Ryan Scout_FTM
Since he began he has been committed to education surrounding medical, legal and social issues related to the transgender community. This blog serves as a guide and resource for individuals seeking guidance in the transgender community or for friends, family, lovers and partners who are eager to learn more about how a transition may impact the individual's life and those around them.
He has maintained a transition website since 2005 with the goal of helping others through his story and experiences. People can visit his site at: http://www.ryansallans.com
http://www.secondsonmemoir.com
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Cat nurses her kitten…and 4 orphaned hedgehogs, too
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President Barack Obama openly weeping as he talks to his campaign volunteers [x]
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I live in this flannel.
Read my most recent article in AccessLine Iowa!
Open publication - Free publishing - More bisexual
For those of you that follow the It Gets Better Campaign, they are airing part 2 of their series on MTV and LOGO tonight at 11 pm EST.
To find more information about the health disparities and discrimination that affect trans-identified individuals in the U.S. visit the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2011 report by clicking here.
I am so sad to read about the loss of such a great leader and inspiration within the trans community. I think losing Kyle is a reminder to all individuals choosing a leadership role that it is important to take care of yourself, and also, even when it feels like you are alone, you are not.
From the article on Kyle’s suicide:
Author S. Bear Bergman reminded the Torontoist that community leaders like Scanlan sometimes face special challenges in seeking help: “I worry that Kyle, a guy who was such a helper-of-all, may ultimately have found himself, in a brutal moment, feeling like there was no one he could turn to because in all his relationships, the current of help moved from him to others. Queer and trans people often end up working directly with our communities and, even in a big city, LGBT2Qville can be a pretty small town. When you add in over a dozen years of community work and experience, as Kyle gave, who is left for him to reach out to?”
Thank you for all you did, Kyle.
-Ryan
Another news story covering the Sioux City Pride event, being transgender and bullying! If you can’t see the video, click here for the video and article.
“I couldn’t make it….” being someone that has survived suicide attempts and sometimes still battle with depression, I can relate to Brandon. To get through, I’ve found it’s important to first think about the things I truly love, like hiking, my pets, traveling, and putting myself there. It helps ease some of sadness and feelings of lost hope that are felt so deeply when one is ready to give up. The next thing I do is talk to someone I feel loves me and that I love. I hate to see yet another teen gone. If you are a parent, a sibling, a partner or a friend to someone that you know is struggling, please let them know that you are here for them.
-Ryan
Yesterday Lincoln, Nebraska’s city council voted 5 - 0 in favor of adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the city’s nondiscrimination policy. Today the Nebraska Family Council has announced they will be heavily working the churches to get 2500 signatures that would force the ordinance on the November’s ballot. I’m so pissed off right now.
When will we quit letting the bullies in this country ruin the lives of the majority?
It is because of the bullies that we need ordinances for protection.
It is because of the bullies that our percentages of suicides both attempts and completions are increasing.
It is because of the bullies that we feel like we’ve lost our voices and can only express our feelings through self-injury.
We need a ballot initiative that will end this bullshit from a group that uses their own twisted non-realities to rule the decisions of others.
Although I am proud of the work behind the #ItGetsBetter Campaign. I feel it is time that we move to the next campaign for those that feel they are giving up on waiting for things to get better. So I’d like to start encouraging people to do video diaries for my campaign, “Life is Hard, but It’s My Life”. Having survived two suicide attempts in life, I know now that I would have missed out on getting to finally just know me. We need to start empowering ourselves and stripping it away from the things that hurt us.
Sadly, #EricJames committed suicide this week. As a person who has attempted suicide in the past, I plan to make a video to talk about depression and bullying this weekend. Each day I read about another suicide, I feel myself becoming heavier. When will society offer us all the love that we need to survive?
Life isn’t meant to be easy. It is full of challenges that sometimes make us feel like they are impossible to overcome, but when we do, it makes us stronger and more affirmed in who we are. I drew the above picture when I felt like I was on my last rung in life, I was twenty-two at the time. Over the past 32 years I have overcome two suicide attempts and a lifetime of suicidal thoughts. I keep going now because life is meant to be lived. For those of you struggling, reach out to someone close to you. For those of you that feel like you have no one, sometimes when we are at our lowest we isolate from all support. Take a chance, reach out, and keep going. We all have something to offer in this life, even when we feel like no one will ever notice or love us back. If we can find the love for ourselves, then other relationships will follow.
