Transition: A Life Faced With Adversity

There are many things that are a result of the social structure that we live in. One of these catastrophic results is suicide amongst groups that are marginalized and stigmatized because for one reason or another they don't fit into the norms that the social structure was built on. I've had several friends who were part of LGBTQIA (alphabet soup) communities who've committed suicide. When you live in a social structure that is adverse to your existence and in a society where you are painted as the 'other', life can seem too difficult to be worth it. Sometimes keeping on can be a fight that looks eternal and hopeless. One of the communities that is hit hardest by such adversity and stigma is the trans community. The suicide rate is significantly higher than pretty much any other population. Many trans folks who come out lose their job, family and friends over it, but that is just the beginning...
...Then there is the insane level of threats, violence and harassment. Walking down the street becomes more dangerous for trans folks. People often feel threatened when their over simplistic understanding of gender is being challenged. Sometimes some people get violent because they fear anything or anyone they don't understand. In medical situations, trans people are often put through hell if the medical professionals who are supposed to take care of them happen to not have the knowledge on basic sensitivities when it comes to trans folks. Because of horrible portrayals of trans people in the media and humor at trans folks' expense, society treats trans people as something to gawk at instead of someone with their own feelings, dreams and aspirations. Trans people are treated as subhumyn in that sense.
My heart and prayers go out to trans folks who committed, attempted or are thinking about suicide. I pray that they don't give up on their lives. Someday we will have a world where gender roles are not forced on anyone, a world without the gender binary or the patriarchal social structure. I pray for and work towards a world without social stigma. I pray for a world where instead of having to face overwhelming adversity, trans folks have support and hope reinforced by the greater society. Someday cis privilege, male privilege, hetero privilege, white privilege, economic-affluent privilege etc will be recognized and broken down with all the hierarchies. In the meantime the trans community has my solidarity and support. If you know a trans person who is struggling I urge you to be there for them and support them. Transition can be hard enough for them as is, then they may also be facing the stigma and oppression in ways we might not even be able to imagine.