I grew up in Wisconsin and have been an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers through years of good and bad times. In January I attended the Super Bowl in New Orleans with my brothers - the greatest sports experience of my life. Because of the enormous interest, the closest flight home was from Houston so I had a 350 mile drive after the game to reflect on what had just happened.
The Packer fans had major differences in age, finances and social status but they weren't important enough to matter. We set them aside because we had a common objective - to cheer our team on to victory. I realize that professional football isn't the gender community but the same principles can apply.
What if...we lived in a society where it was impossible to distinguish men from women based solely on their clothing, makeup or behavior...where no gender judgments were attached to dresses or pants...where terms like transgendered, transsexual and transvestite became unimportant...where stereotypes associated with being bisexual, heterosexual or homosexual stopped being an issue.
What if...that open society actually existed...?
Can't the achievement of that society be a common objective for all of us who are transgendered? How much should it matter to us if we are transvestite or transsexual, male or female, gay or lesbian? While those are real differences can't we set them aside? Isn't it more important to achieve something together? If a bunch of cheese heads (remember I am one) can do it, why can't we?
There is a powerful system called "OGSMs" where the "O" stands for Objectives. It is used by major corporations to obtain alignment on common company objectives regardless of the differences between divisions and departments. An objective is a visionary condition extending perhaps 10 years into the future that describes where the organization wants to be. It helps to set annual Goals and deploy Strategies that lead to success. It helps to select the most effective efforts, implement them effectively and Measure the results.
With that in mind, here is my proposal for our shared objective -
The gender family is
understood by
and accepted into
mainstream society.
We need to commit to the objective and that requires dialog, so...what are your thoughts?
Will you support the objective as written?
Do you have any changes or upgrades?
Will you get others involved?
Will you recommend it to your organization?
If you can't support it, what would have to change so you will support it?
In President Clinton's inaugural address he said that divisions and differences had to give way to a "new spirit of community." We need the same spirit and need to communicate so let's all start talking...
"We are not fighting for integration,
nor are we fighting for separation.
We are fighting for recognition as human beings.
We are fighting for...human rights."
Malcolm X
