Beautiful exactly as you are

I met one of the sweetest 18 year old young women today. She stood in my kitchen while I prepared a salad, so full of energy, so thirsty for life. I don't usually feel very comfortable opening up or even talking to people I've only met about broad issues. I like to keep things neutral and just on the surface. But thing young woman was just all over the place with her enthusiasm to talk about so many issues at the same time. I was tickled how much in common I have with her and how comfortable it felt to talk to her. She's just the kind of a person around whom you feel you could talk about anything, and she pulls you into it. Without even noticing it, we went from Frida Kahlo to Dali to painters to writing and then we were each talking about our own writing.

This young 18 year old woman is full of original ideas and original thinking, creative, funny in a positive way, makes one smile and laugh. When she talks, her eyes twinkle and her whole body responds.

Almost at the very beginning of our meeting, she told me that when she was a small boy, (s)he was with her (his) mother shopping, and (s)he was a beautiful shawl and asked her (his) mother if (s)he could buy it for her (him). Her (his) mother said: "yes, but don't tell dad."

She is a transgender. A beautiful, witty, funny, creative, pleasant, very smart and original young woman. She captured my heart with her smiles and life energies.

This is why we need to raise our voice loud and clear against transphobia, homophobia, lesbophobia, and any other phobia. So that people like her can thrive, fulfill their dreams, smile, laugh, and live their lives without fear of any kind of violence due to their gender.