On March 21, 2017, Odyssey creator Tiffany Berruti wrote, "No, I Don't Have To Tell You I'm Trans Before Dating You." The basis of her article used the case of Jennifer Laude, who was strangled and then drowned by Joseph Pemberton because she had sexual relations with him and did not disclose her original gender. He was deceived and did something horrific because he was infuriated and supposedly "transphobic." Tiffany then continues that, "not being attracted to trans people is deeply transphobic," a label used to explain why some people won't date someone who is transgender.
This statement is not true.
People don't wake up and say, "I'm not attracted to transgendered people." It's deeper than the surface. People have various morals and religious beliefs, which also account for reasons people like to select "looking for... male, female, or any," on their dating profiles. The LGBTQ community constantly strives for equality and respect. They don't want respect because they are gay, lesbian, transgender, etc. They want respect because they are people.
Everyone deserves respect regardless of sexual orientation and because this is a major social issue, all participating parties should be notified.
Other important things:
Do you have any STD's?
Do you have any kids? (serious relationship)
Are you in a relationship with someone?
Are you legally married (even if you're not together)?
Are you carrying any illegal drugs/weapon?
We're about to go out, so are you driving sober / under the influence of anything?
... Are you transgender?
Notice that most things listed just have to do with being up front, relating to morals, or safety. Do you really believe it's your right to know if someone has an STD, even if it's controlled with medication? Is it a person's right to want to wear a condom even if the other person doesn't want to? I am sure most would say yes to these questions. Everyone involved has the right to things that affect them. So why would transgender disclosure be any different if we're all supposed to be treated equally?
What happened to Jennifer Laude was horrible, but this crime isn't horrible because she was transgender. It was horrible because she was a person who was horrifically killed. Her death is not a crutch to hide who you are or a reason to only think about your wants, needs, and feelings. Don't be selfish and give the respect you claim should be given to everybody equally.
