before I actually begin my talk I just want to acknowledge someone in the
want to acknowledge someone in the
want to acknowledge someone in the audience my mom actually has no idea
audience my mom actually has no idea
audience my mom actually has no idea what I’m about to say so yeah haha mas
what I’m about to say so yeah haha mas
what I’m about to say so yeah haha mas little kid sebas gotta you know II give
little kid sebas gotta you know II give
little kid sebas gotta you know II give yo kid okay this one is for cool kids
yo kid okay this one is for cool kids
yo kid okay this one is for cool kids Alou his mom I remember the first time
Alou his mom I remember the first time
Alou his mom I remember the first time someone questioned my gender I was 14
someone questioned my gender I was 14
someone questioned my gender I was 14 years old and I was at the movies with
years old and I was at the movies with
years old and I was at the movies with my sister at the time my hair wasn’t
my sister at the time my hair wasn’t
my sister at the time my hair wasn’t that short like how it is right now but
that short like how it is right now but
that short like how it is right now but I kind of looked like a Asian Justin
I kind of looked like a Asian Justin
I kind of looked like a Asian Justin Bieber we were on our way out we
Bieber we were on our way out we
Bieber we were on our way out we overheard a group of girls saying is
overheard a group of girls saying is
overheard a group of girls saying is that a girl or a boy I didn’t think much
that a girl or a boy I didn’t think much
that a girl or a boy I didn’t think much of it but my sister she was furious she
of it but my sister she was furious she
of it but my sister she was furious she went out to them and she said she’s
went out to them and she said she’s
went out to them and she said she’s clearly a girl that’s when I realized
clearly a girl that’s when I realized
clearly a girl that’s when I realized that people were just going to put me
that people were just going to put me
that people were just going to put me into a box just because of how important
into a box just because of how important
into a box just because of how important that everyone is simply just a machine
that everyone is simply just a machine
that everyone is simply just a machine that society just puts on basic settings
that society just puts on basic settings
that society just puts on basic settings from the moment they are born at the
from the moment they are born at the
from the moment they are born at the time identify as transgender or even you
time identify as transgender or even you
time identify as transgender or even you would it meant that is new I like where
would it meant that is new I like where
would it meant that is new I like where you’re going clothes and just wish I was
you’re going clothes and just wish I was
you’re going clothes and just wish I was born a boy I just thought that was me
born a boy I just thought that was me
born a boy I just thought that was me when I realized that I was a shouldn’t
when I realized that I was a shouldn’t
when I realized that I was a shouldn’t interval and started coming out I didn’t
interval and started coming out I didn’t
interval and started coming out I didn’t want to make a big deal up I just went
want to make a big deal up I just went
want to make a big deal up I just went in okay I understand but that’s not how
in okay I understand but that’s not how
in okay I understand but that’s not how life works these are made to be
life works these are made to be
life works these are made to be supportive I know that it can’t be like
supportive I know that it can’t be like
supportive I know that it can’t be like this because there isn’t that much
this because there isn’t that much
this because there isn’t that much information about the transgender
information about the transgender
information about the transgender community you have no idea how many
community you have no idea how many
community you have no idea how many people have told me that makes no sense
people have told me that makes no sense
people have told me that makes no sense or what’s in your pants then the
or what’s in your pants then the
or what’s in your pants then the contents of my pants and the way I feel
contents of my pants and the way I feel
contents of my pants and the way I feel if I write
if I write
if I write does not truly reflect why I was a
does not truly reflect why I was a
does not truly reflect why I was a person shouldn’t gender is simply an
person shouldn’t gender is simply an
person shouldn’t gender is simply an adjective that is used to describe me
adjective that is used to describe me
adjective that is used to describe me just like Mexican does however it isn’t
just like Mexican does however it isn’t
just like Mexican does however it isn’t people’s fault for not knowing I don’t
people’s fault for not knowing I don’t
people’s fault for not knowing I don’t blame them for telling me ignorant
blame them for telling me ignorant
blame them for telling me ignorant things because I know that no one has
things because I know that no one has
things because I know that no one has told them what it means to be like
told them what it means to be like
told them what it means to be like someone like me to be considered
someone like me to be considered
someone like me to be considered different because I want to change
different because I want to change
different because I want to change myself to be happy it is the lack of
myself to be happy it is the lack of
myself to be happy it is the lack of understanding that leads to acts of
understanding that leads to acts of
understanding that leads to acts of discrimination too many gender people
discrimination too many gender people
discrimination too many gender people there has been poor cases that show the
there has been poor cases that show the
there has been poor cases that show the discrimination that the transgender
discrimination that the transgender
discrimination that the transgender community faces for instance in
community faces for instance in
community faces for instance in Johnson’s versus fresh mark a
Johnson’s versus fresh mark a
Johnson’s versus fresh mark a male-to-female transgender named Selena
male-to-female transgender named Selena
male-to-female transgender named Selena Johnson who is using the men’s and the
Johnson who is using the men’s and the
Johnson who is using the men’s and the women’s restroom and was confronted by
women’s restroom and was confronted by
women’s restroom and was confronted by her important they insisted that she use
her important they insisted that she use
her important they insisted that she use the men’s restroom when Johnson insisted
the men’s restroom when Johnson insisted
the men’s restroom when Johnson insisted on either being allowed in the woman’s
on either being allowed in the woman’s
on either being allowed in the woman’s or a unisex pressure
or a unisex pressure
or a unisex pressure she was then fired because she refused
she was then fired because she refused
she was then fired because she refused to work under these conditions under the
to work under these conditions under the
to work under these conditions under the Employment non-discrimination Act the
Employment non-discrimination Act the
Employment non-discrimination Act the employers could do this because there
employers could do this because there
employers could do this because there wasn’t anything specific that said the
wasn’t anything specific that said the
wasn’t anything specific that said the lawyers were forced to make restroom
lawyers were forced to make restroom
lawyers were forced to make restroom accommodations available therefore
accommodations available therefore
accommodations available therefore Johnson’s employers could not do
Johnson’s employers could not do
Johnson’s employers could not do anything about it because it isn’t
anything about it because it isn’t
anything about it because it isn’t considered discriminatory even though it
considered discriminatory even though it
considered discriminatory even though it may be as simple as not being able to
may be as simple as not being able to
may be as simple as not being able to use the same restroom that matches the
use the same restroom that matches the
use the same restroom that matches the way you identify it is still important
way you identify it is still important
way you identify it is still important the biggest issue that transgender
the biggest issue that transgender
the biggest issue that transgender people face throughout their journey is
people face throughout their journey is
people face throughout their journey is using the restroom
using the restroom
using the restroom all that changed and routines and adults
all that changed and routines and adults
all that changed and routines and adults want is to not have that anxiety of
want is to not have that anxiety of
want is to not have that anxiety of walking into this restroom and there
walking into this restroom and there
walking into this restroom and there being someone that’s going to hurt you
being someone that’s going to hurt you
being someone that’s going to hurt you just because you’re different just like
just because you’re different just like
just because you’re different just like everyone changed other people need
everyone changed other people need
everyone changed other people need support detail it’s helpful for them to
support detail it’s helpful for them to
support detail it’s helpful for them to have it when they’re going
have it when they’re going
have it when they’re going through their transition 51 percent of
through their transition 51 percent of
through their transition 51 percent of transgender adults whose families have
transgender adults whose families have
transgender adults whose families have rejected them attempted suicide now I
rejected them attempted suicide now I
rejected them attempted suicide now I know that’s just a number what I can
know that’s just a number what I can
know that’s just a number what I can attest why transgender adults in teens
attest why transgender adults in teens
attest why transgender adults in teens would attempt suicide throughout this
would attempt suicide throughout this
would attempt suicide throughout this project have gone through many things
project have gone through many things
project have gone through many things I’ve tried because things felt tough and
I’ve tried because things felt tough and
I’ve tried because things felt tough and I wasn’t happy I wasn’t letting myself
I wasn’t happy I wasn’t letting myself
I wasn’t happy I wasn’t letting myself be happy I didn’t want to talk about who
be happy I didn’t want to talk about who
be happy I didn’t want to talk about who I was with anyone because how are you
I was with anyone because how are you
I was with anyone because how are you supposed to bring awareness to an issue
supposed to bring awareness to an issue
supposed to bring awareness to an issue when you can’t even let it come out of
when you can’t even let it come out of
when you can’t even let it come out of your mouth I needed to feel courage
your mouth I needed to feel courage
your mouth I needed to feel courage there are times where I wish I was
there are times where I wish I was
there are times where I wish I was normal
normal
normal so I wouldn’t have to go through this
so I wouldn’t have to go through this
so I wouldn’t have to go through this because that’s how I was back grow up
because that’s how I was back grow up
because that’s how I was back grow up people telling me why can’t you just be
people telling me why can’t you just be
people telling me why can’t you just be normal I needed support I didn’t want to
normal I needed support I didn’t want to
normal I needed support I didn’t want to feel alone because no one else around me
feel alone because no one else around me
feel alone because no one else around me understood what I was going through I
understood what I was going through I
understood what I was going through I needed a community this year-long
needed a community this year-long
needed a community this year-long project has helped me build a community
project has helped me build a community
project has helped me build a community within my school and find a sense of
within my school and find a sense of
within my school and find a sense of comfort people who are going through a
comfort people who are going through a
comfort people who are going through a journey like mine I hope you realize
journey like mine I hope you realize
journey like mine I hope you realize that you don’t have to be afraid of who
that you don’t have to be afraid of who
that you don’t have to be afraid of who you are it doesn’t matter what people
you are it doesn’t matter what people
you are it doesn’t matter what people call you what they do to you because you
call you what they do to you because you
call you what they do to you because you are the one that controls how you grow
are the one that controls how you grow
are the one that controls how you grow it may be hard but I want you to know
it may be hard but I want you to know
it may be hard but I want you to know that I see you I see that you are simply
that I see you I see that you are simply
that I see you I see that you are simply a person who needs love and support just
a person who needs love and support just
a person who needs love and support just like others you shouldn’t be missing
like others you shouldn’t be missing
like others you shouldn’t be missing that just because you are considered
that just because you are considered
that just because you are considered different I encourage you all to help me
different I encourage you all to help me
different I encourage you all to help me keep showing awareness by creating a
keep showing awareness by creating a
keep showing awareness by creating a welcoming atmosphere we need support and
welcoming atmosphere we need support and
welcoming atmosphere we need support and I could shoreward us as much as I can
I could shoreward us as much as I can
I could shoreward us as much as I can but I need your help as well thank you
”
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