The New Pioneers

I'm continuously amazed by the creativity, courage and resilience of transgender folks, as they carve a path through the unchartered world of transitioning between genders. We are a binary society: we are most comfortable with black and white, right and wrong, male and female. Transgendered clients don't fit easily into this "if not this, than that" mold. Who else has to consider which public bathroom to use? Who else fears for their personal safety based on whether they appear feminine "enough" to avoid a second glance from strangers? Who else has to worry that her newly legal first name doesn't match the gender box checked on a job application or a drivers license? The potential obstacles to everyday activities seem never-ending to my transgendered clients. Fear, rejection, frustration -- these emotions are constant companions to these brave souls who want, more often than anything, to simply fade into the background, to garner no more attention than any other person in the room. And yet, due to society's ignorance and rigidity, transgendered folks are barraged with discrimination, ridicule and regularly singled out for harassment and abuse. Insurance rarely, if ever, covers medical treatment beyond hormone replacement therapy. The economic costs of legal processes and employment instability can threaten the well being of even the wealthiest client. In the 15 years I've counseled transgender clients, I've not met a person who hasn't experienced suicidal thoughts, hopelessness and the loss of significant relationships as a result of their bodies not matching their internal experience of who he or she is as a person. As a culture and a society, we lag woefully behind in our efforts to understand, embrace and celebrate the gifts that transgender people can teach us about what it means to be male, to be female, to be human. To walk beside these extraordinary human beings is an honor, and a chance to witness people who are destined to change not only their physical selves, but also the course of history.