President Obama made history when he referenced Gay Americans in his second inaugural speech.
“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,” Obama said.
11-year-old Sadie liked what she heard, but thought the president hadn't gone far enough and had excluded people like her, a transgender girl struggling for acceptance.
She decided to write the president a letter:
If I'm wrong in that presumption, please feel free to correct me.
Both Sadie and another young lady, Jazz, who was profiled by Barbara Walters on 20/20 are doing their part to challenge misconceptions about who they are. Sometimes it's good to realize how much you don't know about people and how much more you need to learn (and unlearn) about them.
I am awed and impressed by the courage of these young women as they attempt the simple dignity of living their lives.
“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law,” Obama said.
11-year-old Sadie liked what she heard, but thought the president hadn't gone far enough and had excluded people like her, a transgender girl struggling for acceptance.
She decided to write the president a letter:
I admit I largely uninformed and unfamiliar with the problems of growing up transgender. This may be an assumption on my part and if it is, please pardon my ignorance, but often it simply seems to be the "T" in LGBT is an afterthought and the specific issues of the trangender community is lumped in with gays, lesbians and bisexuals, but are not always addressed or given sufficient attention.Sadie's Dream for the World.
"The world would be a better place if everyone had the right to be themselves, including people who have a creative gender identity and expression. Transgender people are not allowed the freedom to do things everyone else does, like go to the doctor, go to school, get a job, and even make friends.
Transgender kids like me are not allowed to go to most schools because the teachers think we are different from everyone else. The schools get afraid of how they will talk with the other kids' parents, and transgender kids are kept secret or told not to come there anymore. Kids are told not to be friends with transgender kids, which makes us very lonely and sad.
When they grow up, transgender adults have a hard time getting a job because the boss thinks the customers will be scared away. Doctors are afraid of treating transgender patients because they don't know how to take care of them, and some doctors don't really want to help them. Transgender patients like me travel to other states to see a good doctor.
It would be a better world if everyone knew that transgender people have the same hopes and dreams as everyone else. We like to make friends and want to go to school. Transgender people want to get good jobs and go to doctors like they are exactly the same. It really isn't that hard to like transgender people because we are like everyone else."
If I'm wrong in that presumption, please feel free to correct me.
Both Sadie and another young lady, Jazz, who was profiled by Barbara Walters on 20/20 are doing their part to challenge misconceptions about who they are. Sometimes it's good to realize how much you don't know about people and how much more you need to learn (and unlearn) about them.
I am awed and impressed by the courage of these young women as they attempt the simple dignity of living their lives.