Mother Nature can’t be tamed, but she can be reasoned with. That’s more than we can say for homophobes.
Chimera Comstock (cool name alert!) is a storm chaser (cool job alert!). She has wrestled hurricanes and waltzed with tornadoes, but now she is navigating some truly treacherous territory: America, circa 2021.
During a recent date with disaster, Chimera tweeted her status as a proud trans individual.
Since I have all your attention right now in the #eye cat 4 of #HurricaneLaura I thought I would take this moment to #ComeOut as #trans to the world. I started HRT on Feb 17th 2020. Anyways back to surviving this #storm. See you all on the otherside! #transrightsarehumanrights!✊ pic.twitter.com/V1yw8nqWdg
— Chimera Comstock (@SvrWxChaser) August 27, 2020
But instead of being regaled with congratulations, her life became shrouded in isolation.
“I lost most everybody I worked with because of it,” Comstock tells NBC News.
After coming out as trans, Chimera lost her central revenue stream as the representative for a trucking parts company. The cowards who fired her were threatened by the daredevil’s strength, resilience and passion.
Because who wants those qualities in an employee?
Losing her livelihood was bad enough, but Chimera also nearly lost her life as a result of her cohorts’ ignorance. As she was hunting Hurricane Ida through the wilds of Louisiana, calamity befell the intrepid adventurer. Savage winds tore the tires off of Chimera’s vehicle, so she called for help.
But nobody answered. Instead, she got responses along the lines of the following harassment:
Boo hooo booo hooo! Go cry a river somewhere else!!!
— Scott Jordan (@sjorda67) December 24, 2021
The pseudo macho practitioners of the storm-chasing realm would rather allow Chimera Comstock to die than associate with a transgender person. She was left stranded for 24 hours and it forced her to ponder her place within the profession she loves.
“It’s been extremely isolating.”
But Chimera refuses to succumb to hatred, opting instead for education. Not only is she pursuing a degree in tech, but the eternal hero is also striving to enlighten the world about trans rights and climate change simultaneously.
“We need to focus on educating people about these storms,” explains Chimera, “so that they know what’s out there.”
And speaking of out, the thrill-seeker is embarking on the next chapter of her life with her armor down and her spirit up.
“We exist, and we’re not that different from the rest of y’all.”
You are an inspiration, Chimera. We would follow you into the fray any day.
Photo: Twitter @SvrWxChaser
Last modified: December 29, 2021
