Today's post may be better suited for my television posts I do on Tuesday instead of the News of the World posts I do on Monday.
But I wanted to write about this here because this transcends being just about a TV show.
On Friday, Amy Schneider marked her 28th consecutive win on “Jeopardy!” which brought her total winnings up to $1,019,600.
Which makes Schneider only the 4th person to win $1 million in regular-season play in the game show’s history, joining previous contestants who have reached that milestone, Matt Amodio, James Holzhauer and Ken Jennings.
It's not all good news for Amy who recently reported being robbed.
As she noted, it was a nerve racking experience but she is otherwise fine and received a vast outpouring support from her many “Jeopardy!” fans.
But Amy is known for more than just winning big on “Jeopardy!”
In another record breaking accomplishment, Amy Schneider became the first openly transgender contestant to qualify for the show’s “Tournament of Champions."
In a TV interview, here's what Amy Schneider had to say about here role as an transgender person: “Seeing trans people anywhere in society that you haven’t seen them before is so valuable for the kids right now that are seeing it. I’m so grateful that I am giving some nerdy little trans kid somewhere the realization that this is something that they could do, too."
I have to admit I have not always been completely comfortable with the concept that gender identity is transmutable, the idea that someone who appears male but has a perception of self as female or vice versa.
A number of my daughter's friends are transgender or gender neutral which has presented an interesting challenge to my own bias and perceptions of the world, of what constitutes gender.
I don't pretend to understand everything about this topic and my education proceeds in fits and starts as I continually struggle with correct pronoun usage.
Except with Amy Schneider.
When I see this person on TV, I don't have some ill conceived thought of "Hey, that's a dude in a dress" or some bull shit like that.
No, I see Amy Schneider and I wish her luck and hope she is going to have a great game today.
My wife Andrea seeing Amy's signature strand of pearls inspired her to ask for some pearls for Christmas. As one woman to another, Andrea liked the look.
Both Andrea and I see Amy Schneider and think of this person as a woman who is on an incredible run on “Jeopardy!” which is suppose the whole point.
Amy Schneider felt the truth of herself was her identity as a woman and had the courage to live her life accordingly.
But even as Amy Schneider has a growing fanbase as she shatters record after record on “Jeopardy!”, life for transgender people remains challenging as a number of Republican lead legislatures are queuing up various rules and laws to make life harder for transgender people.
Amy Schneider may have acceptance from a lot of “Jeopardy!” fans but for the rest of the world, that battle is far from over.
If certain conservative politicians have their way, Amy Schneider could wind up being robbed again, robbed of the freedom to live her life truthfully with dignity.
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