Dr. Hirschfeld tells Bertie, “Transvestites are the canaries of the world.” (p. 190) What do you suppose he meant? Do you agree that this was true then? How about now?
I love this quote. It perfectly describes how transvestites, homosexuals and sexual others are the first to be targeted especially in a fascist regime. They serve as a cautionary tale for everyone else. We can see this under the United States administration right now.
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They are the people it is okay to laugh at, disrespect and even beat up. Trans people are the ones to be discriminated against for how they feel sexually/gender wise. If they can be discriminated against then it is okay to discriminate against Blacks, or HIspanics or immigrants, or Catholics or on… and on… until it is ME who is discriminated against. I am reminded of the saying" They came for the Jews, but I wasn’t Jewish so I said nothing. They came for the Blacks, but I wasn’t Black so I said nothing. They came for the disabled, but I wasn’t disabled, so I said nothing. WHEN THEY CAME FOR ME, THERE WAS NO ON LEFT TO SPEAK FOR ME.
Very true today and very scary.
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I do appreciate the sentiment of the quote. I do feel that a country is only as strong as the protections and rights of the most vulnerable.
Dee said it beautifully, we should be judged on how we treat the most vulnerable among us.
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Everyone said this so well! Becky hit the nail on the head when she said that discriminating against thoes LGBTQ+ people allows others to discriminate others groups that somehow offend them. This behavior gives those who hide in dark corners permission to come out and do their worst.
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I love your answer…I think it is exactly what the quote " transvestites are the canaries of the world" means.
Becky is correct and she stated it very well. A group to be ridiculed and yes it is happening today because of how far this administration is pushing issues and castrating groups repeatedly!
Those who have not studied history often don’t realize that Hitler didn’t begin his reign of terror with his attempt to eradicate the Jewish population. On the contrary, he began with the most vulnerable and least powerful members of society. He started off by getting rid of what he deemed the “useless eaters” – persons with disabilities, the elderly, et al. – and moved on to those considered undesirable or perverted, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, political dissenters, the media, et al. So the analogy to the canary in the coal mine was spot-on. The most vulnerable in a society are the ones to feel the impact of social injustice first because they are targeted. And as so many here have observed, YES, it is precisely what is happening in the U.S. right now.