Conservatives are finally standing up for Transgender people like me

Conservatives are finally standing up for Transgender people like me

A spark of fear travels through my veins as I slowly cross through the halls of Parliament House in Canberra from the western office rooms of Senator John Williams to the bustling chambers of Chief Opposition Whip of the House of Representatives, The Honourable Warren Entsch, MP.

Dripping with enough sweat to fill the many water features located around Capital Hill, I pause for a few minutes in the centre of Parliament House, otherwise known as the Members Hall, hoping that the tranquility of the architecture of this room and its black marble centre can help me find solace, lest the panic attack that has been bubbling within me for the past few days finally boils over and leads to me completely melting down.

It’s September 2012, and after having spent most of the past 18 months back in the closet for my own safety while living in the deeply socially conservative New England region in northern New South Wales, I’m psychologically tearing myself apart as my inner-most feminine identity wages war with the clean-cut, hyper-masculine chimera. I’m battling my darkest fears regarding what might happen if people knew my inner-most secret.

While professionally I’m having the time of my life interviewing various politicians and their staffers, on a personal level I feel like I’ve stuck my head right in the jaws of an angry lion that’s ready to strike at a second’s notice. Sinking deeper and deeper into despair, it’s moments like these which used to make me wish that I was dead, as such eternal darkness would ultimately feel more comforting than living in an ongoing cycle of fear, sadness and frustration within a world I thought would never change for me.

Now with those thoughts in mind, there’s no way at that time I could have believed just five years later that not only would I be living the joyful and productive life that I’d always dreamed of living, but that some of the conservative lions of both Australian and American politics would ultimately be standing up for the right of Transgender people like myself not only just to survive, but ultimately thrive as well.

 

With the announcement this week by President Donald Trump that the United States would be reintroducing a ban on the ability of Transgender people to serve openly within the US military within less than a year of its initial repeal, that might seem like a rather peculiar thing to say. However given that it’s also prompted a lot of Republican senators and congress-people who’d previously remained silent on the issue of same-sex attracted and gender diverse people’s rights to finally show where they stand, it’s ultimately an announcement which will cause more political heartache for the Trump administration than goodwill.

From war heroes such as Senator John McCain stating that “There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train and deploy to leave the military — regardless of their gender identity”, through to staunch Mormon conservatives such as Senator Orin Hatch from Utah amongst others saying “I don’t think we should be discriminating against anyone,” while adding that transgender people “deserve the best we can do for them”, it’s evident that the views of the

American people towards Trans-people are slowly changing, even if the views of their President aren’t.

Furthermore, with each of Trump’s tweets echoing the same sentiments that used to be utilised against women, gays and people of colour within the US Military previously, it’s arguable that Trump’s attempt to further marginalise the transgender community amongst the American people is more about campaign politics and deal-making against political opponents than it is about military readiness or unit cohesion. This is further reinforced not only by the news that President Trump only consulted his innermost male advisors within the White House on this issue, but by Trump administration officials stating to Axios wire service’s Jonathan Swan that the primary objective of the decision was to marginalise female democratic Senators within the American “Rust-Belt” states in the lead-up to 2018 mid-term elections.

 

 

But while the President and his supporters may think that they can divert the attention of the American people and the global media away from the multiple scandals that have been engulfing the Trump White House over recent months by engaging in culture wars with both women and various minority groups, Trump’s continued inability to engage with people outside of his immediate bubble and his unfettered addiction to shocking people on Twitter now openly symbolise the weaknesses that has engulfed American civil discourse, rather than its greatness.

Furthermore such reality-television antics only serve the interests of America’s foes, while confusing and alienating its allies, many of whom have had longstanding policies of LGBTI inclusion within their armed forces.

Now while it’d be quite easy for me to take Trump’s derogatory remarks towards people like myself over the course of the past 24 hours personally, thanks to the hugs and kind words that I received from Warren Entsch and his staff back in late 2012 after wiping away my tears and slowly making my way to his office, I’ve continuously found the emotional strength to rise above the white-noise offered by individuals such as Trump, whenever their comments arise.

Furthermore, after hearing directly from Mr Entsch about how a close jackaroo friend of his had put herself through night school, transitioned in the workplace and then graduated from medical school on the way to becoming a rural doctor in Far North Queensland, I’ve come to realise that there’s no goals or dreams that are outside of my reach, which has ultimately had the effect of saving my life.

Needless to say, such actions and words display true leadership. While it may be lacking from the White House, the fact that it’s still coming in a similar fashion from some of the most unlikely of places within Congress, shows that there’s ultimately still hope for America yet.

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