crap... I worried that what I wrote about commonalities might be read as me discounting them. I don't mean to write them off. All of these groups have been and are being marginalized in many ways. I just wonder if it's time to take the discussion to the next level and look more closely at issues facing all groups. maybe I've got the cart before the horse. Shoot... "There aren't gay people in Russia", right? One step at a time toward a world where people are truly free to be and love whoever they want.
I wouldn't worry about anyone losing faith in you as a person or anything. You're coming here with a very obvious tone of, "I don't know this! Is someone able to explain it to me?" More importantly, you're not arguing with people who are trying to explain it to you, which is something I see all the time on posts like this. That said, I disagree and think that the T should be kept in the acronym, and I would probably argue that it does less to marginalize transgender individuals than you think it does. If anything, I imagine it binds them to the LGB community, which gains them an important ally in the political sense. Of course, I'm also a white heterosexual male, so anyone who actually knows how it is can feel free to correct me!
So.... upon further thought - and after reading all of these awesome responses, I should have probably titled this post differently. I understand why the Ts are part of the LGBT movement. I don't mean to marginalize Trans people (or anyone for that matter) further by trying to break them apart. I guess I was trying to look further - maybe look at the next step where LGBT folks no longer have to fight for basic rights and even survival - but the next phase when they can begin to focus on some of the nuance of what it means to be Trans that differ from the LGB movement. Hmmm... it's kinda hard to put all of my thoughts and feelings into these comments while I'm at work. (who does my boss think he is anyway - expecting me to finish stuff while I'm at WORK :-P) I just envision this place, in the not-to-distant future where people can be who they want and love who they want and marry who they want with no fear of actual persecution, violence, discrimination, etc. There will always be haters... there will be people who civilly disagree with lifestyle choices... but I can hope. blergh. then we'll move on to world peace.