Let me start with the background story:
On the fourth of July, there was a block party in our neighborhood. My husband and I got to meet a lot of the neighbors, and it seemed like everyone had a good time. The next day, one of the neighbors came by to grab something she'd left behind, and she started talking about one of the couples who'd attended (we'll call them Jon and Jen).
She starts going on about how "HE used to be a SHE" and how her husband just about has a coronary whenever he sees Jon outside, cutting the grass without a shirt. She just keeps going on and on about how weird the couple is and how wrong it is that he'd be seen out in public without a shirt.
I was amazed I didn't break my jaw, clenching it so hard in order to hold my tongue. Finally, I couldn't do it anymore.
(I really should know better than to try reasoning with idiots by this point)
I asked her to imagine feeling like she'd been born into the wrong body and that every feature that came with that gender felt uncomfortable and unnatural to her. I explained that after so many years of feeling like he was trapped in this body that wasn't his, it must be liberating to be able to do these things that other males do, like mow the grass without a shirt.
Of course, all of this goes in one ear and out the other with this woman, and she just goes-on to say she wonders if Jen used to be a male, and that's why they're together.
By this point, I realized there is no enlightening this close-minded ignoramus, so I politely say "Don't want to be late for your lunch plans!" and guide her out the door.
Sadly, it appears that most of our neighbors feel about the same way, so Jon and Jen are frequently excluded from neighborhood activities despite being nicer (and more down-to-earth) than most of the residents.
So my question is this- have you experienced discrimination (toward yourself or others) in your neighborhood? How did you deal with it?
On the fourth of July, there was a block party in our neighborhood. My husband and I got to meet a lot of the neighbors, and it seemed like everyone had a good time. The next day, one of the neighbors came by to grab something she'd left behind, and she started talking about one of the couples who'd attended (we'll call them Jon and Jen).
She starts going on about how "HE used to be a SHE" and how her husband just about has a coronary whenever he sees Jon outside, cutting the grass without a shirt. She just keeps going on and on about how weird the couple is and how wrong it is that he'd be seen out in public without a shirt.
I was amazed I didn't break my jaw, clenching it so hard in order to hold my tongue. Finally, I couldn't do it anymore.
(I really should know better than to try reasoning with idiots by this point)
I asked her to imagine feeling like she'd been born into the wrong body and that every feature that came with that gender felt uncomfortable and unnatural to her. I explained that after so many years of feeling like he was trapped in this body that wasn't his, it must be liberating to be able to do these things that other males do, like mow the grass without a shirt.
Of course, all of this goes in one ear and out the other with this woman, and she just goes-on to say she wonders if Jen used to be a male, and that's why they're together.
By this point, I realized there is no enlightening this close-minded ignoramus, so I politely say "Don't want to be late for your lunch plans!" and guide her out the door.
Sadly, it appears that most of our neighbors feel about the same way, so Jon and Jen are frequently excluded from neighborhood activities despite being nicer (and more down-to-earth) than most of the residents.
So my question is this- have you experienced discrimination (toward yourself or others) in your neighborhood? How did you deal with it?
