My mother just made plane reservations to go visit my brother in Virginia for his graduation from Graduate School. She has made it clear that I can't go, but she is more than willing to have my other brother fly there with her. I told her that I know the real reason they don't want me to come, but she tells me there is no room or I can't afford to go. I know that it wouldn't matter if I was independently wealthy, they still wouldn't want me because they don't want me to be seen. They are ashamed that I am their transsexual daughter and sister. I told them a long time ago that if they couldn't deal with the reality of who I am, that I would move as far away from them as I could and never bother them again. I refuse to be a doormat for my family any longer. I have determined that I will book my own vacation somewhere else and they can stick it somewhere where the sun don't shine. It hurts to know that you aren't wanted, but I guess that's life. My brothers are career military and one of them is pretty much a bigot in his attitudes about people like me. He once referred to transsexuals as "It" I told him that above all else, we are human beings and we deserve to be treated with respect and understanding. He refuses to allow me to attend any of my nephew's birthday parties because they are too worried about what other people think. If I ever have a place of my own and a family of my own, I will make sure that they know that intolerance of differences in other people will not be taught in my home. It has to stop if our society is to advance any further. As long as we allow zealots to dictate how other people should be treated then we will be a lost and stagnate civilization.