“I am tired of my identity, my sense of being, my soul, being called wrong, perverted, freakish.”
As a trans man born and raised in North Carolina, 26-year-old Adam Plant is one of many people finding themselves personally affected by the passing of House Bill 2.
The bill, which bans trans people from using bathrooms that do not match their birth gender, sparked an immediate response from the trans community.
The third-year Wake Forest grad student decided to post a personal response to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, listing his personal frustrations. The post has been steadily circulating online since it was published last week.
"This is what trans looks like, Gov. McCrory," Plant writes. "I am trans, I am queer, I am a lover, a writer, an actor, and a singer."
I am tired of the stares, the murmured hate, the aggression when I dare to hold another man's hand on the street.
I am tired of my racing heartbeat, the catch in my breath, the worst case scenarios I have to think of when I walk in a public bathroom.
I am tired of my state supporting hatred and bigotry.
I am tired.
But that doesn't mean I will ever stop fighting.
This is what trans looks like, Gov. McCrory. I am trans, I am queer, I am a lover, a writer, an actor, and a singer. I am a person of faith and when I was formed from the dust of the earth, the same breath of life that filled your lungs also filled mine. Do not mistake your privilege for superiority. It will not serve you forever. But for now, at the risk of sounding crude, suck it, McCrory.
I am trans, and I am not going away. Deal with it.