bullying.md 4.0 KB
% Bullying
Bulling can take many forms, e.g. physical/verbal abuse, being berated or undermined repeatedly by colleagues at school or in the workplace, denied jobs or promotions, scapegoating and so on. Transgender people are 5x more likely to commit suicide than almost any other group of people, and bullying can play a large part in that.
In some countries, bullying can also take place in the gender clinic where the trans person is the victim of a gatekeeper that tries to hold them back from transitioning, or tries to convince them that they're not trans. E.g. being forced to live for 1-2 years or more without HRT after coming out, which on its own can cause many problems, especially if the individual doesn't pass (for many trans people, hormone therapy is the only way to start passing).
In some cases, it's family doing the bullying. E.g. rejecting their child, or not allowing them to transition, after they come out. Putting them in an institute, even, or kicking them out (extreme cases). On the other end of the scale, a parent who comes out can be bullied too; e.g. kicked out and divorced (if married) by their partner, and denied the opportunity to see their children.
Bullying is any kind of abuse (intentional or otherwise) that attacks you physically or mentally.
We don't have much info here yet, but Transpire has this helpful guide: Help! I think I'm being bullied...
LGBT Youth Scotland also has this website, which aims to tackle and reduce bullying of trans people in society: respectme.org.uk
Some bullying is illegal!
Repeated harassment/intimidation (e.g. being laughed at in the street, or being made to feel unsafe, being threatened, stalking, etc). Theft. Physical or sexual assault. Hate crimes / hate speech.
These things are illegal in the UK, and many other countries. If you are a victim of it, report it to the police immediately.
You should especially report it to the police if you think doing so will make it worse. The police are there to put people in prison, so that they can't bother you anymore. That is literally their job. They are there to improve your quality of life. Take this paragraph with a pinch of salt. This is mostly true in the UK, but it is not true in all countries. In some countries, it's the police doing the bullying.
Why do bullies bully?
Ignorance. Fear. Bullies are cowards who try to destroy people who are stronger than they are. E.g. more successful than them, more intelligent than them, more beautiful than them, more social than them, etc. Too much different from them. Etc.
There is no justification for bullying!
It *does* get better
Suicide is not the answer. Ever.
The negative feelings that you're feeling now will not be part of you forever. If you die, your problems will only be so much worse, because then you will be dead.
You are a beautiful, important person. You are not worthless.
Assemble. Unite.
Bullies rarely attack groups, only individuals. If you're in school, start a support group within your school. Get teachers involved, get parents involved. A support group might already exist at your school.
The same applies to adults, only in your town and area. If your workplace is large enough, you could consider forming or finding a support group within your organisation.
External links
Stonewall can help you with feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially for finding support groups in your local area. (NOTE: UK specific. We need to add similar links for other countries)
Guardian article about transgender suicide
Interview with Caroline Cossey and Gina Denham - trans women talking about bullying and coming out