T r a n s i s m S e r m o n : U n i t e U s F o r U S. Mel Howard

We were born to stand out as us for us Why? Fitting in is too easy, and following social structures and rules is too uncomfortable We were meant to be the exception to every rule that makes them question who they are Our bodies shift through the laws of nature while our minds think outside the world’s definition of a normal box Each one of us is uniquely made different by our own design yet we find camaraderie through our battle towards social equity On our grind, trying to make it past surviving to go to our next phase of breaking barriers built to limit us

Sometimes they think we rush our process because they are not ready to see who we are inside and out When we live out loud it frightens them because they are still living in fear of how powerful we might become when we accept our light Our transition is never ending and everything happens when the time is right Whether they are ready to call us the right name or gender or see us as we see ourselves They do not define us but give us more reasons to find ourselves We pay fees to change our names to match whom we are living as or to change the gender on our id

Things we applaud the community for they take for granted could be the same reason why they would have the right to not accept us into places Is it not ironic we pay to be who we are living as mentally? We understand those changes can be the difference between employment or life or death

Our oppressors would rather we attack each other and turn the battle on one another than battle the antitrans bills they attempt to sneak into office They would see us fight each other and attempt to pass bills to track us or monitor what bathroom we use or stop parents and allies from helping our youth crying out for help They would rather see us jump through loops than see us thrive stop the police from killing us and go on paid leave afterward They would rather see us fight each other, Transmen and Transwomen alike, than create real change that demands public officials resign when they ask what genitalia is in between our legs Oppressors, would rather we stop working together as a community, so our brokenness can grow larger They are hoping for a bigger divide that leaves room for them to attempt to hold us back or for the children to follow in our footsteps Our existence is important and the likelihood of living to see true acceptance is scarce if we keep turning on one another We exist from both femininity and masculinity, but those two entities are often at war We shift through life being born and named before we can show the world we are, and we decide who we will be along the way cisgender people wish they had that bravery That's why it is easier to publicly condemn us than for our allies to shield us from the hate