Dysphoria [commentary]

More about Dysphoria [commentary]

Your mom, or some other wise mentor in your life, used to say, "Never judge a book by its cover." What seems at first to be simple and straightforward wisdom -- the cover art and synopsis never tell the whole story -- has become a poignant idiom for issues emerging in the modern day. These are issues that have existed for centuries. They've long been accepted in some cultures yet remain contentious in others.

The saying now extends to mean, "never judge a person by the color or shape of their skin." The flesh can't be hurt by words, but the person living inside that skin can be.

With so many celebrities across all media platforms revealing things about themselves that they've long felt needed to be suppressed, there has never been a better time than now to learn about transgender and body identity issues. Even if you can confidently say to yourself that you will never be one of "those people", take the time to learn about them. Your favorite singer, movie star, streamer, or other media influencer may be among them next week. And then, it won't feel like "those people", but hopefully, you'll instead think of them as a person worthy of love and respect, just like you.

https://www.glaad.org/transgender/resources