Truth Wins Out attended The Transgender Day of Remembrance on Sunday, which memorializes those who have been killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. We heard moving stories, listened to powerful music, and honored those who are no longer with us.
We thank RU12, the local LGBT community center which does an amazing job, and The Block Gallery for hosting this important event.
Wayne Besen is the Founding Executive Director of Truth Wins Out and author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the Ex-Gay Myth” (Haworth, 2003). In 2010, Besen was awarded the “Visionary Award” at the Out Music Awards for organizing the American Prayer Hour, an event which shined a spotlight on the role American evangelicals played in the introduction of Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill.
Thanks, Wayne. I’ve been a follower of TWO for a couple of years now, and while I’m aware that your focus is not directly on trans issues, our paths intersect so often…
The woman who is to become my wife very soon barely avoided reparative therapy by extremely closeting herself while living with her Mormon family in Utah after the economic collapse. We still work to heal the scars left over from the shaming and indoctrination she had to endure. I don’t think the parents were even aware that she was omnisexual as well as trans; they just thought she had been possessed by a devil and needed “treatment.”
Why the TDoR?
Unfortunately, while the common tide of social change is showing that the “gay panic” defense is working less and less – in addition to greater acceptance of same-gender attractions, for every time it DOES work, the “trans panic” killing defense has already succeeded several more times. It is a longer road to acceptance that the trans community faces. All the more reason why we work together with our LGB allies, in my opinion. We need each other. And that’s before we even get into the overlaps of gender variance combined with orientation.
[...] take care to remember who our real enemies are. It shouldn’t be too hard; there are plenty of them. Instead of directing our frustration and anger inwards at obviously supportive and [...]