As the communications director, my biggest challenge was trying to wrap my head around men or women who felt as though they were genetically assigned to the wrong body. How could I make these stories digestible and relatable to others? To help me prepare for this work, my friend introduced me to one of his closest friends who was transgendered. I asked her, “What does being transgendered mean to you?”
She told me about a time when she was 16. In her small town, there was no one like her. She had a desire to connect with others –this was an all day, every day feeling that would not go away. Then she heard about a unique event taking place not far from her home. It was a conference sponsored by Transgender Tapestry, a publication that celebrates diversity of gender expression. When she arrived at the event and started to meet the others who were attending, she was able to define what “transgender” meant to her. And that was the definition she shared with me. She said, “It was the first time I felt I belonged.”
Everyone has the desire to belong to something greater than themselves. To know that you are part of something bigger brings a sense of purpose to who you truly are. I have gotten the great opportunity to meet many kinds of people throughout my life, but the greater opportunity and gift was to learn of them and take time to hear their story. What I learned is that I relate to them on a bigger scale and that we are more alike than we are different. It brings a sense of belonging to my life – and gives me a clearer picture of who I really am. www.insightfulvoice.com
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