I don't blog much about current affairs. I do this on purpose because, as someone who has severe anxiety and is still recovering from clinical depression, I try to fill both my dash and my blog with only things that make me smile. And right now, current affairs don't make me smile. At all. Things are really sad right now. And I'm really sorry if it seems like I don't care because I don't typically reblog things that are going on right now, but please understand that it's because I'm trying hard to build a safe space for myself. Maybe that's selfish of me, but I deserve to be selfish in this one aspect of my life given what I've been and am going through.
However, I feel that I should say this, for my followers; There are a lot of reasons why I very actively post trans-positive things. Some of them are very personal reasons, others are less personal and more out of concern for my followers. Of all the sad and awful things in the news, the story of Leelah's suicide hit me harder than a lot of the other things going on. I'm sorry I don't blog about her. In fact, I think this is the first time I've posted anything to my blog about her. But I really do care. I care about her and about every single trans person out there, and especially those that follow me, and I know there's quite a few.
I just want you all, and everyone in the LGBT+ community, all of my followers and anyone who sees this, to know that I'm backing you up. It may not seem like it because my blog is literally just cute animals and fandom stuff, but I want you to know that outside of tumblr, I'm much more vocal about it. I talk to people, I try my best to reverse the hatred and general ignorance that has caused so much despair and taken so many lives like Leelah's. I once had a coworker say to me "I dunno, I think if you're born a guy you should stay a guy, and vice versa." And I talked to him for a long time about trans people and what they go through and I couldn't speak from personal experience, but I did speak from what I know about my friends and my followers, and by the end of the conversation, he changed his mind. He said "You know, I get that now. I understand." And maybe that doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I think that maybe if I can change the minds of just a few people, maybe they'll change the minds of a few more people and maybe the world will be a better, safer place for everyone.
I'm not trans. Or even queer in any way. Hell, I'm not even a person of color. I'm just a plain ol' straight white girl. But I do know what it means to be stuck in a body that betrays you, that doesn't suit who you are inside. I don't know it in the exact same respect that trans people do, but I understand, and in my own way I go through that every day, too. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that the world is the way it is. And I hope that I can help make it better, even a little.
Stay safe, friends. I love each and every one of you.
