GA Exclusive: An Interview with Meghan Chavalier

I recently had the distinct honor and pleasure of interviewing Meghan Chavalier, founder of Stopping The Hate, an organization dedicated to putting an end to hate crimes against those in the LGBT community.

Stopping The Hate is also a place where the LGBT Community can stay up to date on the news, events, and other happenings in the United States and around the world pertaining to our community.

The LGBT Community was built on a foundation of love and respect for one another and they celebrate that.

They are a new organization, but are hoping to gain your support so they can grow and be able to provide more outreach programs for the LGBT community.

Below is my interview with Meghan.

Please tell me about stoppingthehate.com. I was always one of those people who asked themselves, I’m only one person what can I do?  Well, I was on my computer one night and was reading various LGBT news stories when I came across the story of Angie Zapata who was murdered in Colorado for being transgender.  At first I was saddened, and then I got angry.  It was at this moment when I decided I had to do something and this is where Stopping The Hate began.

What do you consider to be stoppingthehate’s best attribute? I think right now, it’s the columnists and the weekly columns on the website.  It’s a chance to get different points of view from many different people.  I think it’s important that everyone can see the differences in all of us, but when you put it all together, we become one and that’s what we’re trying to do here.

What are your goals for the future? I hope that Stopping The Hate will bring hate crimes to the forefront and that they won’t just be a passing news story any longer.  I want people to take a step back and realize that if we join together we can change the world one person at a time.

What are your personal aspirations and what are your aspirations for the world? I used to think my only goal in life was keeping Meghan Chavalier the entertainer alive and in people’s minds, I guess on some level when you’re in the entertainment industry you just don’t want to be forgotten.  There’s a level of vanity in the industry and sometimes you buy into your own hype, and it’s not unusual that it can happen, but now my goal is to wake people up from their slumber and start to realize that things aren’t going to change unless we get off our butts and do something about it.  I personally am on a mission to make sure that people know exactly what’s happening to our community and that we won’t allow it to go on any longer.

What do you consider to be the greatest issue facing the LGBT community today? There are so many issues facing our community, but Hate Crimes are rampant and nothing is being done about it. I think it’s really easy for our government to pass a law and say, “There, aren’t we great, look what we did for you,” but honestly have they done anything at all except pat themselves on the back?

What do you consider to be the greatest issue facing the transgender community today? When I first transitioned it was a different time and place. It was the early 90’s and things were really difficult for transgender men and women.  Today, I think people know about transgender individuals but they need to understand that we aren’t what they see on Jerry Springer.  We are intelligent, educated, businessmen and women, trusting, caring, loving people.  We are portrayed as freaks to the public on shows like Jerry Springer and when people see these types of shows, they think it’s okay to laugh at us and heckle us in public.  We need to change the attitudes that are out there because it won’t stop until we do.

What would you consider to be the best way to combat prejudice against LGBT citizens? I think the best thing we can do as a community is to band together and let the world know that we’re not second class citizens, that we are human beings and that we deserve the same rights and civil justices as anyone else.  The only reason people think being gay is wrong, is because our society has conditioned us to believe it is.   A change is needed, and we have to start somewhere.  We have made so many strides a community but we have to learn to grow together to change the world around us.

Please share any encounters with discrimination you have personally endured. I’ve had many in my lifetime.  I worked on Bourbon Street in New Orleans for years and it was a transsexual nightclub so we would always get laughed at and called names on the streets.  I’ve been beaten up a few times, but I always got back up.  Many people don’t get back up, they stay down for good.  I am a person who believes that you can do whatever you want to in your lifetime and if someone tries to put a wall up, you have to take it down brick by brick and get through to the other side.  Because you are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender does not mean you shouldn’t be afforded all of life’s possibilities because someone else doesn’t understand you. I also think it’s very important for people to understand this isn’t just a lifestyle, this is our life.

What, if any, would you consider to be the greatest disconnect within the LGBT community? I think it’s the same with every community, you hear about something horrible, and then you thank God it didn’t happen to you and move on with your life, but what if in that one moment you stopped and actually decided to do something about it.  Imagine the possibilities.

Do you have any thought on how race plays a role in the LGBT community? I think this is one area where the LGBT community has the upper hand on the heterosexual community.  We have always welcomed everyone, from every walk of life, no matter what race they are.  There aren’t really color lines in our community. We are a melting pot of everyone.  It’s a wonderful thing really.

What do you hold closest to your heart? My family, my friends, my domestic partner of almost 8 years.  I think loving and knowing that you’re loved is very important.  I believe love can conquer the world and I hope it does one day.

How long have your been transgender? I’ve been transgender my whole life, but didn’t transition until I was almost 20.  I guess I’ll be celebrating 20 years next year, around my 40th birthday.  I am so grateful I was able to become who I am today and not regret one moment.

What changes have you seen (positive and/or negative) in the transgender community in the past decade, and what do you consider to be the catalyst for those changes? I think the positive changes are that we’re seeing younger transgender men and women coming out.  When I was young, I can’t even imagine what could have happened to me had I tried to transition in the 1980’s.  It’s a positive step to see that younger people feel that they are able to do it instead of waiting like many of us had to.  I think that quite a few things need to change in our community to overcome some of these obstacles and it’s getting all of the transgender men and women to join together to work as a group.  I think that the silly fights need to stop. It’s not high school anymore it’s real life and when people begin to realize this, it will change.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? I can’t imagine that I’ll be 50 years old in 10 years I know that’s one place I didn’t think I’d ever see myself being but now I welcome getting older because I feel so much wiser than I did in my 20’s. I hope that the Stopping The Hate organization has become a global effort  in 10 years and that we’ve really made some real changes.  I hope that laws are passed and our community is given the same marriage rights as heterosexuals and they aren’t appealed every time it happens.  I just hope that 10 years from now I can look back and say I did something that changed the world in some small way for the better and didn’t back down from the fight even when it seemed like the battle was lost.

If you could deliver one message to the entire world, what would it be? Learn to love yourself and love your fellow man or woman.  You’re only given a short time on this Earth, so why spend it hating someone?  Change your life and you can change the world.

Do you have any closing statements? I just want to thank you so much for doing this interview with me.  We have made a point here today that two people can come together, discuss, and work together.  Now, let’s get everyone else to do the same.

I would like to offer GayAgenda’s most sincere thanks to Meghan for taking the time to speak with us.  Remember, take the time to get to know others.  When you learn from others, it’s the best possible education you can receive.

If you have any comments, ideas or suggestion for Stopping The Hate, or if you’re interested in volunteering and doing the ground work in the state you live in to provide necessary updates, news and ideas you can contact the organization by visiting the website by clicking here, or emailing  stoppingthehate.com.