I swore many times I would do my best not to allow others to go through what I did being alone.
Jaimee Faucette knows what it means to be different. She also knows the importance of standing out in a crowd when civil liberties are on the line.
A transgender pre-op female, Faucette is an active member of the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition, a group which advocates for the equality of the transgender community.
"I'm as politically active as I possibly can be," she said.
She contributes time to the National Center for Transgender Equality, the Victory Fund and the Davidson County Democratic Women's Caucus. Her involvement in such organizations has steadily increased as Faucette has grown to understand and appreciate her unique situation in recent years.
"I am more open now over the last three years than ever before," Faucette said. "I am determined to help educate and inform the public about transgender people and to also get more of us, or people who are friendly toward us, to political office."
Faucette, who has worked for nine years as a server at Calhoun's Restaurant, eagerly participates in Advancing Equality on the Hill, an annual event organized by the Tennessee Equality Project which encourages citizens to meet with their legislators to discuss issues of personal importance.
Faucette sees it as an opportunity to put a human face on transgender issues for legislators to consider. Ever the champion for equality, Faucette attends Holy Trinity Community Church in Nashville and hopes to change negative perceptions of GLBT people within the spiritual community, as well.
"As a Christian, I need to help stop the hatred from bigoted people who think we are going against God's will and that we GLBT people have a chosen life style," she said.
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