Summary

The article emphasizes the inherent goodness of people, encouraging the transgender community to embrace positivity amidst societal challenges.

Abstract

Emma Holiday's article "People Are Wonderful (Even When You’re Trans Like Me)" is a heartfelt piece that addresses the transgender community, particularly those who feel marginalized or alone. Holiday acknowledges the prevalent negative news cycle that can distort perception, making the world seem like a hostile place, especially for LGBTQ individuals. Despite this, the author asserts that most people are kind and well-intentioned, urging readers to recognize the abundance of love and support surrounding them. The article serves as a reminder to focus on the positive aspects of human nature and to not let the actions of a few define one's outlook on life. Holiday advocates for openness, suggesting that by smiling more and giving people a chance, one can find friendship and improve their daily experiences. The author also promotes self-acceptance and the importance of sharing personal stories to foster understanding and acceptance within both the transgender community and society at large.

Opinions

The author believes that the LGBTQ community, especially transgender individuals, often feels overwhelmed by societal hatred but should remember that they are not alone.
Holiday criticizes the media for perpetuating negativity by focusing on sensationalist content, which skews public perception of reality.
The article posits that the majority of people are inherently good and desire peaceful coexistence, contrary to what is often portrayed in the news.
The author encourages a positive outlook, suggesting that smiling and being open to others can lead to more fulfilling interactions and relationships.
Holiday uses personal writing as a form of therapy to process the experience of being transgender and to connect with others who share similar struggles

People Are Wonderful (Even When You’re Trans Like Me)

I’m not kidding — and don’t believe otherwise!

Image via https://unsplash.com/@sincerelymedia — modified by the author

If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, particularly if you are a member of the transgender community, like I am, you feel like the world is all against you. Being the focal point of all the hate that currently exists can make you bitter. You begin to believe that you are all alone. You become suspicious of everyone and in the process you begin to forget that…

People are wonderful!

And that is just tragic. We are, in fact surrounded by a world of loving and caring people. You may have to do some personal pruning within you current social group if you are transitioning or coming out, but in the whole, you can be liked for who you are and that is so important to hold in your heart.

I take joy in just being around people and sharing my life with the world. I won’t shrivel up and hide because, tragically, some people have lost their way for so many sad reasons or for those ugly few. I believe the ugly ones exist to make us look good. I just don’t need to look this good.

The problem today is that we are assaulted by negative news 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When you turn on the evening news, you get 55 minutes of human misery wedged in-between endless drug commercials and abrasive appeals for money by bloated charities, followed by the last five minutes of feel-good news.

The balance is terrible. We don’t even get 30 minutes of balance, but we know that negative news sells commercials. No one ever said “Hey look, the highways are moving great!” while selling millions of dollars in commercial time. But smash a tractor/trailer truck into a school bus, showing the misery from a dozen different camera angles? Now you have some serious advertising revenue.

We see examples every day and it clogs our filters. It becomes all we know and we start to believe that’s all there is.

Well, it’s not!

If our world was only that horrible we’d be living in our bunkers fighting for the last morsel of food. Our world is dominated by good, well-intentioned people who go about their day and just want live in peace.

They are the majority.

Hard to believe, huh?

… but you know it’s true.

Look, you don’t have love everyone. Heck, you don’t even have to like them. Just realize that they aren’t all out to get you. Loosen up your death grip on life. Smile a little bit more. Give people a chance.

If you smile more, you won’t draw advertising revenue, but you might make more friends. At least your day will be more pleasant.

I hope you have a great day. You deserve it even if you don’t get media coverage.

Warmly,

Emma Holiday

Thank you for reading my work.

Please also read:

It’s Better Than a Dog’s Life

(A transgender homage to Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life)

emmah1017.medium.com

I Joined a Transgender Help Group

And rejected the nicest thing anyone ever said to me

medium.com

Lighting My Candle

Gender dysphoria inflicts a very unique kind of pain and isolation. Even in a crowded room filled with family and…

medium.com

Writers note: If you have read any of my writings on Medium you will have noticed a definite theme: the incredible pain of gender dysphoria and all the difficult aspects of just being transgender.

My writing has three specific goals:

1. Writing is my therapy. I have a very limited outlet for my thoughts, so I write to find a way to process the most profound experience in my life. I need to understand, and I need to accept myself to move forward.

2. Being transgender, for me, is a very lonely existence and if I can share some of the things that I feel and think as I go through the process of transitioning with others who are transgender and, in some way, lessen their pain and sense of loneliness, then all of this public exposure of my personal thoughts is not a waste.

3. I write to help cisgender people understand that all trans people want is to be simply understood, accepted, and treated as a normal person. We are.