By Malaysia Walker, TEAP-MS Advocacy Coordinator
Published in The Clarion-Ledger
My name is Malaysia Walker. I am a native of Jackson,. I have a husband and a family. Jackson is our home. I attend church. I love God. I wake up every morning and prepare myself for work. I am a tax-paying citizen. I consider myself talented. I enjoy enhancing the beauty of things, whether through drawing, painting, decorating, sewing or makeup artistry. I enjoy shopping and finding a great sale.
I am a beautiful black woman, and I am transgender!
That’s right, I identify as a transgender woman. There is no need to be afraid of me or feel uncomfortable in my presence. You don’t have to stare at me or be afraid to speak or talk to me. I love children, so there’s no need for you to shield them from my presence. I will not hurt you or anyone else. I am a human being. I am a person, and I do have feelings. My only desire is to live freely and happily within my own truth, and show those afraid of doing the same that it is acceptable to be who you are.
House Bill 1523 makes that desire extremely difficult to realize. HB 1523, or the “religious freedom bill” as some know it to be called, potentially will allow people the opportunity to legally discriminate against me now more than ever. I could be denied access to restrooms. I could be fired from my job and lose my home from a lack of income. Doctors could deny me counseling, treatment and surgeries that I need to further my transition. My church could kick me and my family out, meaning we would have to find a new place of worship and deal with the possibility of not being accepted. I could be denied the chance to further my education, all because of who I am.
HB 1523 would allow harmful treatment simply because another person may claim harm if my living in my authentic identity is in conflict with his or her religious beliefs or moral convictions. This bill is unfair, detrimental and extremely harmful.
Statistics show people like me already face discrimination and harassment worse than anyone else in our community. This sometimes leads to one of us losing our lives to violence. In 2017, we have already had 15 transgender people murdered. Reports show 13 of those victims were beautiful women and men of color. They, like me, only wanted to live in their truth. They only desired to be comfortable and accepted in their community, and unfortunately, lost their lives because our society tends to fear what is unknown or misunderstood. They were killed, not for doing anything wrong, illegal or harmful, but just for being who they were.
I should have the opportunity to pursue happiness and enjoy my life with my family. Instead, I am faced with living in fear of what might happen to me. I should be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor, instead of living in fear that it can all be taken away in an instant.
I am proud of who I am. I love myself and my family loves me as well. I have accepted who I am. Why can’t you? Don’t discriminate against me. See me for who I am. See me as a person. I am a human being. I am Mississippi and I belong here.
