I know that in terms of suffering, I have faced very little compared to what many go through. Misgendering and disrespect are nothing compared to those who have spent their lives hiding who they are with punishment greater than anything I could imagine if those around them found out. It's common knowledge that transgender individuals face large amounts of discrimination in many aspects of their lives and I am no exception. I have been harassed by peers, strangers, even my own brother; I think I differ however in my thoughts towards my harassers. When I am called a crude name, or a comment is made linking my gender to my autism or romantic preference, I cannot help but feel sympathetic. How sad is it, someone lashing out with hatred, simply because they don't understand, because they are too ignorant or misinformed to live with love in their hearts. How a person with access to the world's knowledge in their pocket lives without thoughts of empathy is beyond me, but that is why I am so dedicated to my writing. Without empathy, without a better understanding of the world, people will always hate the things they view as different. People have always viewed me as different. I can't think like them, I can't love like them, I can't act like them. But I cannot say I have ever wanted to be like them. Why should my thoughts be bound by what I am told? Why should love be expressed only by carnal acts? Why should I speak, look, even walk in what is deemed the traditional way? People are upset when the world presents them with a topic they struggle to think about. I feel it is my job in creating stories to present difficult ideas, things the average person hasn't thought about, doesn't want to think about. People often have trouble understanding more nuanced, complex ideas, stories give them the chance to consider them without yet forming an opinion on the real situation that the story may be based on. One particular idea I enjoy tinkering with is that no person or group is entirely good or bad, they are all human at the end of the day, they deserve to be treated like people. Even someone you believe can do no wrong should be judged for their actions as if they are a person. Even a group you believe is irredeemable does not deserve to be denied their human rights. There is an understanding I have lived with most of my life that I am privileged to be able to write. Many people are killed for writing, many don't have pencils or paper. It is not just my pleasure but my duty to write for a better world, a smarter world, a more understanding world. In the words of poet Marwan Makhoul, "In order for me to write poetry that isn’t political, I must listen to the birds, and in order to hear the birds, the warplanes must be silent." I cannot possibly write for anything but a greater understanding of the world if there are so many people in the world who don't understand. People who don't know how to understand, so instead they hurt others for their gender, their sexuality, their race, their body, their religion, or just for being alive. I will live as myself every day that I'm alive, and I will write until they kill me.