Pam's Ponderings-Black Transwomen Need Love Too

TransGriot Note: The musings of author Pamela Hayes

We all know about the horrific beating that Chrissy Lee Polis endured in McDonalds. Countless articles recounting the incident has been on the Internet, so has the video. It was ghastly, inhumane. It should never have happened. And thank God Chrissy’s assailants have been apprehended and charges have been preferred against them. They should be incarcerated. They should lose rights because of a felony conviction. They brought it on themselves. I feel no compassion for them. The trans community have banded together and protested what happened and have threatened to boycott McDonald’s. Chrissy has been shown love in abundance. And she deserves it. 

But you know, people, black transgender women have had the hell beat out of them. It has happened many times. Black transgender women have been murdered because of who they are. So have white trans girls, of course. But that’s not the subject at hand. And when these heinous crimes happened to black trans women, I didn’t see this outpouring of love and assistance.

Or if it did transpire, it certainly was not with the same degree of fervor that is going on with the Chrissy Lee Polis incident. 

I’m sure that white trans people orchestrated all the support that has been given to Chrissy. That is because Chrissy looks like them and what happened to Chrissy could happen to them, so they want to help. They want to let violent trans haters know that such savagery will not be tolerated. And that's a damn good thing to put out there. 

But remember, there are black trans women who need help too. And black trans women should recognize that we can’t depend on white groups for support or to fight our battles. We are going to have to watch out for our own best interests. 

Do not accuse me of suggesting that Chrissy Lee Polis doesn’t deserve love, support and monetary damages for what happened to her at McDonald’s. She most certainly does.   Her attackers should be jailed and the miscreant who videotaped it should be charged as an accessory. After all, he watched the beating and warned the attackers that the police had been summoned. 

But we need to come to the aid of the Tasha’s and Tanisha’s who find themselves in horrific scenarios like Chrissy Lee's. Tasha and Tanisha need love too.

What's Between A Transwoman's Ears Is More Important Than What's Between Her Legs

One of the things that upsets me at times is that society and transpeople sometimes place far too much importance and attention on what genitalia is between our legs when the focus should be what's between our ears.

In this second decade of the 21st century we have more transwomen who have come out earlier in their lives than ever before and they are stunningly beautiful.  

But some of my sisters are more concerned with using their looks to get men and party and are not focusing on the inevitable day and the reality that the Coke bottle shape will eventually go away and your beauty fades.

That's why what is between your ears is far more important than what is between your legs.    Developing your mind should have just as much primacy for a Phenomenal Transwoman as being the life of the party.  

I've noted that quality in many of the cis and trans women I've chosen to pattern myself after and that lead successful lives.   I also find that the transwomen I get along with best have strong characters and are beautiful inside and out because they have taken the time and effort to borrow writer Sharon Davis' words, become finer specimens of womanhood.

While everyone's trans feminine journeys are primarily individual ones impacted by a multitude of factors including class, the decade we transition in, race, and where we live on the planet, at the same time we transwomen of color have the additional burden of representing our ethnic groups.

We don't have visible representations beyond the stereotypes attributed to transwomen of African, Latina, native American and Asian descent and we must be mindful of that.  It's why I have high expectations for myself and I am constantly aware of the fact I represent my African American trans community as a role model.   I'm proud that I have the reputation of being an intellectual and don't shy away from it.

When I have the honor and privilege of mentoring young transwomen of color I push them to be the best they can be and exceed the low expectations society has for us.    I want them to enjoy their youth, date and have fun, but at the same time I want them thinking about how they are not just in it for themselves, they represent an entire marginalized community to a trans hostile world.. 
 
The only way we are going to get society to stop focusing on the authenticity of our womanhood and what genitalia we have concealed in our panties is get them to focus on the content of our character and what is between our ears.

Once we are successful in doing that, we will begin to see real progress towards transpeople not only having civil rights coverage, but becoming integral parts and valued citizens of the various nations that we live in.