Hi Anna,

It is so sad that just as we begin to look more like the woman we are, the conservative folks in the world are beginning to feel entitled to punish us.

I grew up when being gay or deviant in any way that touched on sexuality or gender was punishable by vigilante violence, with impunity, and the developing situation is something we have to be conscious of. The guiding principle I use is to make sure not to wave red flags at bulls- and generally to understand that now people are out to pick a fight with the nearest trans person. It is wrong, but as any persecuted minority knows, it can be a wise choice to notice their signals [ie. stares] and avoid pushing their buttons unless we are very good at hand to hand combat. It is sickening to have to bend to malicious power projection, but if it is any comfort at all, it is a reality that women share the world around.