Last Friday my second appearance on Larry King Live! aired on CNN. I was happy to be asked back on the show mainly because I wasn't very impressed with my first appearance and wanted to hopefully be more articulate this time around.
I felt that my responses were slightly better this time around, but would like one more go at it, after all, third time is the charm.
I find it interesting to speak out on transsexuality issues and also a bit disheartening because I can't control what all is being said and can't voice my opinion as often as I would like. When watching the current show, I cringed at seeing the words pop up stating, "Born in the Wrong Body," "Transgender Mystery," "Secret Lives of Transsexuals."
I do not like to refer to myself as being born in the wrong body. I'm in the same body I was before, it has just been altered to be aligned with my mind. I was born into the wrong sex, but I love what my body has to offer me.
I also don't really feel like our lives are all that "secret" when we go on national TV, appear in documentaries and magazines, update and maintain websites, and travel around the nation sharing our stories.
I sometimes am a little frustrated when the only items that are focused on on these shows are one's sexual orientation and surgeries. I'd love to go back on the show and talk more about life, occupations, and aspirations.
I'd love to go on a show and talk about health care, the discrimination one suffers through when it comes to insurance and the need for more education within the medical and psychological fields in regard to gender identity and expression.
I feel frustrated when people refer to me as, Ryan, the ftm, and would like to move more into being recognized for the advocacy work I do within health care and speaking I do on all aspects of transitioning.
I keep thinking, what am I doing wrong in my messaging, and how can I raise this awareness...I'll let you know when I find the answer.
