Regarding transpobia in the Iowa City community

By and large, Iowa City is and has been a welcoming and supportive place to live as a transgender woman. But there still are some people here who feel the need to commit acts of radical hatred based on their own ignorance.

One such person is the author of a local blog, who has instigated a campaign of harassment directed against local organizations, and against individuals like myself.

Being personally and specifically attacked, misgendered and maligned in ways that are grotesque, false and hateful is deeply disturbing. It constructs a false narrative that seeks to dehumanize not just me, but all transgender people. If this is the narrative people choose to believe, I suppose I can't stop them.

However, I refuse to let it be the only narrative that exists. My identity and my humanity belong to me alone. No one has a right to try to take them away from me, or from anybody else.

If you want to know who trans people really are, know this first: We're humans, our rights are human rights, and we belong here, no matter where 'here” might be. Memorize that. And then go to oneiowa.org, or transequality.org, and learn the truth of who we are and what we face.

Our stories are valuable and should never be overshadowed by ignorance.

Violet Austerlitz

Iowa City