Attack my integrity? A shill for Grooby? Think again.

I had intended to write about Caitlyn Jenner’s possible run for the Senate in California, but after recent events on social media I felt the need to clarify a few things about this column and what I write.

Last week I wrote a column about Trans Identity and the issues we face in our own community because some choose to judge and try to exclude certain people who they feel are not really trans or “not trans enough” which has led to a lot of bickering and divisiveness within our community. After logging onto Facebook yesterday and reading yet another diatribe against cross-dresser, I made the following post:

“Some trans women need to take a long, hard look at themselves because they are nothing but self-righteous hypocrites. We’re fighting to be accepted, and yet so many trans women are extremely judgmental as to whether someone is really trans, or “trans enough.” As if it’s up to them to decide. At this rate the conservatives are going to get exactly what they want because the trans community seems intent on tearing itself apart from within with this idiotic bickering. This is why I’m not on FB much anymore, because you can’t post anything without it erupting into petty bickering and bitching about cross-dressers.”

The post got a decent number of comments, including many thoughtful, intelligent replies, as well as lot of comments which were nothing more than the same old arguments that always come up during the bickering. But one particular trans woman chose to aggressively go after me and take me to task for being too inclusive (of cross-dressers), and she also accused me of being a mouthpiece for Grooby Productions. She said I only wrote what was sanctioned and approved by the people at Grooby, and that they would not publish something they didn’t like or agree with. And she had the audacity to make all these accusations without having ever read my column! If you don’t like my column or agree with my opinions, that’s fine, I have no problem with that. But if you want to criticize my writing you damn well have better at least read it first.

For the record: Steven Grooby, CEO and Founder of Grooby Productions, and Kristel Penn, Marketing and Editorial Director of Grooby Productions, have given me the creative freedom to write about whatever interests me, and have never censored or edited anything I wrote. NEVER. And I’m pretty sure I’ve written some things which they did not agree with.

Yes, I am very loyal to Grooby Productions and the people who work there because they have without fail been supportive of me and treated me fairly and with respect. And that in turn has earned my respect and loyalty. Do I agree with everything Grooby Productions and Steven does? No. But Steven has shown time after time that he cares about the trans community and has helped countless trans people, including me.

Furthermore, I would sooner quit than be forced to write something which I did not believe in or support. I have too much self-respect to compromise my beliefs, and I strongly resent that anyone would challenge my integrity.

In last week’s column, I stated at the very beginning that “These are my own views and I certainly don’t expect everyone to agree with them, or imply that my views are the only ones which are correct. Everyone has their own opinions and who is to say one person’s opinion is better or more correct than anyone else’s.” I don’t claim to be an expert on anything or to suppose my opinions are better than anyone else’s. My opinions are just that; opinions. We all have them and we all have the freedom to express our opinions. What I do have are life experiences which is what I draw upon when I write, and hopefully I’ve gained a bit of maturity and perspective in my 55 years of living.

And lastly, if you have a grudge against Grooby that’s your problem, not mine, and I do not appreciate being attacked because you choose to be petty and vindictive. Grow up and get over it.

And now, back to Caitlyn.

This column was originally going to be about Caitlyn Jenner, who recently announced that she is considering running for the Senate in California. I was curious what people thought of this, especially those in the trans community where Caitlyn is a very controversial figure. Most agree she has done a lot to help the trans community by getting trans issues into mainstream media so more people are aware of trans people and the issues we face. But, and this is a very big but, she has drawn a lot of criticism for being Republican and for making a lot of comments which almost seem transphobic. That, along with the fact that most feel she is in no way representative of the trans community as a whole given that she is a celebrity and has unlimited financial resources available to her.

Most of the responses, as expected, were not supportive of Jenner running. Most had an issue with her being a Republican, along with the fact that she has no political experience. And frankly, she is just not well liked in the trans community and most people feel she has done little to help her own community. So, it appears she has very little support within the trans community, and she would almost certainly have no support from the conservative population, so that seems to indicate she would have no realistic chance of winning. But, she has a lot of money, so who knows. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds and if she does indeed decide to run.