I’m the first openly transgender person a lot of people have met. It’s been a process, especially because I’m also gay and people tend to have issues understanding what that means. Something that’s amazing for me, though, is how many people stand behind me, even when they don’t always completely understand. I’ve had allies stand with me. I’ve also had people who were previously anti-trans come around and become far more accepting.
I won’t say it’s always easy. I very much deal with discrimination still, but it’s touching when you can be honest with people about yourself. Even with patients, I’m honest with those who are openly struggling with their own identities or sexualities. Many feel lost or afraid, because EMS is openly known to be dangerous for transgender individuals especially. It’s comforting for others to know that there are people here who stand with them and are a part of the LGBT+ community.
It’s also warming to know that I have coworkers who even correct others when they try to make rude jokes or misgender me. I was afraid to come out as transgender when I first came into the EMS world. However, I’ve been met with mostly kindness and a wish to understand my own experiences more. I’ve even had old partners tell me when they have had transgender patients. They were able to make them feel so much better because they had some understanding of what they were going through because of me.
The world can be cruel, but we are stronger.
Story shared by Grant. A 24-year-old gay trans man and EMT-B
Way to go Grant.
Comments are closed.