For the first time I joined an event for IDAHOBIT and I directly was engaged actively by holding a speech. Those who do not know what IDAHOBIT is: It is an international day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. It is held annually on the 17th of May.
At the event in Tallinn, Estonia I contributed the following speech:
Representation saves lives!
This month is pride month and we already had Lesbian visibility week. In March we celebrated the international women’s day. Why do we need all these special days? Because there is still so much to do in this world and in this society.
All the wonderful people that differ just a little bit from a social standardized norm feel that they do not belong. They feel not seen. Not heard. They don’t get medical support or help. They feel alone. And they think that somethings wrong with them. But no!
How can something be wrong when it is the majority? Only 5 % of the people match the so called normal. The ideal of a person.
95 % do not match this. What makes them different can be so much. An illness, a mental health problem. A different body shape. The body weight. Gender identification, sexual orientation, form of relationship, The look. The culture. Anything.
But society tells us: We are wrong.
Let me tell you about myself. Why am I wrong according to society?:
Well: Number 1: I am a woman – totally wrong!
I am an old woman
I am an old overweight woman
I am an old overweight woman with long grey hair
I am an old overweight lesbian woman with long grey hair
I am an old overweight lesbian woman in a relationship with a trans woman with long grey hair
BÄM!!
Why am I telling you this? Because it matters to know that there are others who also receive so much hate and aggression from people who think that they do not belong and that they are not worthy.
So it is really important that we show us and that we say: You are okay! You are worthy! You belong! There are so many people that are different. Remember: 95 %!!
We only see the 5%. The ideal world. In the media. In advertising. In movies and series. Only 5 %.
I am here today with you all beautiful people to show those who are doubting that they are not alone.
You are not alone!
Some people suffer so much that they think they do not have the power to live on. The suicide rate among trans person is between 36 and 52%.
So it is very important to show them that they are not alone. To show our different bodies; our different forms of life.
I am here today to show myself. To show society that there are so many people that live their lives every day different from the so called norm. Different from an constructed ideal.
And if my being here; my being seen; my representation only helps one single person to stop feeling worthless or feeling helpless or feeling sad or depressed; f it prevents only one person to kill themself it was worth it.
We very strongly believe that people are scared of what they do not know. That they have wrong pictures in their head about human beings. And fear leads to hatred. People hate what scares them and what they don’t know. But once they know it they can stop being afraid. They can stop hating.
So this is the second reason why I am here today. To show people how reality looks like. Without instagram filter. Without photoshop. Without societies bias and gaze. Pure reality. Look at me. Look at the old overweight lesbian woman with her transwife!! I am here and I will not go away.
We will not go away. We will keep on showing us to the world.
Because representation matters.
Representation saves lives.
