 In This Issue AAUW Resources | Standing Up for Women: Developing Courage Through Risk By Josephine Tittsworth On March 30, 2005, I was one of four presenters at an event referred to as the International Intercultural Student Services and Unity Club Speakers Series on Sexual Minorities and Moral Ethics, held at the University of Houston – Clear Lake. The title of my presentation, “Transgenderism and Value Systems.” I was hesitant at first about this presentation because of the subject content. I asked myself questions such as: How should I approach the subject of value systems? How well will the audience receive it? Were there going to be preconceived ideas that I would have to overcome in order for them to really hear my message? The speaker series started with a gay male discussing advocacy for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community. He held himself with dignity and respect and was well prepared to address any issues raised during the discussion, regardless of the challenges it might pose to him personally. He responded to each query with respect for the individuals asking the questions and with a direct response to each question. His presentation was enlightening for all in attendance. My turn finally came, and I needed to make a final decision as to how to approach my topic. I gazed at the audience of less than fifty attendees. There was diversity within the audience. Approximately 60 percent of the audience was women of different ethnicities, ages, sexual orientations, and gender identities. Some of the women present were students, faculty, and staff of the university. The men in the audience were equally diverse. They seemed prepared to hear what I had to say, yet they did not possess the basic knowledge of transgender issues. This became apparent once the audience began to ask questions during the discussion since they aimed to get a basic understanding of transgender issues such as, “Are transgenders all gay?” I decided to switch the presentation from that of a speaker to that of a facilitator with the hope that by engaging the audience, I would be able to tell my story as well as encourage them to exercise some introspection about the issues at hand. To start, I gave the audience the basic information that “transgender” is an umbrella term for many categories that include individuals such as cross-dressers, transsexuals, drag-king/queen, masculine females, and feminine males. I also provided them with the explanation that the concepts of sexual orientation had nothing to do with gender identity. I offered the basics in terms of definitions to them. The main difference between a crossdresser and a transsexual is that a crossdresser has a strong need to express their feminine side through the clothing of the opposite sex, with no conflict as to what their gender is. The transsexual struggles with the dichotomy of having a female brain and a male body (or visa versa for female to male) and struggles with this conflict of the brain and body. This all hinges on the contention that gender and sexual orientation are completely different concepts. With these concepts clarified, I began to open up discussions of value systems. Value systems exist within each of us. I decided to focus my efforts on getting the audience to examine their own personal value system so that they could begin to understand and appreciate other’s values that differ from their own. I am a transsexual female and I am also a lesbian, so I can conjure concepts that I deal with on a daily basis. I used my own perspective to initiate the discussion immediately by approaching one of the males in the audience and asking this question: “I think your mama is hot. I really would like to get a date with your mother. Can I call her and start dating her? Are you alright with this?” The man looked dazed and confused for a moment. Suddenly he responded by saying that I could ask his mother out on a date. I continued to drill him with more questions that aimed to uncover his real feelings about the situation. I wanted to know why he hesitated. My hope during this process was to cause him to seek out his true feelings and prejudices based on his own personal value system. Eventually, he informed me that he actually was uncomfortable with the idea of me dating his mother. However, because he wanted to be an open-minded individual, his surface response was to say that he was comfortable with the idea of me dating his mother. Once he actually examined his sense of values, the feelings of ambiguity surfaced. I approached several of the attendees with this same situation and the results had some key similarities, but each had some different elements. They were similar in that they all eventually went to a place within themselves to examine their true feelings. They were dissimilar because each responded differently and processed the information in a unique way. This was a very enlightening process for the audience and for me. How does my story apply to women and leadership? It’s a valid question. The answer is actually simple: when women put themselves in front of an audience they are allowing others to both challenge and support them. Through the process of engaging an audience, women can gain respect from others and a sense of accomplishment for themselves. Each time we allow ourselves to be placed in a vulnerable position we must learn to stand tall, assess the situation, and respond with authority. Since women are frequently considered inferior and less qualified than men in our society, when the opportunity becomes available for women to defy the walls of oppression, we should assert our knowledge, passion, and determination to meet and overcome the test. When we stand in front of others, we become clear examples of authority that very actively test and overcome patriarchal standards. Standing tall in the face of oppression and standing up for justice is the key to making dramatic and meaningful change in both our personal lives and in the society in which we all live. Develop your leadership skills with AAUW!
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