My Identity

I have been reading the interview with Yishay Garbasz.  http://www.prettyqueer.com/2013/03/03/interview-with-yishay-garbasz/

We are roughly the same age, both trans and both jewish.  Although I am from New Zealand and student and she is a Berlin-based British-Israeli artist.

But there was something she said that about identity that got me thinking.  I have been told that as someone who has had srs I am considered post transition.  As if surgery is the be all and end all of being trans.

But I do not.  I will forever be a transperson.  When they discover that I am a trans person, that is all they see.  

Being a post grad student at University

I am currently half way through a post graduate diploma in arts in sociology.  I am wondering if that is a mistake.

As a post graduate student I am entitled to go into the post graduate computer labs.  In the one and half semesters being a post grad student.  I have only been in the post gread computer labs twice.  I have a swipe card, everytime I use it access the post grad computer labs it won't work.  Apparrently it has been recorded as lost.  This is strange as it was given to me by the sociology department.

One wonders if the sociology department does not really want to be in the sociology department.

I am wondering if the stess of being a post grad student ids worth it.

The suicide of a trans teacher

Let there be no mistake the death of Lucy Meadows is a tragedy.

At first glance the media may played a roll in this tragedy is apparent.  While transphobic media comments and reports often make the lives of transpeople a living hell.  We in the trans community often make the lives of transpeople miserable. 

I have experienced that disdain from the trans community.  Such treatment is perhaps all to common.

Even allies are not above being transphobic and god forbid if you challenge allies on their behaviour.

The death of Lucy Meadows is tragedy.  But we failed Lucy, by hearing her pain and doing nothing. 

Gender Identity Disorder and University

Sometimes when I am at University I forget that transpeople are often seen as jokes.  Sometimes I am reminded of that.

I was reminded of that yesterday.

During a lecture, we where discussing Gender Identity Disorder.

While the other students laughed at the diagnosis criteria in the DSM.  I couldn't help but get the feeling that they were also laughing at transpeople.  That they somehow didn't recognise what it means to be trans and go to university.  The fact is university is a very exclusionary place, for anyone that is different.