we evolved because it’s what we can do
it’s what we should do
Today Tomorrow forever
my name is Samuel Bernstein I’m 15 years
old and I am transgender when I was
younger I was told I was a girl I
accepted it because I didn’t think I was
allowed to be anything else but then my
body started to change I could tell you
I was hitting puberty but it felt like
puberty was hitting me they told me I
was becoming a woman I accepted it
because I didn’t think I was allowed to
be anything else but I was no longer
myself I became irritable and pushed
away my friends I began having panic
attacks in hidden school bathrooms for
hours at a time I no longer knew what
happy felt like by the time I was 13 I
was carving my pain into my own skin and
I didn’t want to be alive anymore I was
miserable but I didn’t know why one day
I sat in a psychiatrist’s office as he
asked me to define my own gender I told
him I was a girl because I didn’t think
I was allowed to be anything else but
that night I was still stuck on the
question I went online and started
exploring and came across the word
transgender I’d never heard it before
transgender someone who identifies with
a gender other than the one assigned at
Birth immediately I knew exactly who I
was that same night I told my mom I
wasn’t a girl and instantly I felt a
fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years my
entire personality started to change as
I began to express who I truly was
I was happy again I’m not telling you
all my very very personal story today so
that you will feel bad for me I am
telling my story because I have to for
many people transgender is a scary word
most people don’t know what it really
means and even if they do they’re very
uncomfortable talking about it so that’s
why I’m here today to prove that like
everybody else here I’m just a person
whose identity deserves recognition
and respect because while you may be
scared of me you do not realize that I
am scared of you too when I began to
express who I really was I thought the
hard part was over I thought that I
discovered myself and all my struggles
would just magically go away because I
could live as my true gender but I was
so wrong
I am scared I am scared of not being
accepted I am scared of being harassed
in public bathrooms I am scared of
doctors not knowing how to treat me I am
scared of growing up and facing
workplace discrimination I am scared
that in this world my legal rights could
literally be ripped away from me at any
moment I am scared that some people may
never see me as a real man I am scared
not only for myself but for every single
transgender person living in this world
especially transgender women non-binary
transgender people disabled trans people
trans people of color and queer trans
people who will face so much more
discrimination and ignorance and hate in
this world than I a straight white
transgender male will ever have to even
so I am scared we are scared but we
shouldn’t have to be transgender should
not be a scary word no identity should
ever be scary or weird or shameful we as
people need to come together we need to
celebrate diversity but in doing so we
need to focus less on what makes us
different and focus more on what makes
us the same because under all of the
beautiful layers of what makes us who we
are is just a person who wants to be
loved and accepted as themselves this is
a hard world to live in
not just for me not just for transgender
people but for everybody we all have
good days and bad days
we all have conflicts and pains we all
struggle but most importantly we are all
trying to persevere so I ask all of you
what is the point of using our energy to
hate on each other when we could be
using it to help and support each other
if your answer like mine is I don’t know
then I urge you to consider what you can
do to make a difference let people tell
their stories listen let people share
their needs respect them encourage
people to live their happiest lives and
please most importantly just treat
people the way you want to be treated
thank you
[Applause]
it’s what we should do
Today Tomorrow forever
my name is Samuel Bernstein I’m 15 years
old and I am transgender when I was
younger I was told I was a girl I
accepted it because I didn’t think I was
allowed to be anything else but then my
body started to change I could tell you
I was hitting puberty but it felt like
puberty was hitting me they told me I
was becoming a woman I accepted it
because I didn’t think I was allowed to
be anything else but I was no longer
myself I became irritable and pushed
away my friends I began having panic
attacks in hidden school bathrooms for
hours at a time I no longer knew what
happy felt like by the time I was 13 I
was carving my pain into my own skin and
I didn’t want to be alive anymore I was
miserable but I didn’t know why one day
I sat in a psychiatrist’s office as he
asked me to define my own gender I told
him I was a girl because I didn’t think
I was allowed to be anything else but
that night I was still stuck on the
question I went online and started
exploring and came across the word
transgender I’d never heard it before
transgender someone who identifies with
a gender other than the one assigned at
Birth immediately I knew exactly who I
was that same night I told my mom I
wasn’t a girl and instantly I felt a
fulfillment I hadn’t felt in years my
entire personality started to change as
I began to express who I truly was
I was happy again I’m not telling you
all my very very personal story today so
that you will feel bad for me I am
telling my story because I have to for
many people transgender is a scary word
most people don’t know what it really
means and even if they do they’re very
uncomfortable talking about it so that’s
why I’m here today to prove that like
everybody else here I’m just a person
whose identity deserves recognition
and respect because while you may be
scared of me you do not realize that I
am scared of you too when I began to
express who I really was I thought the
hard part was over I thought that I
discovered myself and all my struggles
would just magically go away because I
could live as my true gender but I was
so wrong
I am scared I am scared of not being
accepted I am scared of being harassed
in public bathrooms I am scared of
doctors not knowing how to treat me I am
scared of growing up and facing
workplace discrimination I am scared
that in this world my legal rights could
literally be ripped away from me at any
moment I am scared that some people may
never see me as a real man I am scared
not only for myself but for every single
transgender person living in this world
especially transgender women non-binary
transgender people disabled trans people
trans people of color and queer trans
people who will face so much more
discrimination and ignorance and hate in
this world than I a straight white
transgender male will ever have to even
so I am scared we are scared but we
shouldn’t have to be transgender should
not be a scary word no identity should
ever be scary or weird or shameful we as
people need to come together we need to
celebrate diversity but in doing so we
need to focus less on what makes us
different and focus more on what makes
us the same because under all of the
beautiful layers of what makes us who we
are is just a person who wants to be
loved and accepted as themselves this is
a hard world to live in
not just for me not just for transgender
people but for everybody we all have
good days and bad days
we all have conflicts and pains we all
struggle but most importantly we are all
trying to persevere so I ask all of you
what is the point of using our energy to
hate on each other when we could be
using it to help and support each other
if your answer like mine is I don’t know
then I urge you to consider what you can
do to make a difference let people tell
their stories listen let people share
their needs respect them encourage
people to live their happiest lives and
please most importantly just treat
people the way you want to be treated
thank you
[Applause]
Please follow and like us: