Transgender Inclusion

Chapter 9Respecting a Person's Individuality and Privacy

We place people, places, and things into categories in an attempt to better understand the world around us. In some instances this tendency is beneficial; it helps us streamline our intake of information, which is an important skill set to have given all of the stimuli that we come into contact with daily. However, this tendency can lead to gross misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and misappropriation of information. As much as we would love for things to be simple and to fit neatly into the boxes in our mind, the truth is that, all too often, that is not the case. Life is messy and people are nuanced, and when we lose sight of that, we're almost sure to engage in an unhelpful reliance on stereotypes.

How do we resist this tendency? We do it by intentionally pushing back whenever we find ourselves utilizing sweeping generalizations to describe people, places, or things. One might question if stereotypes serve as the very foundation of this book. I would submit to you that is not the case. Instead, if the reading of this book is landing how it was intended, what you are finding is that you are being asked at every juncture to consider multiple perspectives and ways of being. I am transgender, but I do not have a monopoly on the transgender experience. I am sharing my experience and the experience of others with whom I've worked and been in a relationship in hopes of broadening your perspective. The transgender community ...