Did self-professed “transracial” woman Rachel Dolezal hijack the conversation about transgender people in the United States, as some claim. Has she hurt the growing acceptance of transgender people in that country?
I offer my opinion in a blog post at LGBT Perspectives.
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
Haven’t you ever felt so strongly about something that you adopt the identity of the object? (Ever see a Star Trek convention full of people who really believe they are part of Star Fleet?)
I agree that she misappropriated the trans label, but she did not seek the spotlight. She did not want to be pushed into using any labels. From what I’ve read she was doing good in her position. She was a leader and the NAACP benefited from her leadership and enthusiasm.
WHAT HARM did she do by adopting the identity of a black female?
She did not set out to deceive. She did not set out to be a martyr. She simply wanted to improve the lives of black people, and adopting the identity of a black woman was harmful, how?
It was her racist parents who outed her. They couldn’t stand that she was succeeding as a black women. She was a leader in a black association. She was happy as a black woman. But she committed the sin of actually being white.
Before you condemn her for feeling so strongly with the black community that she would say she was black, just remember how many who had never drawn as much as a stick figure identified with and assumed the mantle of “I am Charlie Hebdo”.
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Very good points, Steve!
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