Recently my hair instantly caught on fire  while reading this article. It's this sentence that really set me aflame, “A new set of Public Religion Research Institute surveys have found that a majority of Americans from across political and religious divides believe transgender people should be given the same legal protections against discrimination as other Americans.” I shouted “What???” ding dang where’s my fire extinguisher, my brain’s frying, ouch!

OK, still smoldering a bit but at least I can breathe. Well it’s oblivious to me I have some issues with that survey, to say the least. I take discrimination kind’a personal, I know first–hand what discriminated feels like, been there, done that, way too much, so I can’t pretend I don’t know what discrimination feels like. Discrimination is ugly, oppressive and it hurts. The more I practice being fully present in my life the more abysmal my burns wound me from discrimination. 

Where to begin? How about my fury at why this survey even exsists, gurrrr! OK I got that out now my most oblivious issue “same legal protections against discrimination as other Americans.” So what “other Americans” is this survey referring to? This smells dangerously close to a “them and us separation” second class stink. Is there an approved list of Americans that do and don’t get protection from discrimination? Could it be that Americans that are transgender haven’t been on the “do” protect list in the past? I for one woud like to know who is on that “do protect” list and who is not? 

Next issue (I’ve got some discrimination issues, ya think?) is the statement “Transgender people.” Come on, where is the “people first language,” folks? We’ve been over this in my blog http://Sticks and Stones The correct word placement is 'people that are transgender'. Hey, hold on a second, I’m having a mental image that this could be at the core of discrimination, people focusing on a characteristic first and not the human being part creating separation thoughts “I’m not like them or like that.” Sorry to burst the bubble gum bubble here but we are all like that. We are "One" we are only people.

OK, I’m reaching into the depths of my memory files, yeah here it is, protection from discrimination is an unalienable human right in America? The World? Right? http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/ Just humor me, please check out the link to Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the United Nations. Remember the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men (women, my add) are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?”

And if that isn’t enough, in the 20th century America created this little thing called the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to keep us even more accountable. Title VII, states, “it would no longer be permissible to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, or religion” (remember how people with disabilities were left out of this act, but thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act (note the people first language) I too now have civil rights).

I want to be accurate with my outrage so I asked Webster the definition of unalienable. He said it means incapable of being aliened, surrendered or transferred. Pretty much that means that civil and human rights can’t be taken away or deigned from “all” humans not just “some.” Any form of discrimination is Oppression, clear and simple and neither one of these have any positive outcomes on the lives of people experiencing either.                     

The survey also gave statics about the effects of discrimination on people. The people polled are transgender but really it could be anyone experiencing discrimination. ‘A staggering 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide compared to 1.6% of the general population, with rates rising for those who lost a job due to bias (55%), were harassed/bullied in school (51%), or were the victim of physical assault (61%).’And the survey didn’t even include statics on the feelings of isolation, separation, unworthiness and self-hatred. Ouch, ouch, hot, hot!

Mahatma Gandhi said that what I do will be insignificant, but that it is very important that I do it, anyway. I don’t know if I believe the insignificant part but I believe in the good vibration so I’ll continue to be burned to a crisp by discrimination and oppression when I experience or see either. Then I’ll get my fire extinguisher, put out my fire and crack the arsonist sideways across their head. Opps, Gandhi would not approve that move, oh well. What action will you take?

Blessings to All, In Joy and Action! Candace



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