Vanguard Revisited - GLBT Historical Society

It wasn’t easy. Her roommates were mentally abusive, and used her as a tool for rent, and
treated her as such. She got food stamps relatively easy, but her state-run medical insurance
wasn’t as easy. It took her five months, but in the end she got it. Without missing a beat,
she ran to the nearest medical center and got the tests done so she could begin hormones.
The clinic had a special program that allowed her to skip the therapy, and proceed straight
to HRT. It was the happiest day of her life. Her roommates continues to treat her like the
lowest form of life there is, but she persevered and continued her regimen. Then, one night,
things went over the top. They freaked out on her, and told her about events of the past that
their mind had twisted to put them in the best possible light. As a natural defense, her body
shut down and became catatonic. She had no idea how long she remained in this state,
but she estimated it was about 20 to 30 minutes. When she came to, she found that she
couldn’t move. Even trying to roll over a tiny bit required an immense amount of effort and
willpower. It frightened her, but it also allowed her to come to a realization. Not only did
she realize that she needed to get out of there, she also realized that her mental capacities
weren’t quite up to the requirements needed to live on her own. Luckily, the same night she
was kicked out of that place, giving her the avenue she needed to move out.
Two days later, she boarded the fast train to the city nearby, and never looked back. She
had all the clothes she needed. The weird thing was that even though she was now homeless,
she was in a better place mentally than before. She applied for a bed at a local youth
shelter and within three weeks she had a bed there. She was currently living there as well.
I sat listening to her, comforting her when she needed it. I had already called the police,
and they were arriving just as she had finished her story. She hadn’t explained who the man
was, aside from the fact that he was outraged when he found out she was a trans girl, and
his rage was similar to that of the residents of her hometown. The police asked us a few
questions, and we answered them to the best of our ability. They were satisfied with our
statements, and hauled the man away from jail. Apparently, he was a repeat offender. Most
of his crimes were hate crimes against the LGBT community, and the police told us that
this was the final straw. He’d be taken away for a long time, and Cindi would be safe. I was
relieved as well. That day I made a new friend, and I was glad I had saved her. After all, it
never hurts to help.
We are friends to this day, and although we are still pre-op, we’ve never been happier. It’s
the greatest feeling in the world. We campaign across the country for equality with the
LGBT community (mainly the T, but still). It’s what is right, for this is a free country, and
all should be free to live as they like. One day, we visited her hometown, and shocked them
all. However, that is a story for another day.
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