When a Lifeline Becomes a Prop
From Transsexual Struggle to 'Transgender' Showmanship
The Solemn Path
Imagine walking a tightrope, every single day, with no safety net underneath. You're striving for the other side, a place where you know you will finally be at peace. But, the world below insists that you should not be walking this rope at all. It says that the rope itself is a mistake, that the struggle you're feeling is not because of the rope's thinness, but because you're not supposed to be up there.
You know you're supposed to be up there because every nerve in your body screams it. Each step is precarious, challenging, yet essential. You are a tightrope walker; it's not a choice, but a fundamental aspect of your being.
The Circus of Superficial Performance
But then, one day, people join you on the rope. They wear harnesses and safety gear and they say they are tightrope walkers too. They say they enjoy the thrill of the height, the challenge of the balance.
The crowd, who once derided you, now cheer them on. For them, it's a performance, a daring feat to be celebrated. For you, it's a necessity, a path to survive. The rope, which was once your private battle, has now become a spectacle, a showground for those who do not understand the perils of the walk.
From Profound Pain to Popcorn Show
Suddenly, the narrative changes. It's no longer about reaching the other side of the rope but about the spectacle of the walk. The crowd below applauds the audacious performers. They jeer at you, saying that you're not a true tightrope walker since you're not enjoying the thrill, and because you only wish to get to the other side.
You shout, attempting to explain that for you, this is not a performance, but about survival. But your voice is drowned out by the cheers for the performers, who are now seen as the 'real' tightrope walkers because they outnumber you.
Lost in the Shadows of the Spectacle
Your struggle, once denied and then appropriated, is now misunderstood and disregarded. The end of the rope, once so clear, now seems further away, obscured by the new narratives
The performers mock you and revel at your plight, while the crowd below taunts you, insisting that it is impossible to reach the other side, and meaningless even if you manage it. Why did you step onto the tightrope in the first place if you have a fear of heights?, they ask.
Beyond the Theatrics
Your once solitary and deeply personal journey is now crowded, not with fellow pilgrims, but with interlopers, who without grasping its depth, have turned it into an arena of showmanship. Their numbers and exuberance don't validate them; instead, they serve as glaring indicators of a world that would rather revel in the superficial than engage with the profound. This theatre, encouraged by an audience that misunderstands and misrepresents, poses a cruel irony: In an age where the "trans" flag is instantly recognisable, the genuine experiences of transsexuals are buried beneath layers of performances and misguided applause. The tightrope, once a symbol of a raw, agonising journey, has been transformed into nothing more than a stage prop in a grand charade.
Tired Transsexual is the pen name of a male-to-female transsexual who lives in the U.K. Her Twitter account is @tiredtransmed