What happened to the liberal West Coast?

So I just stumbled across this stupid little article about those scary trans anarchists running amok in our "great country" messing everything up.


The face of an bomb throwing anarchist. I'd break windows with you Ariel!


I had been following blogs about the Denver Bash Back member arrested but only from very liberal sources and they didn't show the mug shot, giving a picture to the name. By the way, yay for Ariel Attack getting out of the slammer recently, jail is definitely no friendly place for trans people and ending up there is one of my biggest fears as a non-passing trans person. The article didn't catch my eye for the usual pronoun fuck ups that usually happen in the news (this guy even referred to Ariel as he amazingly) or the way anarchist or trans people are percieved by the righties, seen it enough now to not even care or be upset. The thing that caught my attention in this little article was this: "Denver appears to be eclipsing San Francisco and Seattle as the epicenter of the looney left." Yes I think Denver has eclipsed and surpassed San Francisco and possible left it behind. I cannot speak for Seattle as I have never been there but I now live in San Francisco and the thing that brought me here in the first place seems to have left a while ago.

It seems that the idea that San Francisco is a haven for liberals and an epicenter for radical action where tolerant for wierdness makes it a sort of utopia for freaks is now just an idea. That may have been true in the past before I lived here, I'm thinking the sixties hippy thing lasted in sentiment long after the actual movement ended. I'm sorry but San Francisco is not what people think it is anymore. We have been in a constant state of gentrification for some time and the yuppies are winning.

I had dreamed of living in this city my whole life. I grew up near the Bay Area and in my young tranny days came here to visit and hung out with the only other trans people I could find who seemed to all be in San Francisco. I strived to someday live here and be out and proud. As a non-passing trans-woman just living full time can be considered out and proud as stealth is not really an option. So, I finally moved here and started living full full time, as in working as a women too. That was the only thing I was not completely out as even though I had tits and dressed sorta fem. I was living like this because Santa Cruz, my former residence was as tolerant as I thought going there. In fact it was down right dangerous for trans people there as I was threatened before and had more than one altercation with aggressive transophobes. So after being disheartened by Santa Cruz I thought San Francisco would be more confortable. I suppose I was a little wrong. Yes, there are a lot of trans people here, probably more than most cities, but for those of us who do not pass there are plenty of other people, not trans, who feel obligated to harass, make fun of, threaten, stare at, and generally make the environment here not so friendly for trans poeple - at least ones that don't pass. I say that a lot because it seems to be the bane of my existance. Trans people who do pass will sometimes say things like, " people are coming around, I find people to be generally accepting of me." I just laugh at their passing privlidge and I say, "I find that people are trolls and can't help but to give me shit everywhere I go."

So back to my point, San Francisco is not so liberal as I thought it was and people think that this place is a safe haven for difference....Sorry but it is not. And, if this was the most liberal, safe, excepting place I could think of and moving here find its not then where do I have left to go? The dream of finding a safe place to call home is kind dead for me. Now I just work on my self rather than trying to adjust my environment as it is futile.

When I first noticed Bash Back I was like, "those are my poeple, I need to get involved." I watched as Bash Back chapters started forming all over the country and then one came here: Bash Back East Bay. I was so happy to see this and they had an initial meeting with a flier and everything but I had to work for the man that day and couldn't go to their first meeting. I waited for more meetings to come and emailed them to find out when other meeting are happening but then, nothing. I think the group disolved before it even began. I am not sure how other Bash Back groups are fairing in other locales but ours just didn't make it. Bummer. I am wondering if this has anything to do with the fact that San Francisco/Bay Area is not as liberal and crazy as everyone wants to believe it is? I have been trying to get involved with things here and have had a little trouble. I don't know if its just me and my shyness or this place is just not what I thought it was.

I found this funny little ranking survey which is from 2005 but could still be relevant to this post http://govpro.com/content/gov_imp_31439/ where it says that San Fran comes in at a cool 9th on the liberal scale. Most people would have guessed San Francisco to first or second or third but ninth? My state just upheald a ban on same-sex marriage by populare vote so maybe the West Coast is not liberal as we all thought. What is interesting about this survey is down on the conservitive ranking cities notice all the stuff down in Southern California. I think that's why we lost the vote in California.

It kinda sucks that I dreamed so long to find a safe haven, an oasis of wierdness where I could call home and just be myself without harrasment. That has not been the case and now I find myself getting shit every day for being trans but, its ok. If I wasn't forced to fight a battle everyday I would not be the fierce warrioress I am today and you know what they say? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So bring it on transophobe muthufuckers.....I dare you to fuck with me.