![A white square with black text reading, βI remember in a recent interview you spoke about your support of the trans community, because you said: "I see that transgender youngsters are the ones who are helping to take planet Earth into the galaxy because we're going to run into other life forms that our gender does not matter." Can you speak about that a bit?
I think the transgender kids are the bravest kids right now that we see; they're as brave as my generation was in breaking down segregation. They're breaking down
βI don't have the word for it right now-but it's gender prejudice, and [the idea that] somebody has decided that they can tell you who you are, what your name should be, and how you should look.β](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wh3pv4fvnxycxhglk6x4ief5/bafkreieq7oulanbcr6xlcc2erzqplov5g7n2wpsk5pnw6i2sth7q5jyrwa@jpeg)
A white square with black text reading, βI remember in a recent interview you spoke about your support of the trans community, because you said: "I see that transgender youngsters are the ones who are helping to take planet Earth into the galaxy because we're going to run into other life forms that our gender does not matter." Can you speak about that a bit? I think the transgender kids are the bravest kids right now that we see; they're as brave as my generation was in breaking down segregation. They're breaking down βI don't have the word for it right now-but it's gender prejudice, and [the idea that] somebody has decided that they can tell you who you are, what your name should be, and how you should look.β
A white square with black text reading, βAnd those youngsters are saying, "No, I can decide who I am, what my name should be." Everybody's mad at me like, You should be a girl because we've decided you're a girl. And they say, "Well, who the hell are you?" I can decide that I'm a boy. And if it makes me happy, what does it mean to you? And I can decide that my name is John. And if you don't like that my name is Geraldine, why can't you name yourself? And if the people who know you and love youβ or have to talk to you, maybe they don't even love you but they have to talk to you-you can tell them, "This is my name, and I would like to be referred to in that way."
![A white square with black text reading, βBut when we go into the galaxy, a life-form may say,
"Who are you?" Well, there's no point in talking to another life-form and [saying] "I'm a boy or a girl," because it may have no meaning. That may mean nothing to them. So what you're going to say is, "I am a life form from the third planet, from the yellow sun," therefore giving yourself an identity. You don't have an identity because you say, "I'm a boy, I'm a girl, I'm a Jew or Gentile, I'm a Catholic or Baptist." That doesn't mean anything once you get beyond the prejudices of Earth.
So yeah, I think the transgender students are really brave because they're taking a lot of flack for just wanting to be themselves and to have the right to have their own name. I think that's incredibly brave, and I
think that they're absolutely right to want to do that.
To want to own themselves.β](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wh3pv4fvnxycxhglk6x4ief5/bafkreifkk2cersgiekwhqwonhhn62py7ddayi4rlmtxtwxth3eagmqkfri@jpeg)
A white square with black text reading, βBut when we go into the galaxy, a life-form may say, "Who are you?" Well, there's no point in talking to another life-form and [saying] "I'm a boy or a girl," because it may have no meaning. That may mean nothing to them. So what you're going to say is, "I am a life form from the third planet, from the yellow sun," therefore giving yourself an identity. You don't have an identity because you say, "I'm a boy, I'm a girl, I'm a Jew or Gentile, I'm a Catholic or Baptist." That doesn't mean anything once you get beyond the prejudices of Earth. So yeah, I think the transgender students are really brave because they're taking a lot of flack for just wanting to be themselves and to have the right to have their own name. I think that's incredibly brave, and I think that they're absolutely right to want to do that. To want to own themselves.β
Nikki Giovanni staunchly supported trans folks, especially trans youth. Her encouragement is a balm.
βI think the transgender kids are the bravest kids right now that we see; they're as brave as my generation was in breaking down segregation.β
