That’s how the whole episode went — any time I would get hopeful, they would let me down again.
School has the potential to be a transformative place for LGBT youth where they learn about the world and themselves, so they can go into the world as empowered, thoughtful adults. Unfortunately, it also has the potential to be a scary and unsafe place where LGBT youth’s worst fears about their identities are confirmed by students and staff alike. Individual educators committed to supporting LGBT youth can be a big part of the difference between the two.
By the way, love is fluid. Whether there’s been rumours with one specific person or not, that’s all that matters. Humans are humans, and when you connect with somebody on a spiritual level it doesn’t matter.
That’s one of the best things about This is Me — it’s creating a whole class of trans people in the film and tv industries who now have experience, contacts and an Emmy-nominated project on their resumes. When one of the most common excuses for not including trans people in TV shows and movies about trans characters is that there just aren’t any trans actors or trans writers, or just trans people in the industry at all, showing that there are all of these skilled creative people will hopefully lead to better representation.
When I realize I’m doing something that means Something Is Going On, I can go into the bedroom with the lights off and sit or lie on the bed and be quiet and still and notice the feeling I’m having for at least five or ten minutes. I’m not allowed to do anything else. If I’m sad, it’s just sitting there feeling sad. If I’m anxious, it’s just sitting there being anxious. There isn’t a step two. I notice what it feels like — if I want to cry, if I’m running a single irrational thought into the ground, if I’m physically uncomfortable or exhausted. And most importantly, I notice that the world didn’t end; nothing bad happened. I didn’t distract myself by cleaning the pantry or deciding to start finding a bunch of new food blogs to read; I just felt sad, and nothing bad happened. I survived it.
