About ten years ago, while I was living in Northern Virginia, I helped organize a job fair for an inner city Washington, D.C. transgender group. At most of the meetings, held at a community center for TGs who were living in distressed conditions, I was the only non-African American/Latino present. For me, it was an eye opening experience, for all my previous work with TG groups in the late 80’s and early 90’s had been with groups that, upon reflection, were comprised of well heeled, almost exclusively Caucasian TGs.

The plight of TGs in minority communities is unlike anything most readers here, I expect, can imagine. The expedients the TGs I dealt with over the course of a year in helping to organize a job fair for TGs had to resort to simply to survive were, and I have no doubt still are, horrifying to someone even as hardened to the realities of life as I am. Most of the girls were whores, a term they openly used among themselves, for political correctness had no place in the gutters of the nation’s capitals. Some were illegal aliens, without a single piece of legal, legitimate documentation. Going to companies, corporations, even government agencies in an attempt to get them to be part of the job fair was an ordeal. While no one slammed a door in our face, many came as close to sticking their fingers in their ears and singing ‘La,la,la. I can’t hear you,' as I have ever seen an adult do. (Only going to III Corps G-3 and asking for an increase in training ammunition comes close).

That there is an increase in reported TG deaths among minorities in the U.S. should come as no surprise, for police are more willing, due to public pressure, to better identify the nature of victims. Another possible cause, one many here will pick apart, is the increase visibility of TGs in the media and across the cultural spectrum is encouraging more people to stop hiding their gender issues and be more open. This can result in making themselves more likely to be targets of discrimination and violence, particularly if they are having to make a living on the streets. I know it is politically incorrect to point out some of the grimmer aspects of reality, but people who venture into harms way, either by choice or necessity, are more likely going to find themselves having to deal with the darker side of human nature.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s one of the first lessons those of us who came out was take care where and when you ventured out. For me, who started my journey in Kansas, this was critical. The second was always maintain situational awareness. The third, go with your gut instincts. If something tells you it is unsmart to do something or go somewhere, don’t. I was able to pick and chose where and when. Not everyone can. So my advise is be smart and be aware. Flash traffic, not everyone loves us.

Any who, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

Nancy Cole
a.k.a. HW Coyle

First I have been aware of this. How threating is a young tg moving toward womanhood ? A man with a 5oclock shadow wearing a dress and a wig at best is amusement, but no reason to beat almost to death, and then Kill. Bullies and thugs exist. I fear we, as a society are spiraling downward faster and faster. Beware, Look around you. But even this will not keep us protected from the barbarians at the gate. Hate is always around us. I hate Big noses, women, gays, straights, Irish, Italians, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, irrationally, it is here.
As the line goes, " I hate people who hate"
Cefin