Reading Rainbow

Reading Rainbows- Debra Davis I found the presentation by Debra Davis to be very inspiring and educational. First and for most I was very glad I attended her presentation on transgender individuals including herself. It was a great experience. Debra Davis was a transgender high school librarian who, in 1998, transitioned from male to female in her current position as the schools librarian. She was able to go through the shock of the town and school, parents and students. She made it through and even though there were some negative people most were supportive, which she says was very fortunate for her because most transgender people lost their jobs with in two years. She commented on how fortunate she also was that Minnesota was the first state to have the Human Rights Act of 1993 were it offered transgender as a orientation. Therefore even if the school board wanted to relieve her of her position she couldn’t base on being a transgender person. I was proud when I heard this act was in place by Minnesota, it means that we are able to accept those even though they are different. Debra was very open in her experiences as a closeted woman who was trapped in a man’s body. She was able to tell us with humorous some of the things that went on in her life that wasn’t so funny. She told us about how she would purge during difficult times in her life, were she would throw away life’s belongs to be like others, getting rid of the things she had as a women like clothes shoes and jewelry. Debra Davis’s presentation was an inspiring event to attend and she left us with some final thoughts of how to be a better person no matter straight, lesbian, gay, transgender or any other you are.