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♪ Where's the humanity? ♪[br]

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♪ Humanity ♪

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♪ What do you see ♪[br]

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♪ when you look at me? ♪

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Yes, all the world is my stage,[br]

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and I am but one transgender in it.

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Not merely a man pretending,

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nor am I a full natural[br]woman player in it.

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I have exits and entrances.

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always putting on many awesome, dynamic

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and sometimes quite bold outfits.

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My act, being seven stages:

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At first, the beautiful infant

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(Laughter)

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being held in my mother's loving arms,

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being protected from all forms of harm.

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And then, the very effeminate schoolboy

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that was being called

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"sissy," "faggot," "queer."

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It was the power of the pronoun [br]that I was starting to hear.

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For that didn't stop me, you see, [br]I showed no fear.

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I had a little secret as I would walk by:

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I was wearing my mother's panties

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doing the down low drag [br]for my very first try.

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While in high school, [br]I really did try to fit in,

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but all the kids saw was the queer guy.

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I was neither cool nor fly.

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It got so heavy and I felt so lost.[br]

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My life meant nothing to me,

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and I tried to give it the old toss.

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But to the rescue yet, once again,

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my mother and my sister, Rin,

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stepped in and showed me[br]that I was loved.

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They both embraced me[br]with true and pure family love.

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And now, the street soldier.

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It was the 70s,

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and there was no word for "gay bashing,"

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just something that happened[br]to "those kind of guys."

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This gave American history[br]two more black eyes.

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Day after day was like a bad nightmare.

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Always staying on my guard.

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Do you know what it's like[br]always being scared?

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Afraid to show my true face,

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so yet I put on another mask

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to show that I was part of the norm,

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what we call the "human race."

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So, I pushed down my humanity,

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and I became oh so very hard.

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Then came prison,

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and I became the new sissy,[br]faggot, queer,

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that "thing on the yard."

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Yes, all the world is my stage,

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but this time I put on yet another mask.

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But it was only to protect my (chuckle)

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(Laughter)

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I put that mask on so very tight,

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and yeah, I got into a lot of fights.

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But I quickly got a cool reputation

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for being more than just the sissy,[br]

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the faggot, the soft guy.

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I became the girl[br]the cowards didn't want to try.

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(Laughter)

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Now comes the big 4-0,

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which is the new 30, so I'm told.

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But then reality kicks in,

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and I see the gray hair.

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And I start to think about my mortality,

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and I become scared.

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Not about where my soul is going

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because I know Jesus got my back there.

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But this is a youth-oriented society,

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with everybody looking out for self.

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No concern for the elderly[br]or the very, very old.

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I'm just stating fact, truth be told.

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Now, I haven't hit

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that sixth or seventh stage as of yet,

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but I plan on being very, very wealthy.

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(Laughter)

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On that, you all can bet.

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And having one oh-so-yummy fine male nurse

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that money can get.

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But I'm glad I stayed true to myself,

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and that this TEDx stage

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is one that I, Lady Jae, did not miss.

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Thank you.

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(Applause) (Cheers)