When I first heard Mindy discuss our final story package, I had no idea it would be this cool. First of all, I think I found an issue that really matters to people in Gainesville, and the project allowed me to see just how much I had learned in this class. Although I think there was still some room for improvement, for example with the photography included in the Soundslides, I am really proud of this story package.
I really learned a lot while reporting for this project. Some of the main things I learned are:
1) sexual orientation, the gender to which you are attracted, is not necessarily linked to gender identity, your internal sense of being a woman or a man
2) most transgender people, at very early ages, feel like their designated sex at birth isn’t the same as the gender they feel they are inside, which can lead to depression
3) the transition period when an individual decides to start living in the role of the opposite gender (with or without surgeries or hormone replacement) is a particularly vulnerable time when they face discrimination in many areas like their jobs, health care, daily routines in the public, churches and family life, and
4) many states and localities have just started protecting gender identity in the past five years.
I’ve tried to include some thought-provoking statistics and links that will help people further understand the issues lesbian, gay, bisexual, and particularly transgender individuals face today. So please check out my final project for this semester, and feel free to leave a comment or share your opinion.
