Me! An Apologist?
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
A respected friend labeled me an apologist for criticizing negative behavior within the transgender/transsexual community on my last live show on Friday, July 11th, 2025. She means well when she says that we "should NEVER call out our transgender/transsexual siblings." I think she meant that I come across as apologizing for the bad behavior of some, a very small number, in our community: I don't apologize for it, but I will and do call it out. Let's discuss this. An apologist is not what you think.
So, what is an apologist?
a·pol·o·gist
(ə-pŏl′ə-jĭst)
n. A person who defends or justifies something, such as a doctrine, policy, or institution.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
In the 2nd century AD, Christian apologists wrote about Jesus and the Christians of their time, creating what became known as the Apologia. They aimed to define Christianity, often glossing over theological issues. These problems existed, which is why Christian apologists felt the need to write.
Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America (CSA), wrote after the Civil War in defense of the South's stance on originalism and state independence. He tried to shift the narrative of the Civil War from being about slavery to one about the 'Lost Cause' and states' rights, ignoring his own speeches and the CSA constitution. He is seen as an apologist for the 'Lost Cause,' attempting to portray slavery as beneficial for the slaves.
An apologist defends something: Christian apologists crafted defenses of Christianity with their own narratives. Davis was a 'Lost Cause' apologist who tried to change the Civil War's narrative from its true cause, slavery, to states' rights and lost heritage.
While I defend the rights, existence, freedom, and liberty of transgender, transsexual, non-binary Americans, and all minorities, I acknowledge and call out the issues we create ourselves. I also address problems imposed by those denying us basic human rights.
I can and do offer a rational and passionate defense of our humanity, our rights to live freely, respectfully, and decently, to serve our nation, to thrive, and to live peacefully in society.
While I defend us, the only narrative I aim to change is the one where we isolate ourselves, echo each other's views, build cases on self-created foundations, and gatekeep who enters our echo chambers and what they bring, regardless of agreement.
This internal isolation from other viewpoints weakens any team, group, people, or institution. If every paper, position, or stance on issues, science, or ideologies ignores opposing views, shutting them out entirely, new 'knowledge' lacks broader applicability.
So, how do we affect change among ourselves and amongst our fellow Americans: by being very deliberate and calculating about designing teams, research collaborations, positions, guidelines, and rules for legal recognition, access, healthcare, and so forth using an adversarial collaboration approach.
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