I realize hate crime happens in NYC, what I'm saying is that in places like NYC, you also have activism groups, resource centers, and support networks. Whereas in rural areas I may be the only queer for miles...and so when I get the crap kicked out of me, no one is there to help.
Now i've never been tied to a fence and beaten...but i have had my head slammed in a locker, sexually molested, and verbally harassed on a daily basis for being "a fag" in high school, and I wasn't even out then to myself!
I've also witnessed cross burnings at the neighbor hood high school for having too many black kids at it. Central California is a scary fucking place if you aren't straight, white, christian.
And i'm not saying people didn't make sacrifices to get to urban areas (hell i'm trying to get to NYC right now myself) I'm just saying some people seem to get to NYC and forget how much shit sucks out here in nowheres land and forget that it is actually a privilege to be in NYC as opposed to bumfuck egypt.
Unfortunately, I had a much larger support system trans-wise back in bumfuck South Carolina than I do here in Toronto. I don't know how the math adds up, but it seems to be:
easier access to health care + legal protection = no need for FtM community.
I know where I live there is a very small trans community, no real support other then the handful of people that get together every other month for a few hours. There is no one of my generation up here that I can find. Move that to my trips to San Francisco where I've met more then I can count. Everyone has different experiences and we can't throw a blanket over it all and say it's all the same. I didn't feel like talking about the negative stuff right now.
For me, this goes both ways too. Big city queer folks waver between talking like "well, just go to your local gender clinic and..." as if those resources just magically sprout up everywhere. But then look at me like i'm bonkers when i tell them i dread the thought of living in a big city, assuming all my neighbors must be scary bigots (note: pacific northwest definitely different then central CA from what i've seen). I can't decide what bugs me more: them vilifying non-urban people or them acting like they don't exist!
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Now i've never been tied to a fence and beaten...but i have had my head slammed in a locker, sexually molested, and verbally harassed on a daily basis for being "a fag" in high school, and I wasn't even out then to myself!
I've also witnessed cross burnings at the neighbor hood high school for having too many black kids at it. Central California is a scary fucking place if you aren't straight, white, christian.
And i'm not saying people didn't make sacrifices to get to urban areas (hell i'm trying to get to NYC right now myself) I'm just saying some people seem to get to NYC and forget how much shit sucks out here in nowheres land and forget that it is actually a privilege to be in NYC as opposed to bumfuck egypt.
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easier access to health care + legal protection = no need for FtM community.
Bah.
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For me, this goes both ways too. Big city queer folks waver between talking like "well, just go to your local gender clinic and..." as if those resources just magically sprout up everywhere. But then look at me like i'm bonkers when i tell them i dread the thought of living in a big city, assuming all my neighbors must be scary bigots (note: pacific northwest definitely different then central CA from what i've seen). I can't decide what bugs me more: them vilifying non-urban people or them acting like they don't exist!
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