Monika: And how do you see the fight unfolding today, compared to Stonewall?
Scottie: As Alexandra reminds us, we fight with compassion, caring, and clarity. The beauty of now is that we don’t fight alone. We wear pink knit hats, we march at airports, and we dismantle hatred and incompetence in the federal courts. So the lesson for us in the trans community is not to allow ourselves to “feel” or act marginalized, not with denial’s malaise but with Pride’s bright flame. Together. Because we are not any one thing. I am a woman. I am trans. I am an American seeing my country under siege by hatred and greed. These three intersections show me that I intersect with all. And fight for all. And that is how we break down any walls, stone or ignorance.
Monika: How do you see the current state of transgender women in American society? Are we making progress, or is the struggle as urgent as ever?
Monika: How do you see the current state of transgender women in American society? Are we making progress, or is the struggle as urgent as ever?
Scottie: I can't lie. I am losing more sleep than they deserve wondering how we make the hatred stop. I could deal with it if it were the usual ignorance of people that I'm told I need to send light to, but when it equals the very real rise of threats to our community and the emboldening of discrimination and physical harm, then… well, I confess, I am struggling to remain hopeful. And it's not easy.
Monika: So, what keeps you going despite these challenges?
Scottie: As I wrote in my book, the only way around is through (thank you, Live), and the only way to deal with these fears is to do something about it. My work, aside from television and film, is education, and with my wife, we speak to universities and corporations and strive for understanding our world as a means to erode the desire and support for any kind of discrimination. And that helps me sleep better. But for all the gains we make with roles on TV and in movies, we still read a list of too many names (ONE IS TOO MANY) each November on Remembrance Day. This must change!
Monika: Are you involved in any lobbying or advocacy campaigns? Do you believe transgender women can make a real impact in politics?
Scottie: Oh yes, we can. We have got to be citizen activists (and if you are busy, then get with the big kids, GLAAD, HRC, etc.) We just heard about the Texas Mayor, The Honorable Jess Herbst of Newhope, TX, who announced she was trans, so we're already making a difference. We have always been here. As for the bigger question of my time and career choice, politics is always out there as a beacon, tempting me. But for now, I will pitch in when and where I can, I believe we'll all be involved in some campaign or another. I got my pink knit hat at the ready.
|
| Light, Laughter & Love. Photo by Shivani Ray. |
Monika: Love is such a central part of life. How important has it been in your journey?
Scottie: It is all there is. I couldn't do my life without love. I wouldn't live without love. I would've been dead long ago. Love for me is "Mylove," that's her name, my wife Marcy of 28 years this April. Without her love, I would've never had the courage to live my life. It was her love that showed me that my fear of losing that love was a crutch, an excuse. She still identifies as a cis-hetero woman who is married to and totally in love with a woman. Totally in love with me. She makes it possible to be me.
Monika: Are you working on any new creative projects at the moment?
Scottie: As I said above, a drama series based on my book, a cookbook, and I write a weekly blog called "Raised By Wolves."
Monika: My pen friend Gina Grahame once told me that we should never limit our potential because of how we were born or by what we see other transgender people doing. She said our dreams shouldn’t end on an operating table; that’s where they begin. How do you see it?
Scottie: Well… our dreams started well before we thought we needed an operating table, stayed with us while we summoned the courage to even ask about an operating table, and will need to get us to and from that table. But I get her point. As Laverne Cox says, genitalia is not destiny. And there are those in our community who will never follow our lead, and that's okay too. I think Gina's advice is good for those who could let the table be an excuse for not living in any way, shape, or form. And in that regard, I agree with the wise Ms. Grahame. Our potential is, individually, singularly, ours. We can never, nor should we ever, try to live someone else's life. We're not all supposed to write books or speak publicly, or… wait. Ha! Okay, well, don't do as I do, do as… you know what? Do whatever your heart says.
Monika: Scottie, thank you so much for sharing your story with us!
Scottie: Thank you, Monika! This has been a great honor. March on!
END OF PART 3
All the photos: courtesy of Scottie Madden.
The main photo credit: Lara Weatherly.
© 2017 - Monika Kowalska
Other related sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment