By Sabrina Samone, TMP
What is unity and what does it mean to us as a society? For me, growing up in a rural southern town called Hartsville, SC, it meant belonging to something. A chance to belong to something that wasn't the shameful or disgusting ideas about the world of TBLG, I constantly heard told by cisgender, heterosexual society. At the late blooming age of 21, I was finally coaxed, reluctantly, into going to my first TBLG bar. Despite my outward feelings, there was a part of me that longed to be in a place where I belonged. Where there were people just like me. The ideas of acceptance and freedom filled my mind. I had never felt gay, but somehow I believed what I was told; that this must be who I am.
I remember the first day I walked through the door of that seedy, hole in the wall bar in Florence, SC. My heart pounding with anticipation of the unknown. My two best friends at the time, eager as I was to make that step into the world we thought we belonged. I remember my eyes and ears lit up to the site and sounds of music and laser lights, as same sex people danced on the dance floor. I remember the feeling when I saw two men dancing, my mouth dropped and I knew then and there, maybe I didn't belong after all. As the night progressed, I was amazed at how divided this dreamt up utopian community was. You could split the room in half by skin color. In those two halves, you noticed small pockets of butch women and effeminate men dressed in men/women clothing. They were so applauded on stage, but given little attention outside of there like minded peers, throughout the bar. The TBLG scene in Florence/Myrtle Beach, was and in some ways still is, the most divided TBLG communities I've ever been apart of. Racism was more common in the gay scene than I had ever experienced in life. Transgender women were ridiculed by gay men in dresses, that thought there was something mentally wrong with you if you'd want to actually be a woman. My saving grace was meeting my first transgender friend.
After meeting someone I could relate too, we both knew, we had to escape the warped TBLG scene of that area, and quickly moved to Atlanta. Through the years I would feel more myself with other transgender people. I could relate and knew this was my journey. Even though that journey was more comforting, I was still sadden by the separations in Trans Society. It's a little disheartening to know you belong to the most oppressed group and notice the only thing that group can seem to do is oppress each other. It seems unity was not just an issue in mainstream society. It wasn't just an issue even in the TBLG communities, but even the most misunderstood group; Trans people, could not come together as one.
After deciding I'd like to write more, I started this blog. I wanted to focus on unity within our community, to promote and question how we can do even more to speak as one voice. I wanted there to be a place, that all voices in trans society can be seen and heard. That is still my hope for TransMusePlanet. As we change our clock an hour forward for Spring, I'd like TMP readers to help me send a message of unity throughout our society.
TMP, along with Point5cc.com, Tony Zosherafatin of the film 'I Am The T', and my partner Dj Soul Manifest, would like to challenge our community to think about unity; Spring Forward To Unity campaign #spring4unity contest. A blog/vlog contest on your individual ways of promoting unity within our trans society. Between March 8th and March 30th 2015, I'm asking TMP readers, friends, to submit a blog/vlog on your personal views of Unity within our society. If you think we can do more as a community to be united. If you have an opinion about unity in trans society or what you do personally, to promote unity within our community.
The winning blog will receive a 50$ gift card from TMP to Target, a clothing item from Point5cc.com, be one of the first to view the first segment of the film "I Am The T" and 3 free downloads of the music from DJ Soul Manifest.
To enter submit your post to transmuseplanet@gmail.com. In two weeks 10 finalist will be judged by Aydian Dowling of Point5cc, Tony Zosherafatin and Dj Soul Mainifest and I. The 10 Finalist will be posted on TMP's Guest blog and the winner will be posted as well on Point5cc.com and the website of 'I Am The T".
Spring is about watching the beauty of life being reborn again, let's see to it as a community, that we do it united.
I remember the first day I walked through the door of that seedy, hole in the wall bar in Florence, SC. My heart pounding with anticipation of the unknown. My two best friends at the time, eager as I was to make that step into the world we thought we belonged. I remember my eyes and ears lit up to the site and sounds of music and laser lights, as same sex people danced on the dance floor. I remember the feeling when I saw two men dancing, my mouth dropped and I knew then and there, maybe I didn't belong after all. As the night progressed, I was amazed at how divided this dreamt up utopian community was. You could split the room in half by skin color. In those two halves, you noticed small pockets of butch women and effeminate men dressed in men/women clothing. They were so applauded on stage, but given little attention outside of there like minded peers, throughout the bar. The TBLG scene in Florence/Myrtle Beach, was and in some ways still is, the most divided TBLG communities I've ever been apart of. Racism was more common in the gay scene than I had ever experienced in life. Transgender women were ridiculed by gay men in dresses, that thought there was something mentally wrong with you if you'd want to actually be a woman. My saving grace was meeting my first transgender friend.
After meeting someone I could relate too, we both knew, we had to escape the warped TBLG scene of that area, and quickly moved to Atlanta. Through the years I would feel more myself with other transgender people. I could relate and knew this was my journey. Even though that journey was more comforting, I was still sadden by the separations in Trans Society. It's a little disheartening to know you belong to the most oppressed group and notice the only thing that group can seem to do is oppress each other. It seems unity was not just an issue in mainstream society. It wasn't just an issue even in the TBLG communities, but even the most misunderstood group; Trans people, could not come together as one.
TMP, along with Point5cc.com, Tony Zosherafatin of the film 'I Am The T', and my partner Dj Soul Manifest, would like to challenge our community to think about unity; Spring Forward To Unity campaign #spring4unity contest. A blog/vlog contest on your individual ways of promoting unity within our trans society. Between March 8th and March 30th 2015, I'm asking TMP readers, friends, to submit a blog/vlog on your personal views of Unity within our society. If you think we can do more as a community to be united. If you have an opinion about unity in trans society or what you do personally, to promote unity within our community. The winning blog will receive a 50$ gift card from TMP to Target, a clothing item from Point5cc.com, be one of the first to view the first segment of the film "I Am The T" and 3 free downloads of the music from DJ Soul Manifest.
To enter submit your post to transmuseplanet@gmail.com. In two weeks 10 finalist will be judged by Aydian Dowling of Point5cc, Tony Zosherafatin and Dj Soul Mainifest and I. The 10 Finalist will be posted on TMP's Guest blog and the winner will be posted as well on Point5cc.com and the website of 'I Am The T".
Spring is about watching the beauty of life being reborn again, let's see to it as a community, that we do it united.
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