Max DeVille – General Assignment Reporter
Transphobia, as defined, is the antagonistic attitudes and feelings towards transsexuality and transsexual or transgender people based upon their self-identification. In today’s world this is a pressing issue which is only growing by the day.
To many it is a despicable and prejudiced aggression towards people trying to live their lives like anyone else. To those who feel in such a way it is because that lifestyle does not agree with theirs, or in many cases, they cite their religious piety as a cause for the antagonism.
What does this mean though for students here at Southern? Members of this current Millennial generation which has seen much change in the past year alone regarding equal rights and treatments; this newer generation of adults who have seen two wars come and go, and equal marriage for all pass.
Of all the students questioned regarding transphobia, and the treatment of transgendered and transsexual people there was a resounding chorus of one main idea: “People are people, it shouldn’t matter how they identify.”
This was a powerful idea which was only repeated between the students spoken to regarding the matter. Alex Goevus, a freshman, was one of the first to speak of the issue without sugar coating any feelings in the matter. “Why should it matter? Honestly, it doesn’t matter how you identify to me. If you are a good person then no issues. If you aren’t a good person then I won’t interact with you. It’s sorta like a form of misogyny isn’t it? Just on a greater scale anyways. Why should anyone care how anyone identifies except for the pronouns bit. We are all people.”
The idea of human right and treatment was followed by a statement from Paulina Howard, nursing major, who shared her thoughts following the question.
“Its mean hearted and pointless. I don’t have an opinion about it because it is so ridiculous that anyone should feel so biased against another person. It is no one’s place to tell anyone how or who they should be. Elt people be people and get on with your life. I mean so many people come up with such ridiculous reasons as to why they will judge others, but not themselves.”
Once again there was the calling towards the fact that no matter what all people are human regardless of how they identified. Matt Torisi, a freshman here at Southern, had a much more directed part to say regarding transphobia not only at southern, but in the nation.
“People need to stop being so close minded about it. Honestly, the older generations, not all, but many are so close minded about things and they imprint that on the generations growing up. It’s a vicious cycle that needs to end. I mean and the whole pining your anger on transgendered people due to your religion? That’s firstly hypocritical because by the same measure we should not eat shrimp, wear clothes of different fibers, but guess what? All the world does that for the most part. There’s even that one bible quote about gender which someone found.”
The quote in question is referring to Galatians 3:28 which says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
From what was found amongst the southern students, there was nothing except a call for unity among each other. No matter how one identified, they are still people, and as seen in these students alone, not mentioning the countless others who have been subject to this prejudiced or know someone who has, people find it in need of an end.
Photo Credit: Max DeVille – General Assignment Reporter
Photo: Students from left to right: Jayson Menders, Matthew Torrisi, and Katelin Rowe discuss transphobia.