It is an open secret that transgender people are in Second Life active, actually it isn't a secret any longer and they give strong life signals and show their rainbow flag with pride. They are accepted members of the community. The Second Life society is in this particular area way more advanced then the so called Real Life (RL), probably because most users realize that the avatar is just an expression of form of mind and soul and that the personality finally counts. So it was quite easy for me to get in contact with a transgender person and ask him about his views and experiences.

Ox Xeno is the Director of Transmasculine Initiatives at the Gender Outreach Center in Second Life, and the President of Alabama Gender Alliance in Real Life.

Kiko Hunniton: How is the experience to be transgender in Real Life?
Ox Xeno: Real Life as a Transgender Person has its Challenges. Our Medical costs are rarely cover by Insurance and we are subjected to a closed-mind public, Job discrimination and hate violence. All this hate caused 160 victims in 2009 alone with an unknown number of not reported crimes. In my real life, i recently hosted an Intersex member of the support for 6 months in a safe house, after haters drove her from her home under serious threat.

How does Second Life help Transgender people?:
Here at the Second Life Hate Crimes and Suicide Memorial, we observe the International Transgender Day of Remembrance each 20 th of November. This brings ITDOR to people from around the world who can not access a local Memorial. We also hold support groups here at the Gender Outreach Center.

Second Life provides a low cost Outlet to interact socially as one's true self. If you are not sure what your transitional goals are in RL, you can use the SL modeler to find your desired look, it is possible to play with outfits and looks at an affordable price. My avatar is an idealized version of my RL, I can interact as male without anybody knowing or any prejudgment. Nobody can discriminate me with much effect and when the hater is easily banned. It helps also a lot to gain confidence and break up the learned role models, the ladies can have all the pretty dresses and shoes they want, and it costs almost nothing, and it takes no space to store that wardrobe.

The quest for the upmost basical right, just be a human in the way you are, has still some mountains ahead and they might look sometimes too big to challenge. But still, day for day the Transgender community climbs step by step in support for each other. May they find the deserved peace.

in Second Life provide the following groups among others support for Transgender issues:
the Gender Outreach Center,
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four%20Bridges%20North/108/190/24

the Transgender Hate Crime Memorial
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four%20Bridges%20North/108/190/24

Second Pride
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Four%20Bridges%20North/108/190/24

Project Homepage
http://www.transgenderdor.org/

Kiko Hunniton from Second Life for iReport CNN