After careful consideration, I decided to focus my cultural immersion on African American transgender people - a group of people who have been brutalized and victimized over the recent years. Transgender people are individuals whose gender expression and identity differ from their birth identity. To obtain firsthand information on the welfare of African American transgender people, I conducted a series of immersion activities to have a complete grasp of the people’s experiences and cases. The details of every person’s experiences and each case differ, although it is quite evident that fatal violence disproportionately affects transgender women of color.
I emailed Ms. H (pseudonym for confidentiality) about his African American transgender welfare group within the community and later decided to meet with one of the group members on Friday, June 5 th . Ms. H not only provides counseling for African American transgender people within the community, but she is actively involved in activities that foster their holistic development. With this immersion, I mingled with both male and female African American transgender people who spear no effort in championing for respect and equal rights from society.
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Initially, I was a bit skeptical since I didn’t know whether they would allow me to sit in their midst during a meeting, but they loved my personality and were excited that I was choosing to listen to them and willing to raise awareness. On Monday, June 8 th , I took notes as various individuals shared their experiences with gender-based violence in one of their evening meetings. Ms. H narrated how unknown people stormed into her transgender childhood friend’s apartment, stabbed her multiple times, and set her body ablaze barely a week after she went public about her gender identity. After the first meeting, I felt that to African American transgender people, equality is essential. Many at times, they are shoved, insulted, or even brutalized people their acquaintances who have the notion that transgender people and straight people do not have equal footing. In their careers, African American transgender women fall victims of sexual harassment from their acquaintances who want to explore their sexual fantasies. From the gathering, I also heard testimonials from African American transgender women who were assaulted continuously by their partners due to their masculinity. Narrations in this meeting actuated me since they were very heart-rending, and I felt very remorseful for African American transgender people for what they go through in their daily lives.
In the second meeting the next Monday, I realized that gender identity and expression does not define an individuals sexuality. As the group members introduced themselves, also stating their marital status, it was clear that they do not have different sexual preferences and orientation from straight people. Some of them are bisexual, while others are heterosexual. During this meeting, Ms. H eulogized a 27-year-old transgender woman of African descent (also a member of the group), who had been butchered by her spouse after a confrontation ensued. Ms. H reminded the group members how the woman used to come to meetings with scars and bruises caused by her spouse. The second meeting was very insightful, although I was very shocked to learn what transgender women of color undergo in the hands of their spouses.
In the Monday night meeting on June 21 st , I encouraged all the group members always to be open about their gender identities. Opening up would create awareness about the existence of African American transgender people, which would help society realize that straight people are indifferent from transgender people. I was surprised that all members of the group supported my idea and were willing to remain open about their genders. I think that society should embrace and protect the transgender group since it is the most marginalized group in society.
