my friends in the theater world. This seem to be a section of our culture that has not received major recognition or understanding from the mainstream world.

My passion to end bullying comes from a belief that being different is not a bad thing. Learning from those who come from an alternative perspective can leave all of us wiser. I am glad I met a woman who could enlighten me on this issue, as I hope this knowledge will assist me in better helping students throughout New York to navigate their journey to adulthood.

New York took a step forward by legalizing gay marriage this year. Let's hope we continue to create acceptance and support for all people, no matter how "different" their life may seem.