we evolved because it’s what we can do it’s what we should do
it’s what we should do
it’s what we should do Today Tomorrow forever
my name is Samuel Bernstein I’m 15 years
my name is Samuel Bernstein I’m 15 years old and I am transgender when I was
old and I am transgender when I was
old and I am transgender when I was younger I was told I was a girl I
younger I was told I was a girl I
younger I was told I was a girl I accepted it because I didn’t think I was
accepted it because I didn’t think I was
accepted it because I didn’t think I was allowed to be anything else but then my
allowed to be anything else but then my
allowed to be anything else but then my body started to change I could tell you
body started to change I could tell you
body started to change I could tell you I was hitting puberty but it felt like
I was hitting puberty but it felt like
I was hitting puberty but it felt like puberty was hitting me they told me I
puberty was hitting me they told me I
puberty was hitting me they told me I was becoming a woman I accepted it
was becoming a woman I accepted it
was becoming a woman I accepted it because I didn’t think I was allowed to
because I didn’t think I was allowed to
because I didn’t think I was allowed to be anything else but I was no longer
be anything else but I was no longer
be anything else but I was no longer myself I became irritable and pushed
myself I became irritable and pushed
myself I became irritable and pushed away my friends I began having panic
away my friends I began having panic
away my friends I began having panic attacks in hidden school bathrooms for
attacks in hidden school bathrooms for
attacks in hidden school bathrooms for hours at a time I no longer knew what
hours at a time I no longer knew what
hours at a time I no longer knew what happy felt like by the time I was 13 I
happy felt like by the time I was 13 I
happy felt like by the time I was 13 I was carving my pain into my own skin and
was carving my pain into my own skin and
was carving my pain into my own skin and I didn’t want to be alive anymore I was
I didn’t want to be alive anymore I was
I didn’t want to be alive anymore I was miserable but I didn’t know why one day
miserable but I didn’t know why one day
miserable but I didn’t know why one day I sat in a psychiatrist’s office as he
I sat in a psychiatrist’s office as he
I sat in a psychiatrist’s office as he asked me to define my own gender I told
asked me to define my own gender I told
asked me to define my own gender I told him I was a girl because I didn’t think
him I was a girl because I didn’t think
him I was a girl because I didn’t think I was allowed to be anything else but
I was allowed to be anything else but
I was allowed to be anything else but that night I was still stuck on the
that night I was still stuck on the
that night I was still stuck on the question I went online and started
question I went online and started
question I went online and started exploring and came across the word
exploring and came across the word
exploring and came across the word transgender I’d never heard it before
transgender I’d never heard it before
transgender I’d never heard it before transgender someone who identifies with
transgender someone who identifies with
transgender someone who identifies with a gender other than the one assigned at
a gender other than the one assigned at
a gender other than the one assigned at Birth immediately I knew exactly who I
Birth immediately I knew exactly who I
Birth immediately I knew exactly who I was that same night I told my mom I
was that same night I told my mom I
was that same night I told my mom I wasn’t a girl and instantly I felt a
wasn’t a girl and instantly I felt a
wasn’t a girl and instantly I felt a fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years my
fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years my
fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years my entire personality started to change as
entire personality started to change as
entire personality started to change as I began to express who I truly was
I began to express who I truly was
I began to express who I truly was I was happy again I’m not telling you
I was happy again I’m not telling you
I was happy again I’m not telling you all my very very personal story today so
all my very very personal story today so
all my very very personal story today so that you will feel bad for me I am
that you will feel bad for me I am
that you will feel bad for me I am telling my story because I have to for
telling my story because I have to for
telling my story because I have to for many people transgender is a scary word
many people transgender is a scary word
many people transgender is a scary word most people don’t know what it really
most people don’t know what it really
most people don’t know what it really means and even if they do they’re very
means and even if they do they’re very
means and even if they do they’re very uncomfortable talking about it so that’s
uncomfortable talking about it so that’s
uncomfortable talking about it so that’s why I’m here today to prove that like
why I’m here today to prove that like
why I’m here today to prove that like everybody else here I’m just a person
everybody else here I’m just a person
everybody else here I’m just a person whose identity deserves recognition
whose identity deserves recognition
whose identity deserves recognition and respect because while you may be
and respect because while you may be
and respect because while you may be scared of me you do not realize that I
scared of me you do not realize that I
scared of me you do not realize that I am scared of you too when I began to
am scared of you too when I began to
am scared of you too when I began to express who I really was I thought the
express who I really was I thought the
express who I really was I thought the hard part was over I thought that I
hard part was over I thought that I
hard part was over I thought that I discovered myself and all my struggles
discovered myself and all my struggles
discovered myself and all my struggles would just magically go away because I
would just magically go away because I
would just magically go away because I could live as my true gender but I was
could live as my true gender but I was
could live as my true gender but I was so wrong
so wrong
so wrong I am scared I am scared of not being
I am scared I am scared of not being
I am scared I am scared of not being accepted I am scared of being harassed
accepted I am scared of being harassed
accepted I am scared of being harassed in public bathrooms I am scared of
in public bathrooms I am scared of
in public bathrooms I am scared of doctors not knowing how to treat me I am
doctors not knowing how to treat me I am
doctors not knowing how to treat me I am scared of growing up and facing
scared of growing up and facing
scared of growing up and facing workplace discrimination I am scared
workplace discrimination I am scared
workplace discrimination I am scared that in this world my legal rights could
that in this world my legal rights could
that in this world my legal rights could literally be ripped away from me at any
literally be ripped away from me at any
literally be ripped away from me at any moment I am scared that some people may
moment I am scared that some people may
moment I am scared that some people may never see me as a real man I am scared
never see me as a real man I am scared
never see me as a real man I am scared not only for myself but for every single
not only for myself but for every single
not only for myself but for every single transgender person living in this world
transgender person living in this world
transgender person living in this world especially transgender women non-binary
especially transgender women non-binary
especially transgender women non-binary transgender people disabled trans people
transgender people disabled trans people
transgender people disabled trans people trans people of color and queer trans
trans people of color and queer trans
trans people of color and queer trans people who will face so much more
people who will face so much more
people who will face so much more discrimination and ignorance and hate in
discrimination and ignorance and hate in
discrimination and ignorance and hate in this world than I a straight white
this world than I a straight white
this world than I a straight white transgender male will ever have to even
transgender male will ever have to even
transgender male will ever have to even so I am scared we are scared but we
so I am scared we are scared but we
so I am scared we are scared but we shouldn’t have to be transgender should
shouldn’t have to be transgender should
shouldn’t have to be transgender should not be a scary word no identity should
not be a scary word no identity should
not be a scary word no identity should ever be scary or weird or shameful we as
ever be scary or weird or shameful we as
ever be scary or weird or shameful we as people need to come together we need to
people need to come together we need to
people need to come together we need to celebrate diversity but in doing so we
celebrate diversity but in doing so we
celebrate diversity but in doing so we need to focus less on what makes us
need to focus less on what makes us
need to focus less on what makes us different and focus more on what makes
different and focus more on what makes
different and focus more on what makes us the same because under all of the
us the same because under all of the
us the same because under all of the beautiful layers of what makes us who we
beautiful layers of what makes us who we
beautiful layers of what makes us who we are is just a person who wants to be
are is just a person who wants to be
are is just a person who wants to be loved and accepted as themselves this is
loved and accepted as themselves this is
loved and accepted as themselves this is a hard world to live in
a hard world to live in
a hard world to live in not just for me not just for transgender
not just for me not just for transgender
not just for me not just for transgender people but for everybody we all have
people but for everybody we all have
people but for everybody we all have good days and bad days
good days and bad days
good days and bad days we all have conflicts and pains we all
we all have conflicts and pains we all
we all have conflicts and pains we all struggle but most importantly we are all
struggle but most importantly we are all
struggle but most importantly we are all trying to persevere so I ask all of you
trying to persevere so I ask all of you
trying to persevere so I ask all of you what is the point of using our energy to
what is the point of using our energy to
what is the point of using our energy to hate on each other when we could be
hate on each other when we could be
hate on each other when we could be using it to help and support each other
using it to help and support each other
using it to help and support each other if your answer like mine is I don’t know
if your answer like mine is I don’t know
if your answer like mine is I don’t know then I urge you to consider what you can
then I urge you to consider what you can
then I urge you to consider what you can do to make a difference let people tell
do to make a difference let people tell
do to make a difference let people tell their stories listen let people share
their stories listen let people share
their stories listen let people share their needs respect them encourage
their needs respect them encourage
their needs respect them encourage people to live their happiest lives and
people to live their happiest lives and
people to live their happiest lives and please most importantly just treat
please most importantly just treat
please most importantly just treat people the way you want to be treated
people the way you want to be treated
people the way you want to be treated thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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