From a 1989 speech given in San Antonio, Texas:

You may feel that a specific national broadcast or the efforts of a specific local group are not in line with your personal gender identity. This might be true, but the gender spectrum is a continuum, and for each of us, there is a level that we feel comfortable somewhere along this continuum. Gender contentment may be satisfied with an occasional outing while cross-dressed, it may be living in the opposite gender role full time, or it maybe SRS. We are all individuals and we all have different levels that we consider satisfactory along this line.

None is more correct than another. No position on the gender line carries more weight than any other. We need to keep this in mind. We need to respect the needs and desires of others in our community. It bothers me when one member of our community shuns or is negative toward another member because that person is content to be at another point on the gender line. The comments typically are, “I’m not like that,” or, “They look ridiculous.” The truth is, we are all very similar inside. Our position on the gender line may be different, but we still are members of this community.

When we ignore or are negative toward a portion of our community, we are no better than the segment of the population in society at large that is abusive to our community in general. We may for one reason or another, not wish to actively support or become visibly involved with some segment of the cross-gender community, but, on the other hand, we should at least passively support that segment and the community in general.

Support can be in many ways. It can be the subscription to a newsletter or national publication, it can be the support of a local group, it can be the willingness to participate in educating the general public. We all need to be involved. We all need to recognize the fact that we do belong to this community and will benefit from the efforts of those who are trying to make our nature, our desires, and our needs known to society in general.

Thank you all for letting me speak to you this evening. Now let’s all GO FOR IT!

This speech was given by Wendi Pierce, a post-op transsexual woman who self-identified as  a “transegndered individual.”