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Trans Mormons Refuse to be Erased

Mormones trans se rehusan a ser borrados

November 3, 2018

Trans Mormons Refuse to be Erased

Affirmation: LGBTQ Mormons, Families & Friends recently released a statement reaffirming the organization’s commitment to its worldwide mission of working for the understanding, acceptance, and self-determination of individuals with diverse gender identities and expressions, and affirms our trans, queer, and intersex siblings as seen, needed and loved. This statement, released after the current US administration’s stated intention to eliminate recognition of transgender people, denounced any intention to erase rights and protections of transgender, queer, and intersex persons. Now, we are sharing the voices of transgender individuals involved with Affirmation so that their voices are heard as no person must ever be threatened with erasure.

Annabel Jensen

Annabel Jensen“My name is Annabel. I’m 30 years old, am surviving terminal brain cancer, and also happen to be transgender. What concerns me the most about Trump’s attempt at erasure is the effect it will have on our community. Our suicide rate is already higher than other groups. Families abandon children. Violence is too high. If the Trump administration succeeds, I fear these symptoms will explode into a full-blown societal epidemic, where we will fear to even step outside to get the mail. But we won’t be erased. We will survive this, because that is what we do. We fought with ourselves to accept our identity. Then we fought with family and friends to convince them of our truth. Now is the time to fight on a larger stage for our rights as a community. And when we win what is ours, the world will be a better place for everyone. Diversity is our strength as a human race. God made us in such a wondrous variety that it is a shame on us when we dismiss any one populace.”

Laurie Lee Hall, Affirmation Vice President

Laurie Lee Hall“As a woman with transgender experience, though I try to live my life in peace, I know that the religious and political climate for transgender, gender nonconforming, and intersex people remains extremely hostile. Institutions whose missions are to protect and nurture all persons, especially the most vulnerable, have repeatedly challenged individual ability to self-determine our identity; and to question our sources of truth.”

“In response to any political agenda, public or religious policy which results in the negation of individual self-determination, I assert that personal lived experience, including personal revelation, are the sole qualified methods for determining individual identity and expression. Gender identity is a personal, inherent characteristic of each and every one of us; not open to legislation or interpretation by others.”

“I will, therefore, continue to demand that laws, policies, and equal protections be fully established according to accepted western gender-related healthcare science and practices, with an unwavering commitment to do no harm, but to always ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all individuals.”

“No person must ever be threatened within society or the church with the loneliness of erasure!”

Augustus Crosby

Augustus Crosby“When I decided to be open about the fact I was transitioning around three years ago, I made this decision with the understanding that the more people who know a transgender person the better. It’s not only better for the trans community, but better for everyone because tolerance and mutual respect makes everyone safer and makes for a better society. When the government decides that they revoke even the small amount of respect required to let us live as how we wish to live while not hurting anyone else, I really do fear for the future. Transgender people are all around you, and most of them want nothing more than to just blend in and have the same basic rights as everyone – a right to feel safe and a right to be happy with themselves. To deny these basic human rights to anyone is inhumane. Rolling back the ability to change our genders on our birth certificates, IDs, and passports make force us to have to come out to future employers, the bouncer checking the IDs at the door, TSA agents, bankers and anywhere you show an ID. The world is not yet safe enough for transgender folks to assume that everyone is going to react well to this, and I’m scared that I will be looked at unfavorably if I had to disclose that I was transgender for my future employment, impacting me and my future family for the rest of my life. Overall, if anyone from any community is starting to have their rights taken away, this should be cause for concern. Who is next?”

Trans Lifeline Banner

Bobbee Trans Mooremon

“Standing up to anti-trans and intersex policies, practices, and hatred is so very important. Walking this Earth as a trans person is difficult enough without the president of your country openly declaring war on your identity and existence. Limiting gender to a binary definition ignores the fact, in both science and law, that trans people do exist and that their gender identity is just as ingrained within them as it is for a cisgender person. Sadly, the current administration seems to be making these changes purely for what they believe will be a political benefit in the midterm elections on November 6th. More concerning is that these actions signal the administration’s permission for their supporters to fight against and attack intersex people.”

“Since the New York Times article came out, the number of new callers into the Trans Lifeline has doubled, and the number of total calls to the lifeline has quadrupled. Words have real effects and can kill. The other day I lost a trans person in my life. Their suicide note said that they could not exist in a world that wants to erase them. Another friend has been missing for days after sending out a message saying goodbye and apologizing to us.”

“At this time the trans community needs all straight & LGB cisgender allies to stand up and help us fight for our lives and our right to live as our true authentic selves.”

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