By Violet Louisa Austerlitz
By and large, Iowa City is and has been a welcoming and supportive place to live as a transgender woman. But there are still people here who feel the need to commit acts of radical hatred based on their own ignorance. One such person is the author of madamnomad.com, who, among other things, has made a practice of attacking transgender people. This has become a campaign of harassment directed against local organizations that support us, and, lately, 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 someone chooses to believe that false narrative, I suppose I can’t stop them. But I refuse to let it be the only narrative that exists. My identity and my humanity belong to me, and 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, what we really want and how you can help us, know this first: We’re human beings, and our rights are human rights, and we have always been part of this world. 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 the voice of someone who operates purely from a place of hatred and ignorance.
And to Madam Nomad, all I can say is — bless your heart. I’m so sorry you feel that way.
Madam Nomad…what a sorry and misled set of beliefs. Her website is very upsetting.
Agreeing with Bw above and with the author of this letter and expressing whatever solidarity I can for the trans community via a website comment.
Echoing Laura and Bw here, too. I stand in solidarity with the trans community. Ms. Austerlitz – I am sorry you were treated this way. You deserve so much better.
[Comment removed due to violation of Little Village comment policy]
I believe that transgender people should be respected and free to live their lives without being harrassed. However, I just took a look at Madam Nomad’s blog and I don’t see a problem with her message. It’s a voice that gets silenced in woke Iowa City and I commend her for speaking her mind. She is right to be concerned with the medicalization of gender questioning youth. In five to ten years when we start to see more people detransitioning because it did not give them the relief that was promised, they will regret the medically sanctioned self-harm done to their bodies and will understand Madam Nomad’s perspective.