Nature's Rainbow
Mans' attempts at conformity aim to decouple color from human living. - March 31, 2026 -
Nature, that marvel, provides constant reminders of the creative, adaptive and patient force it can be. Fierce colors continue to bend across an Ohio sky where many eyes wish for uniformity. In today’s world of anti-trans legislation, man seems intent on squashing the inimitable rainbows of life. This early spring’s changeling weather reminds me always, that whatever man asserts, nature has a greater say.
On this International day of Trans Visibility, I am recycling content from a couple of my previous posts into this piece to honor trans individuals who have found the courage to live authentically and for those who must remain hidden for fear of retribution. This piece aims to expand awareness and provide perspective.
I am the proud parent of a grown and creative, intellectual contributor to society and much beloved individual who, by being true to themselves, is labeled as trans. And because of those labels and a propagated and politically motivated fear, I have deep concerns over the violent targeting and hatred being directed at them and other trans individuals.
It is difficult to live in this world. Many of us go about making ourselves comfortable by establishing practices and procedures that help us appear more in line with our thoughts of self; we color our hair and add extensions, we get dental work and plastic surgery to lift, increase and decrease our anatomy and wear enhancing garments while adding color to our hair and nails. We dress ourselves across a spectrum of feminine to masculine styles, and take medications that increase our libido and sexual abilities and take pills that alter our chemistry for mental wellness through menopause and into other phases of life. These alterations are the right of each individual who chooses to seek and afford them, and often support through family or medical practice is sought. Our citizenry are either so unaware, entitled, hypocritical or cruel that they deny others what they themselves enjoy, they casually strip the rights from their fellow citizens. Perhaps we should also label anyone who uses the above means by seeking to separate themselves from what nature gave them.
Every day, I must witness friends and family alike deny my law abiding child their Constitutional rights, placing that life I love and their safety under direct threat. It is difficult not to question how these people and so many others can ignore or absolve their own narrow-minded views around a human being’s right to exist. It is difficult to see religion used to enable selective hatred and vitriol. Haven’t we learned from our history? It is an abdication of morality to ask society to further marginalize an already vulnerable group.
The thing is, nature doesn’t deny differences or transformations. The natural world is rife with colorful adaptations across five climatic zones, three life domains and five kingdoms of species, each containing uniquely vibrant proliferations and evolutions. Humans and animals, even insects and sea creatures, fall under the Animalia kingdom, as multicellular organisms ingesting nutrients in order to thrive.
Yet nature hasn’t seen fit to stop at survival, inducing awe and pleasure across the globe and animal kingdom. Through study we know that dogs have feelings, lionesses can appear male, frogs change their gender, male penquins co-parent, and that bears can appreciate beauty. Male seahorses birth offspring, and there are many examples of cross dressing, mimicry, trans behavior (hyenas, hummingbirds and cuttlefish) and intersex mammals and animals.
Disguise and adaptation are common in the wild among many species, such as the marsh harrier, octopus, opossum and human for instance, as is the transition and enhancement of appearance and gender to increase mating opportunity and chance of livelihood through physical alteration, plumage or adornment, show of force or camouflage. Clownfish, butterflies and slugs can all change gender or have the ability to become either gender. Gynandromorph Cardinals appear half male and half female and when studied, though they do not vocalize or mate, are not mistreated by fellow Cardinals. Compared to birds we seem inept at a base level of humanity.
What truths are spoken in nature are becoming unspeakable for conservatives, despite their own arrivals and proliferation through the bodily act of sex. Discomforted parents are now petitioning to ban art that displays the human form, despite the natural state of nudity that comes with being born and living as a human. The wild kingdom of which we are a part, includes open and unapologetic coupling for reproduction and because it is natural for us animals to enjoy mating for pleasure.
Why shame, deny and repress what comes so naturally? Who stands to benefit? More importantly, by keeping responsible information from children, who does it hurt? Of all the bodily functions associated with the human reproductive systems such as puberty, menstruation, masturbation, sperm production and ejaculation, intercourse, ovulation, pregnancy, vaginal births, stillbirths, and breastfeeding, it is only women who are criminalized for their natural processes.
Yet, in America, these once taboo topics of sex and gender have become battlegrounds, scapegoats and placeholders for our fears and religious or political agendas. And with the onslaught of book bans, future generations are not better armed by being prevented access to knowledge. Children haven’t turned into Hungry Caterpillars or Princes by reading literature, they won’t turn queer or trans by reading stories about it.
Across human history, gender has not been simplistic, as recent discoveries from the Iron Age imply. From the earliest days of recorded history, cultures understood gender to be more flexible than our current binary solution. Egyptians recognized a third gender, most Native Americans recognize two-spirit individuals, an Asian culture in South Sulawesi sees upwards of 5 distinct genders. The world is filled with gender diversity.
Complicated life forms such as lichen, essential air quality indicators, are actually a “symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga”, categorized by two species, in both the animal and plant kingdoms. Humans have long studied the conditions necessary for nature to thrive. Despite environmental, and endangered life warnings, we continue to push what has been made naturally on Earth to the brink.
Plant and animal populations have always included intersex bodies, homosexuality, and wide adaptations of sex and gender. We, human animals, are no different. Data supports that our population will have obvious, hidden and wondrous variations. Portions of us will be male, female, nonbinary/trans or intersex. We will be blue or brown eyed, or even both at once. We will have allergies and autoimmune conditions that set us apart. We will have blonde, red or black hair, with different textures and be gay, bisexual, pan, asexual or straight. We may have light or dark skin or conditions that include both pigmentations, and we will have addictions and seen and unseen disabilities. We may have moles, birthmarks, be left handed. Our hair will go graying or bald. These traits are a part of being human. Opportunities for helping our nation's citizens are missed when we fight nature to disavow another’s.
NBC reported on January 10, 2024, that “Major medical associations — including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association — support minors’ access to gender-affirming care and oppose state bans.” But we don’t seem to trust science and experts these days.
Long before San Francisco based artist, Gilbert Baker, utilized the rainbow as a symbol of hope and solidarity for the gay community in 1978, that stunning bow bent millions of minds witness to its wonder. Rainbows present us with an Earthly and heaven-sent gift, offering a moment to stand in awe of nature’s capabilities and phenomena.
Trans individuals are not something to fear. Statistically, American males present the greatest danger to your daughters. There has never been a mass shooting by a book. Drag shows are a courageous and entertaining statement against the status quo. Trans athletes are so statistically insignificant that to not only focus legislators energy on that as a means of control and distraction, actually reveals more about our citizen’s apathy and under-preparation strategically and historically rolled out by Republicans administrations. If you really want something to fear, fear the lack of strategic thinking and lowering cognitive scores of Gen Z. These are the people who will eventually oversee your healthcare, transportation, infrastructure, foreign affairs and environmental solutions. If our nation’s youth is truly a concern, then preparation for life couple with preventative information and education, would be at the forefront of legislated efforts. Globally, education and acceptance produces the best outcomes for individuals and societies.
The Bathroom Ban is a common tactic to wedge fear into voters hearts. The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Protection has labeled the attacks as genocidal strategy and states that “trans people are more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators of it.” Today trans individuals are under threat more than ever before. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Transgender women and men had higher rates of violent victimization (86.1 and 107.5 per 1000 persons, respectively) than did cisgender women (23.7 per 1000 persons; OR = 3.88; 90% CI = 0, 8.55) and cisgender men (19.8 per 1000 persons; OR = 5.98, 90% CI = 2.09, 9.87), but there were no differences between transgender men and women (Δ = 21.4; SE = 68.7; P = .76).”
Kansas is stripping trans citizens’ rights by ripping away their hard fought for identities, revoking driver licenses, IDs and birth certificates acquired through legal means and court hearing proceedings. are seeking refuge, relying on strangers, moving states, leaving jobs to find safety. Hate crimes targeting trans folks continue to rise. Make no mistake, these bills and assaults are angling toward a man-made extermination level threat. Through anti-trans legislation, book bans and even dictionary definition bans, it seems that today’s ultra-conservatives are unnaturally intent on curing the world of its natural tendencies, and have separated themselves from their nature so wholly, as to become selectively ignorant and unappreciative of its many splendors.
Bio: Holly Brians Ragusa, founder of Lit Cincy, is an interdisciplinary writer, poet, speaker, community activist, opinion contributor, App and book author of "Met the End," "Dying to Know Myself In Time", "Inverse: Informed Thoughts By An Unfit Poet" and "Tilt a World".
*Photo credit for rainbow, lichen & nature sign photographs goes to the author. Other photos credited in captions.
References:
https://www.fox13news.com/news/doctors-warn-senate-gen-z-cognitively-underperformed-previous-generation-screen-time-could-be-blame
https://translegislation.com/
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/kansas-invalidates-drivers-licenses-birth-certificates-over-1000-transgender-2026-02-26/
https://gilbertbaker.com/rainbow-flag-origin-story/
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20140613-do-animals-have-sex-for-fun
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/many-transgender-intersex-people-live-us-rcna96711
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/lioness-manes/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8614696/
https://www.ihs.gov/lgbt/health/twospirit/
https://www.treehugger.com/animals-can-change-their-sex-4869361
https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezacjrp/asp/Offense_Race.asp
https://www.usmarshals.gov/what-we-do/fugitive-investigations/15-most-wanted-fugitive
https://www.transvitae.com/history-transgender-pride-flag/