Some sad truths for transgender people... Transgender people are good people - normal and typical really. They buy groceries, go to movies and have jobs and families. Most are model citizens and obey laws and are in full compliance within their communities. But for others, being transgender offers a person choices that are less than correct all because they must choose the wrong in order to eat, have shelter and to keep alive. So how does a transgender person who is a model citizen get into trouble with the law, society and their community? Many times because of discrimination, the denial of rights and social acceptance, a transgender person is left unemployed. They do not have the ability to make ends meat or to have a normal living situation. They depend on the generosity of friends and aid programs. But soon and as the debts and expenses accumulate, the decision comes to make a choice that they typically would never have made. But due to the hardship and a need to eat or have dry and warm shelter, the day comes when they must decide whether they will die or do what they must to survive. Unemployment is the most common threat for a transgender person. People need money to eat and to pay bills. For a transgender mom or dad, that also means paying for child support. But with no money coming in and employers denying transgender people work and job security, many trans people find themselves unable to pay for themselves or any kind of child support. But a failure to pay child support will often times get a transgender person in trouble with the law. Not because a transgender person did not want to pay child support, but rather because there was a total inability to do so. With arrears massing and the months without a job keep adding up, a transgender mom or dad may find themselves in trouble with the law. Society has no mercy or tolerance for any person who owes child support and regardless of whether a person can even feed themselves. The debt must be paid, but how can it be satisfied when a trans parent has no job possibilities? The arrears pile up and many times a drivers license is taken away by court order and now the trans parent has no means of travel to work other than public transportation. If more time passes and with no payment to child support demands, a transgender parent will end up eventually before a judge; a sentence will be rendered and a transgender person ends up incarcerated. This is only one example of how being transgender, being unemployed and making tough decisions to survive can thrust a person into chaos and uncontrollable circumstances within the legal system. And does anyone have to mention the horrors of a transgender person in jail or prison? But this is what many trans people face and just because they do face this situation, it does not make them evil or a criminal. It is survival and until you are trans and are placed in this situation yourself, you may find yourself judging severely or not being able to understand it. We need to change laws and better laws that insure that a trans person will never have to make tough choices - eating, staying warm and dry, or being safe. Equality in the workplace matters and until society sees the problem, assists and helps trans people to get and keep work, then children and others suffer. Inmate populations, at an all time high, keep getting more stressed. Now is the day to see the realities and the hardships and then to do something to make it better. Jenny Taylor
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 15:18:02 +0000