About Respecting Ignorance. . . .

Now I write this post out of my own experience as a transgendered person who  lives in the "in between" that is between both genders; female or male, in the U.S. context.  More so I consider myself to be both the feminine and masculine, choosing to present signifiers as needed.  Living this way has not been the easiest, it is  just plain tiring, but not based on my presentation but on the fact of living in relationship(s) and communities that are not friendly to the transgendered person, and this not even toward the "in between".  And since I am an African American and Black I deal with certain conservative leanings of some of my Black people who either don't like me as a transgender person, only liking the masculine presence, using their understanding of the bible to witness to me or to somehow show how wrong I am out of Paul's commentary on Rome of all things, even out of their own limitations or certain Black women (not all) who are seemingly fearful that I, parading as a Transgender women of African descent, would somehow seek to usurp their positions as Black women, using my male privilege, that somehow because their oppression is so great, that I would somehow want to "take off my dress" and take their place in the unemployment line.  I consider both positions fear based and ludicrous.  Yet in this circumstance these two positions scream for respect.  Yes respect.  That I must respect these two positions as societal and intimate sensibilities.  So I ask does anyone who embraces these positions respect me and my sensibilities?  Yea, what about me?  I long for the day when who I am and who I identify as would be respected as my reality and not disrespected as not being a space of critical importance.  The same respect I give to you and your sensibilities should be returned.  If you can't do this then we don't need to talk.  So respect goes both ways.  But as I look and listen to the media I am clear that respect only goes the way of ignorance.  The statement "meet them where they are" sounds good but I consider it a linguistic signifier to respect ignorance.  Ignorance demands to be respected.  Ignorance must be allowed to exist in and of its self because somehow ignorance is that pseudo-sacred space of comfort for those who like their little world and their little god.  In the face of transformation then ignorance screams loud, articulating its displeasure or distaste through rhetorical and/or physical violence.  Ignorance demands its way.  That God's grace is imbedded in transformation calls for ignorance to change yet the evil embodied in ignorance denies a vision beyond ignorance and its comfort.

Much work to do!!