I posted this the other day about coming out, & how much courage it takes.
I shared just a teensy tiny part of my journey.
A journey that’s been at the same time physical, social, administrative (yes !) & of course deeply psychological.
There is so much I have had to come to terms with my transition, am still coming to terms with, like feelings of worthiness & owning my identity & have I the right to speak as a woman ?
But there’s also that part that’s been the journey from straight cis white male to trans white gay female (I am still white of course !)
I have a pretty unique perspective & insight into the worlds I straddle now, former & current, not least the LGBT world, giving me such a wealth of content for my speaking.
I grew up in Adelaide, in the 70’s & 80’s, when the culture was so homophobic. I can’t even begin to repeat some of the jokes we used to tell each other back in those days, they were so horrible.
I was certainly NOT gay, & back then was repulsed by any thought of being so. So for most of my life, in terms of LGBTQIA+, I never associated with ANY of those.
But everything has changed & I’m so glad it has, because now, I can lay claim to THREE of them. (Not that it’s necessary to apply labels at all !).
When I speak with most people about LGBTQIA+ most of them can't remember all those letters let alone what they mean, & say things like “all those letters that I can’t remember”, or “the alphabet people”.
And I get it, because it’s a pretty clumsy acronym.
So just say “queer”, & that ought to be fine.
But whatever you call us, we’re just people, like you, & have been around for like, forever.
I’ve also heard it said that trans people are “flavour of the month”
Well, we’ve been around for like forever too – it’s just become much more ok & acceptable to own up to it, to come out.
But that’s not true for everyone.
I know trans people who are too shamed to come out & live lives unfulfilled in the closet.
Can you imagine having to make that call, between choosing to come out & embrace your truth but with the risk of losing everything, or living a lie, to preserve the status quo, a family, a life ?
It takes such courage to come out, for anyone.
And it can take such courage NOT to come out, too.
I always say “Live Your Truth”.
And I believe in this passionately, as a watchword for living the truest expressions of who we were born to be.
But I am cognizant that there are costs, & benefits to doing that.
Coming out, living your truth, for anyone, is not for the faint hearted.
So please applaud those who step into the arena, take a risk, stand out, & know too that that person, is very likely to be YOU!
Love Bobbi ❤️
Inspirational speaker | Transformation Coach | Trans Woman | Model
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