Post # 10

From Queer Street, There’s a reality that people in the job market will have a bias toward hiring a person if there apart of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community. Many people in Sylvia’s homeless shelter have allowed themselves to be agitated by this societal victimization. When reflecting on a conversation with Kristen (a transsexual who feels she has to hoe the New York streets at night), Loubrel jumps between denying and accepting this norm. “This is what transsexuals choose to do,” as if she was accepting there were other choices. “Now I see this is what we have to do,” as if she’s allowing herself to become victimized by society and follow this norm: to be transsexual you have to hoe around the New York City streets at night.

            One of the rare views that’s give is from Isyss. She describes how she will “look for a job.” Then thinking about all the individuals that take the drugs, that prostitute, that “abuse the system” of the homeless shelter she says, “I could have easily got into the habit of hanging out all day.” Isyss is aware of all the beaten down souls, but she still chooses to not let it get to her.

            I leave this video with this in mind; it also seemed to be the question Kate, the director of Sylvia’s Homeless shelter, was constantly struggling with. At what point does one question the society for oppressing the LGBT community and at what point does one question certain individuals in the LGBT community?