Hey all you out there in internet land! As you’re no doubt aware,
June is Gay Pride Month, and as such, yours truly wanted to share something
that really inspired me in pop culture recently – a certain...er...super powerful
moment that occurred on the CW’s hit series ‘Supergirl.’ The adventures of Kara
Danvers have been excellent all year, with a story
focussing on bigotry and institutionalized oppression at a time when such a message
desperately needs to be heard. Of particular note, however, is one of the new
characters they brought in – a spunky heroine who goes by ‘Dreamer.’ Born with
the given name Nia Nal, Dreamer is a superhero whose power is derived from
being able to use dreams to predict future events and gain insights, among
other abilities. She is strong, kind, compassionate, caring, and also perhaps
most importantly, different. You see, in addition to being half-human and
half-alien at a time in the series where anti-alien prejudice is in full swing,
Nia is also transgender, and both admits to having struggled because of it, and
to it being a source of pride and strength for her. Indeed, she is informed by
it, shaped by its challenges and gifts in equal measure, and also more than the circumstances of her birth (Mewtwo from Pokemon would be proud).
Needless to say, as someone with similar experiences (albeit as a
spectrum dweller rather than a member of the trans community)? I was extremely
inspired. Especially after she delivered a rousing and passionate speech
defending differences between people and encouraging everyone to speak their
truths. I’ve reprinted it below:
“My parents believed that humans and aliens could co-exist. And
I'm living proof of that. But growing up wasn't easy. I am also a trans woman.
I'm different, Miss Danvers, but so is everybody. And I don't know when that
became such a bad thing. The greatest gift we can give each other is our
authentic selves and sharing that. Sharing our truth is what will make us
strong. So, here I am. I am both human and alien. And I am a trans woman.
S'mores are my favorite dessert. But I will always choose salty over sweet. I
broke my nose when I was 15 during a game of kickball. My mother was my heart.
And since I lost her, it's felt like a piece of me is missing. But my father is
my spine. I'm a Gryffindor. Uh, my Patronus is a Dapple Grey Stallion. I am an
INFP. House Stark. I love Thursdays and April. And nerdy boys who think too
much. And I am proud of all that I am.”
This moved me in a way I can’t even describe. All of us who are
different have at one time or another experienced exactly what Dreamer
described, and so I’ve decided to take her up on her challenge and speak my own
truth through an adaptation of her speech for my own lived reality. Because
speaking our truths is important:
I'm a child of a divorced home. I've struggled with that in one
form or another my whole life. I've felt pangs of anger at my parents, resented
things not going as they were 'supposed to', and sensed the awkwardness as my
step mom, mom, and dad sat around the same dinner table at events like my Confirmation (since my family is Catholic). I always felt as though I was being torn between two worlds...and you couldn't cut the tension with a
knife! But growing up was difficult for me on an additional level too - I am
also an Aspie. A person with Asperger's Disorder. A spectrum dweller.
Autistic...with probable (though unofficial) ADHD. I'm different...but so is
everybody. When did that become such a bad thing? After all, the greatest, most
wonderful gift any of us can give each other is that of our true, authentic
selves. Our truths - unfiltered, unsanitized, uncompromising. So here I am - a
kid from a divorced family, an Aspie, an ADD-er. Human. Pizza is one of my
favourite foods. I love science fiction in general and Star Trek in particular.
I'm an all around nerd and an introvert, but I love being around my chosen friend family...if only for
defined periods. When I was 14, I almost got suspended from school for standing
up for myself against my bully, and later when I was in Grade 12, I led our
school newspaper on strike for freedom of the press after we got censored by
the principal. My Nona Olga and Aunt Judy were two of the dearest women to me
in life, and I strive to live according to the values of honesty, compassion,
tolerance, and love that they taught me. I'm an optimist. A lover, not a
fighter...though I can certainly be fierce and outspoken when I need to be. My
step mom and birth mother are the ones who instilled in me that sense of
resilience and courage though, and my gentle, wonderful father taught me how to
be a good man. I'm a Gryffindor at heart, and if I were to be any animal, it would
be a Golden Retriever, because while I love cats, I identify with dogs. I am an
INFP. Vulcan follower of the V'Tosh Katur path. Jedi Knight. I live for lazy
rainy Saturday mornings, and I'm a big fan of nerdy girls with glasses. And
most importantly? I am proud of all that I am. I wouldn't be me without any of
it.
We all need to speak our truths and be true to them. Otherwise,
the world will never change for the better.
Thank you, Dreamer, for inspiring me to continue speaking mine.
Happy Pride everyone!
Yours in diversity,
Adam Michael
