transgender: October 2007 Archives
When Tyra Hunter was 24 years old, she was riding in a car in Washington, D.C. Her car was broadsided by another car.
She was knocked unconscious due to the collision, but regained consciousness by the time emergency crews arrived. She was still dazed and had respiration problems because some of her teeth had been knocked into her airway.The paramedics went to work on Tyra, but in assessing the injuries they discovered she had male genitals.
At this point, one of the caregivers said "This ain't no bitch. It's a nigger. He's got a dick and balls." The paramedics ceased treating Tyra and instead laughed and joked about her while onlookers demanded they get back to work on her.
Later, after treating another injured passenger, other emergency workers found Tyra gagging and trying to move away from the insulting paramedics. Finally, a supervisor demanded that her airway be cleared.
In addition to these insults and lack of care, she was received at the hospital as "John Doe", given a contraindicated medication, and was not given blood that had been ordered for her. She died from lack of oxygen in her blood.
This is the kind of health care some transgender persons can expect. Value judgments can override common decency and mercy - and the basic job requirements. Amazingly, the District of Columbia defended the paramedics on the basis of their first amendment rights to free speech.
Time and again, I come back to what Jesus taught about how we treat others: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". "Love your neighbor as yourself" . The parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the person who acted as a neighbor to a victimized person was the one who didn't even get along with people of his kind. The parable of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus says that as you do to others, you do to him.
And yet, this is what we can expect from some of the people who choose a career in caring for others.
This is not how to do health care.
This is not how to do emergency care.
This is not how to be a Christian.
This is not how to be a human being.
Whatever one's opinion of transgender people, they are people. There is no excuse for allowing people to suffer while we laugh.
My prayer is that the paramedics learn to care for all others, and that they do not need to experience what Tyra did in order to learn it. I would not wish that on my enemies - because I love them.
Trial notes: http://www.gpac.org/im/tyra/tyindex.html
Remembering our dead: http://www.gender.org/remember/.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20.
At this point, one of the caregivers said "This ain't no bitch. It's a nigger. He's got a dick and balls." The paramedics ceased treating Tyra and instead laughed and joked about her while onlookers demanded they get back to work on her.
Later, after treating another injured passenger, other emergency workers found Tyra gagging and trying to move away from the insulting paramedics. Finally, a supervisor demanded that her airway be cleared.
In addition to these insults and lack of care, she was received at the hospital as "John Doe", given a contraindicated medication, and was not given blood that had been ordered for her. She died from lack of oxygen in her blood.
This is the kind of health care some transgender persons can expect. Value judgments can override common decency and mercy - and the basic job requirements. Amazingly, the District of Columbia defended the paramedics on the basis of their first amendment rights to free speech.
Time and again, I come back to what Jesus taught about how we treat others: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". "Love your neighbor as yourself" . The parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the person who acted as a neighbor to a victimized person was the one who didn't even get along with people of his kind. The parable of the sheep and the goats, where Jesus says that as you do to others, you do to him.
And yet, this is what we can expect from some of the people who choose a career in caring for others.
This is not how to do health care.
This is not how to do emergency care.
This is not how to be a Christian.
This is not how to be a human being.
Whatever one's opinion of transgender people, they are people. There is no excuse for allowing people to suffer while we laugh.
My prayer is that the paramedics learn to care for all others, and that they do not need to experience what Tyra did in order to learn it. I would not wish that on my enemies - because I love them.
Trial notes: http://www.gpac.org/im/tyra/tyindex.html
Remembering our dead: http://www.gender.org/remember/.
Transgender Day of Remembrance is November 20.
No commentary today - just the real work concerns of a real human being.
http://rebeccaaugephd.blogspot.com/2007/10/returning-to-work-concerns.html
http://rebeccaaugephd.blogspot.com/2007/10/returning-to-work-concerns.html
Today is the day.
The challenge is before us is to more honestly share who we truly are: with ourselves, with our families, with our friends, with the world.
If we are out to ourselves, we have only just begun. We may love ourselves enough to acknowledge who we are, but we must also love our neighbors as ourselves. That means being honest about our stories, our lives, our identities.
Coming out is a continuous process. Although we mark today as a time to come out, we must always be willing to share the truth about ourselves with others. Rather than inventing lies about a mundane life, we can tell the truth about our passions, our strengths, and our weaknesses.
Coming out is not easy. It brings anxiety, and at times it is risky. Yet believers are not called to quiet safety, and prophets are not called to silence. We - gay, Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, supportive, and leather; conservative and progressive; Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Pagan and Wiccan; grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren; we must share what we have been given.
Do not withhold the beauty that is you. Celebrate the unique creation you are.
National Coming Out Day is October 11.
The challenge is before us is to more honestly share who we truly are: with ourselves, with our families, with our friends, with the world.
Yeshua says: Whoever knows everything but himself, lacks everything.It is important that we know and accept who we are. Self-denial is an affront to the one who created us, and to ourselves. If we love our creator, we will not deny that creation. If we love that creation - ourselves - we will also not deny it.
- Gospel of Thomas, 67
If we are out to ourselves, we have only just begun. We may love ourselves enough to acknowledge who we are, but we must also love our neighbors as ourselves. That means being honest about our stories, our lives, our identities.
Coming out is a continuous process. Although we mark today as a time to come out, we must always be willing to share the truth about ourselves with others. Rather than inventing lies about a mundane life, we can tell the truth about our passions, our strengths, and our weaknesses.
Coming out is not easy. It brings anxiety, and at times it is risky. Yet believers are not called to quiet safety, and prophets are not called to silence. We - gay, Lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, questioning, supportive, and leather; conservative and progressive; Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Taoist, Hindu, Pagan and Wiccan; grandparents, parents, children, and grandchildren; we must share what we have been given.
Do not withhold the beauty that is you. Celebrate the unique creation you are.
National Coming Out Day is October 11.
Coming out part I: Coming Out to Yourself.
Who are you?
Really?
Think about all the dimensions of who you are. Consider using adjectives instead of nouns. Adjectives describe aspects of yourself; nouns label and categorize.
Explore the things you enjoy, the things that are important to you, the things that hold special meaning.
Coming out is not just about sexual or gender identity.
Maybe everyone knows you're gay, but no one knows you're a Republican.
Or a Christian.
Or a stamp collector.
Take this opportunity to get to know yourself.
Jesus taught his followers to love each other as they loved themselves. It's time to raise that bar - to love ourselves and others more.
National Coming Out Day is October 11.
Who are you?
Really?
Think about all the dimensions of who you are. Consider using adjectives instead of nouns. Adjectives describe aspects of yourself; nouns label and categorize.
Explore the things you enjoy, the things that are important to you, the things that hold special meaning.
Coming out is not just about sexual or gender identity.
Maybe everyone knows you're gay, but no one knows you're a Republican.
Or a Christian.
Or a stamp collector.
Take this opportunity to get to know yourself.
Jesus taught his followers to love each other as they loved themselves. It's time to raise that bar - to love ourselves and others more.
National Coming Out Day is October 11.
It's only one week before October 11, National Coming Out Day. It's time to consider coming out. It's time to own who we are.
We are straight, gay, bisexual, lesbian, and asexual.
We are women, men, and combinations of these social ideas.
We have bodies and genes and chromosomes that neatly line up as "male" or "female" - or not.
And we are wonderfully made in God's image.
Who are we to deny what God has made in us? Who are we to hide what we are born to be? Who are we to publicly deny God's gift to us?
Who are we to be ashamed of God's work?
Who are you?
We are straight, gay, bisexual, lesbian, and asexual.
We are women, men, and combinations of these social ideas.
We have bodies and genes and chromosomes that neatly line up as "male" or "female" - or not.
And we are wonderfully made in God's image.
Who are we to deny what God has made in us? Who are we to hide what we are born to be? Who are we to publicly deny God's gift to us?
Who are we to be ashamed of God's work?
Who are you?
