Yes, And: A New Manifesto for Our Truth

For too long, we have been on the defensive. We, transgender Americans and our siblings around the world, have found ourselves in a place of constant reaction, forced to argue for our own existence against a narrative that isn't ours.

Our detractors have been relentless, claiming we are "pretenders" to manhood or womanhood, that we deny the "truth" of our biology. They have successfully framed the debate as a simple, false binary: you are either your chromosomes, or you are delusional. If you were born with certain anatomy, they say, you are that and only that, forever.

And how have we often responded? We have fallen into their trap. By focusing solely on our gender identity, we have allowed them to accuse us of denying our biological reality. They see us only through the lens of genes and birth anatomy; we see ourselves through the lens of gender. They have weaponized this division, and it is time for that to end.

The time for being on the defensive is over. The time for arguing on their terms is over. The time has come to take back control of our own narrative, not by denying any part of our truth, but by claiming all of it.

I propose a new path forward. A new way of speaking our truth. It starts with two simple words: "Yes, and..."

Yes, I have XY chromosomes. And I am a woman. Yes, I have XX chromosomes. And I am a man. Yes, my biology at birth was recorded as male. And my gender, my identity, my lived reality, is female.

This "and" is the most powerful word we have, because it holds the entirety of our lives. My truth is not just in my identity; it’s in the flour on my hands as I build an Appalachian apple stack cake, a tradition of my people. It's in the familiar comfort of a Sunday breakfast of biscuits, gravy, and bacon. It’s in the quiet hum of the dryer as I fold laundry and in the profound tenderness of caregiving for my family.

These moments of simple, undeniable humanity are what our detractors want to erase. They want to reduce us to a clinical, political argument. They refuse to see the person who bakes, who loves, who nurtures.

And that is why the "and" must continue. Yes, I live this full, ordinary, beautiful life… and I will relentlessly take our truth to Ken Paxton and Pam Bondi. Yes, I find joy in my kitchen… and I will stand firm against the hateful rhetoric of Matt Walsh, Seaman Apprentice Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Jesse Watters, the Lib of TikTok, Weathervane Nancy Mace (R-SC), Will Cain, our President, The Heritage Foundation, and others who seek to legislate us out of existence. My humanity is expressed in both the quiet moments of care and the public acts of defiance. They are not separate; they fuel each other.

When they demand we explain ourselves, we must forcefully and clearly ask them to define their terms. Are they talking about:

1. Chromosomal Sex? The genetic blueprint. A scientific fact of our being, which we do not deny.

2. Anatomical Sex Expression? The physical body we are born with. Also a part of our story.

3. Gender Identity? The profound, intrinsic sense of self. The truth of who we are.

   
   

Our truth encompasses all three. By saying "Yes, and...", we refuse to be trapped. We demonstrate that our gender identity is not in spite of our biology, but is a distinct and equally valid aspect of our complete humanity.

This is not a conversation for one person to have alone. It is for our entire community. We must learn this new language together and use it to forge a unified, confident voice.

To begin this vital work, I will be hosting a community meeting via live stream in the near future. This will be a space to discuss this strategy, to share our stories, and to build a new, more powerful way to tell our collective truth.

Community Livestream: "Yes, And: Taking Back Our Narrative" Date: [Date and Time to be Announced] Platform: [Livestream to Social Media Pages]

Stay tuned for more details. For now, I ask you to consider this shift. Think about what it means to stop defending and start declaring. We are not pretenders. We are pioneers, navigating a truth more complex than our critics can comprehend. Let's start telling it. All of it.

Cassandra Williamson

Out of Mudlick Road

Hardy, Pike County, Kentucky

www.cassandra-llc.com

Weekday Programming:

Midday - noon Eastern

The Path forward - 6 PM Eastern