Our Legacy as a Transgender Person

I just finished watching "Running the Sahara" in TV this afternoon, and I have to say I am really inspired. As a transgender people we are tackling an amazing feat in transitioning into a gender that matches the person we are inside. We deal with all the psychological issues, hormonal changes, surgery, descrimination, family and whatever else society has to throw at us. We do all of this so that our bodies will match the person we are inside.

The thought that kept comming to my mind throughout the movie was, what am I going to be remembered for other than my gender transition? What will my legacy be? What will my contrabution to society be. Yes, I fight for transgender rights, so the generations to come don't have to go through what my generation went through. But, what is my legacy outside of transgenderism and transgender issues?

I am beginning to feel that we need to be thinking about a higher legacy. Don't let transgenderism be our legacy, but rather be just a stepping stone to something even bigger. For me, being the custodial parent of 2 children with disabilities, I want to use my advocacy skills to fight for kids with disabilites. Not that I will part from my transgender activism, but take it to a higher plain to include more than just transgender issues.

I feel we all need to spend some time thinking, what can we contribute to the larger society? As we take our eyes off ourselves, and reach out to others outside the transgender community, I believe more respect will come to us as a transgender person, and the transgender community at large.