A Letter to President Biden.

To our future President Biden:

I grew up going to Sunday School; the vast majority of people in my area are Christians. My parents are life-long Republicans. I live a few miles from where the local Klan meets. I grew up, still live in a small-town, conservative, insular area—one of the reddest counties in our state. I’m straight, white, male, grew up with the parents who gave birth to me; thankfully, I work one of the few remaining factory jobs in our area. I’ll watch hockey from time to time, though I’m waiting for the Devils to stop screwing up everything.

My background and demographic would make many a stranger think I’m the prime target for whom today’s Republican Party would be after. The one thing that makes me not a target is…because I’m transsexual. I was born female, but underwent a sex change to live my life as a man.

I grew up about an hour from you. You know what our general region is like.

I hope your words are true, that you wish to unite us again, and that you will reach out to conservatives and capitalists, and not just cater to those who elected you. I wish that you let women continue to access gynecological care without fear of dismissal or denial of services. I hope you can do as necessary to allow my gay, lesbian, and bi friends (who are in same-sex relationships) to be able to love and not fear discrimination. I hope you can do what’s necessary so my friends of color can continue to more easily access high education, pursue careers and ways to finance them, be able to live the American Dream. And make sure Christians are no longer allowed exemptions from anti-discrimination laws.

I came of age as a lesbian during the Bush years. I remember the fear my friends went through when DADT was actively promoted, states actively banned marriage equality, foster care, adoption by same-sex couples. At the time, I had no desire to have kids or a family, so at the time they meant nothing to me. Well over 15 years later, as a man, I have come to sympathize with my siblings in the LGBT community. The fact I can live as a man, especially because I look and sound like one, and be able to marry a woman someday, I’m lucky compared to our siblings because she and I would be like any straight couple and don’t have to worry about a justice of the peace denying us a license or performing the marriage ceremony. My LGB siblings should have the same rights as I do, as my parents do, to marry whomever they want, to live however we want, without fear of social, legal, financial, or other degradation.

Please work hard to bring back faith in the US and its representation of equality for all.

With highest regards,
Charles