The one condition the transgender community suffers from is myopia. If you read all the news, the editorials, blogs, forums, etc. (I only access very few but enough through links) you come away with the sense they're either singing to the choir of like-minded transpeople or shouting at the crowd of opposing transpeople.
They very rarely write for the larger world and media outside the transgender umbrella, so you come away feeling like it's a large gender enclosed arena and unless you're "one of them" you're ignored, dismissed or hated, unless of course you agree with them.
The problem with that myopia is that the transgender community is not uniformily defined by the members and not universally agreed on the use of words for identifying people or classes of people, so words become swords and views become false wars.
As Shakespeare would say, "Much ado about nothing." or more any one of a number of saying about tempests in teapots, molehills and mountains, etc. You get the point. A good example is all the noise about the use of the word "tranny" and who defines and gets to use it.
This pitted the gay-drag community and the transwomen who came through to transition against those who felt the word, commonly used by RuPaul and other drag queens and often applied to transitioning, even post-transition, women, was derogatory and demeaning.
The former accused the latter of not understanding the history of the word and the latter accused the former of being dismissive. And then there were some transwomen who tried to arbitrate but only succeeded in stating the case for each and not solving anything.
In short, it's a lot of voices and noise at each other all the while the gay-drag community issued a half-hearted apology and promise, not RuPaul but the producers of the RuPaul show, that won't change anything.
The truth is, as many wrote, the public view of transwomen is taken from other groups under the transgender umbrella, such as the drag-queens, cross-dressers, she-males, etal. and some of the public post-transition women while helping transgender women are actually hurting post-transition women.
And that's something only a few of the public (post-transition) women do successively to represent women because they don't the use the stupid little adjective while most of them use it to promote themselves and transgender women not distinguishing between those in transition and those post-transition.
They're in effect talking to themselves thinking they're talking to the public. Transcommunity myopia in a nutshell.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
War of Words
What I take away from the argument over RuPaul's use of language and the subsequent criticism about that, and the war of words over this issue is that some in the community seem to have lost the idea that you can hold and express a view that isn't inclusive while understanding the views of others that is inclusive, and that is unfair to be dismissive of the younger generation for their non-inclusive view simply because they are seen as younger and less experienced in the community.
The younger generation has the right to their view, the right to express it, and they should be heard and considered, and even embraced because it can and will produce change, change often needed over the pushback from some of the "established" folks. The only thing older folks get when they don't just listen and adapt to the younger generation is left and forgotten as a vestige of the community's past, written into history and not in the present.
The reality is that the vast majority of transpeople could not care less about RuPaul and the war of words. He's seen as what he is, an older icon of the gay-drag community and not a transgender person let alone representative of the transgender community, but is still seen by the media as one and invited to on shows to speak for them, who then turns around and denigrates and dismisses transwomen.
And for that Parker Molloy was, in my view, right to hold him and his show accountable for the transphobic use of the words and his frequent comments for transwomen to become more like drag queens and less like real women. That is not positive for the transgender community, some of whom praise him in spite of the use of slurs.
Despite what RuPaul says and does in public or on his show probably doesn't change what he does and says in private, so much of this war on words is only for ourselves and considered meaningless outside our community. That has been lost in the noise. To me we don't need to descalate the arugment but take a step back and take a breath to recognize we all have voices and we will have differences, and whether you agree or not with the different views.
The younger generation has the right to their view, the right to express it, and they should be heard and considered, and even embraced because it can and will produce change, change often needed over the pushback from some of the "established" folks. The only thing older folks get when they don't just listen and adapt to the younger generation is left and forgotten as a vestige of the community's past, written into history and not in the present.
The reality is that the vast majority of transpeople could not care less about RuPaul and the war of words. He's seen as what he is, an older icon of the gay-drag community and not a transgender person let alone representative of the transgender community, but is still seen by the media as one and invited to on shows to speak for them, who then turns around and denigrates and dismisses transwomen.
And for that Parker Molloy was, in my view, right to hold him and his show accountable for the transphobic use of the words and his frequent comments for transwomen to become more like drag queens and less like real women. That is not positive for the transgender community, some of whom praise him in spite of the use of slurs.
Despite what RuPaul says and does in public or on his show probably doesn't change what he does and says in private, so much of this war on words is only for ourselves and considered meaningless outside our community. That has been lost in the noise. To me we don't need to descalate the arugment but take a step back and take a breath to recognize we all have voices and we will have differences, and whether you agree or not with the different views.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Some Women
Some women transition not because they love clothes and want to always be "dressed", like to wear makeup and want to wear it everytime in public, want to be "feminine" and be seen as a "real" woman, want to go anywhere and everyone calls her "she" or "maam", no none of that.
Some women transition not to have a body that attracts men who want to have sex with her, want to have a face others, even women, call beautiful, want to be able to be wear the latest bathing suit, the less the better, to be seen as sexy, no none of that.
Some women transition just to be who they are whatever that is, to be themselves however they are seen, to be comfortable with their body, everything about it including and especially their vagina, theirs and not something they planned to have, wanted to have, but simply have.
Some women transition to be, nothing more and nothing less. They'll live with the rest, whatever it is and happens. Some women transition not for everyone else but just themself, all of that.
Some women transition not to have a body that attracts men who want to have sex with her, want to have a face others, even women, call beautiful, want to be able to be wear the latest bathing suit, the less the better, to be seen as sexy, no none of that.
Some women transition just to be who they are whatever that is, to be themselves however they are seen, to be comfortable with their body, everything about it including and especially their vagina, theirs and not something they planned to have, wanted to have, but simply have.
Some women transition to be, nothing more and nothing less. They'll live with the rest, whatever it is and happens. Some women transition not for everyone else but just themself, all of that.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Slurs
There's been a huge ruckus over the uses of slurs on RuPaul's show when those slurs have been used outside the context of the show with respect to transwomen, meaning those women in transition or even post-transition. The drag community got up in arms over the attack from the transcommunity.
And many in the drag and gay (men) community have expressed their dislike for the attacks and have defended the term as it to them only applies to the drag community. Except the word escapes that narrow confines by the audience, including the majority of gay men and used to describe, even define,
transwomen.
And now some in the drag and gay community, even using comedy, to defend the use of the term invoking their right to use it for themselves, but not noting to their audience that's their intent with the words.
So here's the deal, if the drag and gay community want to continue the use of the words, ok, then I'll start to use the slurs, just words really, which are derogatory and even demeaning terms, words long fought out of use by the gay (men) community to describe them.
Yeah, you know those terms you were angry about and fought to get them dropped in public and even in private by many people. And if you're wondering, please consider it's my right to use them to describe drag queens and gay men because it applies to you and no one else.
Seems fair to me, a word, or rather a slur, for a word. So it's a slur, but then so are the words you use. But you already know those words are still used in private by many people, you just ignore the reality of it as you do the effect of your words on transwomen.
And if you're really wondering, I'm only joking of course. Really. As much as you're joking. What's the adage about what goes around?
And many in the drag and gay (men) community have expressed their dislike for the attacks and have defended the term as it to them only applies to the drag community. Except the word escapes that narrow confines by the audience, including the majority of gay men and used to describe, even define,
transwomen.
And now some in the drag and gay community, even using comedy, to defend the use of the term invoking their right to use it for themselves, but not noting to their audience that's their intent with the words.
So here's the deal, if the drag and gay community want to continue the use of the words, ok, then I'll start to use the slurs, just words really, which are derogatory and even demeaning terms, words long fought out of use by the gay (men) community to describe them.
Yeah, you know those terms you were angry about and fought to get them dropped in public and even in private by many people. And if you're wondering, please consider it's my right to use them to describe drag queens and gay men because it applies to you and no one else.
Seems fair to me, a word, or rather a slur, for a word. So it's a slur, but then so are the words you use. But you already know those words are still used in private by many people, you just ignore the reality of it as you do the effect of your words on transwomen.
And if you're really wondering, I'm only joking of course. Really. As much as you're joking. What's the adage about what goes around?
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
More Missing the Point
While the Huffington Post likes to present the diversity of views of the transgender community, and often provide a platform for some in the larger drag, cross-dressing, transsexual and transgender community, they also provide people with the opportunity to attack others in the community.
But what is lost in all the voices is the over-riding fact that the vast majority of in-transition and especially post-transition women don't identify with the transgender community and don't care to be involved let alone be identified with it.
In short, the transgender community is a small group of people shouting at themselves, but what is interesting is that while some do want to distinguish themselves from others, and rightly so in my view, others not only don't want to tolerate it but keep wanting to include them under the umbrella term transgender.
The truth is that in-transition and again post-transition women have almost nothing in common with the drag (whatever term you use) and cross-dressing community. They have little in common with the gender queer community but don't seem argue against them.
The argument is between the drag community, and historically the cross-dressing community, and transwomen, meaning the transmen often get lost in the shuffle and often don't care to get involved, over the use of labels often misused and even abused by the media and public.
And this is where I agree with transwomen who don't want the same labels, and especially hate the use of derogatory terms used by the drag community because those words don't apply to transwomen and they have the right to say no and argue their derogatory and demeaning words.
And this is where folks like RuPaul and Our Lady J seem to want to continue to use those words freely to all "transgender" women deliberately confusing drag performers with transwomen, even by some transwomen who came through the drag community.
I don't have issues if people use terms to describe themselves but they don't have the right to use them about others who don't want to be labelled with those words. Our Lady J wrote a piece saying she can use them however she likes and if you don't like it, tough.
She argues the words are commonly used by drag performers, or former drag performers, and the criticism leveled at RuPaul was unfair. It wasn't and Our Lady J, while having the right to defend RuPaul, is wrong to say transwomen not only should but have to accept the words.
They don't and don't want to accept them which is their right and should be respected, something the drag community, which is mostly gay men and a few transitioning transwomen, don't want to respect. Sorry, respect transwomen and their views, and if you don't like it, tough.
But what is lost in all the voices is the over-riding fact that the vast majority of in-transition and especially post-transition women don't identify with the transgender community and don't care to be involved let alone be identified with it.
In short, the transgender community is a small group of people shouting at themselves, but what is interesting is that while some do want to distinguish themselves from others, and rightly so in my view, others not only don't want to tolerate it but keep wanting to include them under the umbrella term transgender.
The truth is that in-transition and again post-transition women have almost nothing in common with the drag (whatever term you use) and cross-dressing community. They have little in common with the gender queer community but don't seem argue against them.
The argument is between the drag community, and historically the cross-dressing community, and transwomen, meaning the transmen often get lost in the shuffle and often don't care to get involved, over the use of labels often misused and even abused by the media and public.
And this is where I agree with transwomen who don't want the same labels, and especially hate the use of derogatory terms used by the drag community because those words don't apply to transwomen and they have the right to say no and argue their derogatory and demeaning words.
And this is where folks like RuPaul and Our Lady J seem to want to continue to use those words freely to all "transgender" women deliberately confusing drag performers with transwomen, even by some transwomen who came through the drag community.
I don't have issues if people use terms to describe themselves but they don't have the right to use them about others who don't want to be labelled with those words. Our Lady J wrote a piece saying she can use them however she likes and if you don't like it, tough.
She argues the words are commonly used by drag performers, or former drag performers, and the criticism leveled at RuPaul was unfair. It wasn't and Our Lady J, while having the right to defend RuPaul, is wrong to say transwomen not only should but have to accept the words.
They don't and don't want to accept them which is their right and should be respected, something the drag community, which is mostly gay men and a few transitioning transwomen, don't want to respect. Sorry, respect transwomen and their views, and if you don't like it, tough.
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Missing the point
Yeah again, I'm late to the argument but so are others who are reacting to the responses to RuPaul's use of the terms "tranny", "Shemale", and so on, common in the gay community, which I've noted it's time the transgender community jettison him back into the gay community which he has never left.
As has been stated elsewhere often enough, RuPaul is a gay man who earns his living as a female impersonator, like many who exaggerate the presentation of women found on his show on the Logo channel which sponors the show because gay men love it.
While some in the transgender community like the show, it's fair and reasonable to say many, even most, don't watch it and consider it for what it is, a gay and straight man's show, and while a few (reported at 4) of the contestants on the show have transitioned, they were either kicked off or left because of bias against transgender women.
My point here is one made by Critian Williams who argues both sides are wrong, making the case it's free speech and both RuPaul and only the Logo TV channel has the right to censor him for whatever reasons they feel necessary, which they won't more than a verbal slap on the wrist.
The Logo TV channel will keep sponsoring his show because it sells in the gay community. They love the hyper representation of women and they love calling transgender and even post-transition women trannies or whatever other term they have and still use.
I won't argue that point, everyone has the right to an opinion and the right to express it. But they don't have the right to use it to promote misrepresentations and discrimination against a class of people. No one uses derogatory words against racial groups in the public forum without being called out and pressured to issue a , usually half-hearted, apology.
No one uses derogatory words against gay and lesbian people without being called out and pressured to issue a half-hearted apology. And no one should use derogatory words against transgender people, which doesn't seem to include transgender men for reasons which defy common sense, just women.
The point is that RuPaul and Logo TV are promoting derogatory words toward the class of women who are in transition or have transitioned and while they're entitled to use those words in their private lives, they don't have the right to use them on TV or in public.
While they argue they're using them in the narrow context of the show, not unlike other shows, but that's not the point, which is that the represenation is misunderstood by many viewers to apply to transgender wormen and the RuPaul and the show knows this and does nothing to clarify the contestants from transgender women.
And that doesn't excuse RuPaul. The criticism of him is right and he would know it if some groups and people started resurrecting the old anti-gay words of decades past. You can bet the outrage if that happened, but then maybe some would just smile and tell RuPaul the adage about geese.
As has been stated elsewhere often enough, RuPaul is a gay man who earns his living as a female impersonator, like many who exaggerate the presentation of women found on his show on the Logo channel which sponors the show because gay men love it.
While some in the transgender community like the show, it's fair and reasonable to say many, even most, don't watch it and consider it for what it is, a gay and straight man's show, and while a few (reported at 4) of the contestants on the show have transitioned, they were either kicked off or left because of bias against transgender women.
My point here is one made by Critian Williams who argues both sides are wrong, making the case it's free speech and both RuPaul and only the Logo TV channel has the right to censor him for whatever reasons they feel necessary, which they won't more than a verbal slap on the wrist.
The Logo TV channel will keep sponsoring his show because it sells in the gay community. They love the hyper representation of women and they love calling transgender and even post-transition women trannies or whatever other term they have and still use.
I won't argue that point, everyone has the right to an opinion and the right to express it. But they don't have the right to use it to promote misrepresentations and discrimination against a class of people. No one uses derogatory words against racial groups in the public forum without being called out and pressured to issue a , usually half-hearted, apology.
No one uses derogatory words against gay and lesbian people without being called out and pressured to issue a half-hearted apology. And no one should use derogatory words against transgender people, which doesn't seem to include transgender men for reasons which defy common sense, just women.
The point is that RuPaul and Logo TV are promoting derogatory words toward the class of women who are in transition or have transitioned and while they're entitled to use those words in their private lives, they don't have the right to use them on TV or in public.
While they argue they're using them in the narrow context of the show, not unlike other shows, but that's not the point, which is that the represenation is misunderstood by many viewers to apply to transgender wormen and the RuPaul and the show knows this and does nothing to clarify the contestants from transgender women.
And that doesn't excuse RuPaul. The criticism of him is right and he would know it if some groups and people started resurrecting the old anti-gay words of decades past. You can bet the outrage if that happened, but then maybe some would just smile and tell RuPaul the adage about geese.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Jared Leto
Ok, a little late to the show with this, but sometimes thoughts take a long time to get from the mind to the consciousness, but here it is, more an after thought than anything.
Let me see if I understand it. Jared Leto gets the opportunity to play a drug addict, HIV-positive, pre-op transsexual in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. He is coached by a former draq queen who transitioned, and who was one of the characters in a movie about her boyfriend who was murdered.
After the movie he goes back to living as himself and his work as an actor/director and with his rock band. He wins an oscar for his performance for best supporting actor. He thanks the people who coached him and the transgender community for the opportunity to "represent" them.
And he wonders why many in the transgender community are not only not impressed, but don't like the role he played, which clearly was intended to be an exaggerated characterization of a transwoman, the fact he won the oscar, and then fakes being thankful.
For what? Really. He never was a transgender person. He studied them for a while, played a role and then forgot all about it, even made sure to tell people it was just a role. And he thinks the transgender community should be grateful to him?
The guy has balls, literally and figuratively. If he understood he could have asked for a more realistic role, found better coaches, talk to more real (trans)women, etc., but then it wouldn't even be enough because he just played a role.
He never really understood what transwomen think and feel and how they live, so why should they thank him for his character in the movie? But then he's not unlike many who like to pat themselves on the back not matter what they do, only because they did it, to thank everyone for appreciating his effort.
Sorry, I agree with the many in the view he set back transgender people more in the public mind than he helped them, and next time don't volunteer to help. You've done enough damage.
Let me see if I understand it. Jared Leto gets the opportunity to play a drug addict, HIV-positive, pre-op transsexual in the movie Dallas Buyers Club. He is coached by a former draq queen who transitioned, and who was one of the characters in a movie about her boyfriend who was murdered.
After the movie he goes back to living as himself and his work as an actor/director and with his rock band. He wins an oscar for his performance for best supporting actor. He thanks the people who coached him and the transgender community for the opportunity to "represent" them.
And he wonders why many in the transgender community are not only not impressed, but don't like the role he played, which clearly was intended to be an exaggerated characterization of a transwoman, the fact he won the oscar, and then fakes being thankful.
For what? Really. He never was a transgender person. He studied them for a while, played a role and then forgot all about it, even made sure to tell people it was just a role. And he thinks the transgender community should be grateful to him?
The guy has balls, literally and figuratively. If he understood he could have asked for a more realistic role, found better coaches, talk to more real (trans)women, etc., but then it wouldn't even be enough because he just played a role.
He never really understood what transwomen think and feel and how they live, so why should they thank him for his character in the movie? But then he's not unlike many who like to pat themselves on the back not matter what they do, only because they did it, to thank everyone for appreciating his effort.
Sorry, I agree with the many in the view he set back transgender people more in the public mind than he helped them, and next time don't volunteer to help. You've done enough damage.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Can We Stop
Can we stop putting RuPaul in the transgender catagory and stop letting him talk about transgender issues or transgender people? The guy is a gay female impersonator, who has never changed that perception and description of himself.
It's time the media but more importantly the transgender community stop catering to this guy as someone who "knows" transgender people or knows what it's like to be a transgender person. He's a gay man who like to dress up.
He has worked hard on that image and nothing more than that, especially not ever calling himself a transgender woman. And he's called in-transition and even post-transition women "trannies" and then defended it as just the normal word gay men and female impersonators use.
That's crap and nothing more or better. So drop him for what he is, someone who hates transgender women and lumps them into being just "trannies" like him. He deserved to be called out and the transgender community shouldn't give him a pass or allow him an apology.
He won't change, so leave him with the gay community like all the other gay men (I'd use a worse word but that would be stooping to RuPaul's level he calls transgender women).
It's time the media but more importantly the transgender community stop catering to this guy as someone who "knows" transgender people or knows what it's like to be a transgender person. He's a gay man who like to dress up.
He has worked hard on that image and nothing more than that, especially not ever calling himself a transgender woman. And he's called in-transition and even post-transition women "trannies" and then defended it as just the normal word gay men and female impersonators use.
That's crap and nothing more or better. So drop him for what he is, someone who hates transgender women and lumps them into being just "trannies" like him. He deserved to be called out and the transgender community shouldn't give him a pass or allow him an apology.
He won't change, so leave him with the gay community like all the other gay men (I'd use a worse word but that would be stooping to RuPaul's level he calls transgender women).
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Others
I was reading a thread on a forum where some in the transgender community were openly criticizing celebrities for their public words, decisions, actions or behavior, and the transgender community was criticizing each other for their expressed opinions.
This thread is one of those arguments that remind me of people in a cafe all chatting with each other through their computers and each of them angrily pounding their keyboards mad about what everyone else was saying.
You can't win because people want to put the entire weight of the transcommunity on anyone they think deserves it, but we have to remember all of us have the right to our opinion and the right to express it whether anyone else like it or not, so no matter what anyone thinks, they need to go outside for a moment, take a few deep breaths and remember there's a whole big world outside whatever opinion they had, and in reality the rest of the world doesn't give on care about what people in the transcommunity says about each other.
It's why many (trans)people don't get involved or identify with the transcommunity, but go through their transition and get on with their life, which pretty much leaves only those in the cafe angrily pounding their keyboards. My point being is to let folks speak, argue the issues and never attack a person, otherwise, we're only beating each other up for nothing.
This thread is one of those arguments that remind me of people in a cafe all chatting with each other through their computers and each of them angrily pounding their keyboards mad about what everyone else was saying.
You can't win because people want to put the entire weight of the transcommunity on anyone they think deserves it, but we have to remember all of us have the right to our opinion and the right to express it whether anyone else like it or not, so no matter what anyone thinks, they need to go outside for a moment, take a few deep breaths and remember there's a whole big world outside whatever opinion they had, and in reality the rest of the world doesn't give on care about what people in the transcommunity says about each other.
It's why many (trans)people don't get involved or identify with the transcommunity, but go through their transition and get on with their life, which pretty much leaves only those in the cafe angrily pounding their keyboards. My point being is to let folks speak, argue the issues and never attack a person, otherwise, we're only beating each other up for nothing.
Some People
Some people don't fit into the binary sex or gender boxes most people like to put everyone into because it fits their idea of sex and gender norms. These people don't fit because while many don't have an internal conflict with their birth sex and their gender roles, they like to express themselves as the other sex or gender.
These people fit a variety of labels, some they identify with and some others put on them for their personal reason whether they fit or the person wants or likes it, and often it's a disparaging label, meant to either ridicule or demean them.
But there are some people who may appear to fit into that group of people who fit in between there is one big distinction which is often lost by others, and that's the fact that these people would rather be the other sex and gender and express the birth sex as a choice than as a life.
This means those born male would rather be women when and where they can present themselves as men or not, or just live in the clothes because it's convenient or the clothes are comfortable to wear on some occasions.
And that's what's lost in the difference because people assume they are just one of those who are men or women and like on occasion to be the other sex or gender because it fits their idea of them than trying to understand and accept some people don't fit their binary boxes.
Some people defy the norms of others, who in turn forget their norms aren't everyone's norm, and there are some people who would themselves not as the other sex but in the body of the other sex to feel whole as a person and themselves.
Some people, but then we're all just people, some in our own ways different than everyone else, lest we forget and be called out for the ways we don't fit into other people's binary boxes. Some people are really all people, all the same in the fact we're all different in some ways.
These people fit a variety of labels, some they identify with and some others put on them for their personal reason whether they fit or the person wants or likes it, and often it's a disparaging label, meant to either ridicule or demean them.
But there are some people who may appear to fit into that group of people who fit in between there is one big distinction which is often lost by others, and that's the fact that these people would rather be the other sex and gender and express the birth sex as a choice than as a life.
This means those born male would rather be women when and where they can present themselves as men or not, or just live in the clothes because it's convenient or the clothes are comfortable to wear on some occasions.
And that's what's lost in the difference because people assume they are just one of those who are men or women and like on occasion to be the other sex or gender because it fits their idea of them than trying to understand and accept some people don't fit their binary boxes.
Some people defy the norms of others, who in turn forget their norms aren't everyone's norm, and there are some people who would themselves not as the other sex but in the body of the other sex to feel whole as a person and themselves.
Some people, but then we're all just people, some in our own ways different than everyone else, lest we forget and be called out for the ways we don't fit into other people's binary boxes. Some people are really all people, all the same in the fact we're all different in some ways.
Friday, April 4, 2014
If You Notice
If you notice while the Gay, meaning mostly gay men but they occasionally include lesbian as a courtesy, are pushing for new rights through laws or challenging existing laws, they don't use the word "transgender" let alone include transgender people in their efforts.
Why is that? Wait, we already know, they don't like transpeople as we saw with the fight for ENDA and we've seen in the fight for marriage equality. There is no mention or explanation of what these efforts do for transpeople.
The transgender community is the one doing the work to advance laws and changes in regulations for transgender people. They've effectively left the gay, again meaning men, community out of the work and out of the conversation.
This is a position long advocating by some transgender people which I thought made sense being as gay, yes men again, only allowed transpeople if they sat quietly in the back of the bus and were invisible. And there are reasons for this.
First, they've always thought transgender women were just gay men who like to live as women and they hated that fact and reality that it wasn't true, that transwomen were women, that pesky proven issue of biology that the gay men cite as they're being gay.
Second, they've always looked at transwomen as "trannies" blatantly using the demeaning term in a degoratory way to dismiss transwomen. Gay men only consider drag queens to be the only reason men dress as women, something Ru Paul is keenly aware and defends.
Third, they've always asked the transgender community to fight for their cause and issues and promise to help them "later" but never do, as we saw over the fight in Congress with ENDA where the then HRC executive director promised inclusion until Representative Franks said no way there would be inclusion.
And now with the wins for marriage equality becoming the normal as federal judges rule against laws or state constitutional provision against same-sex marriage, the gay community is totally forgetting transgender people.
Even noted and respected journalists like Rachel Maddow ignore transgender people while talking about LGBT rights to simply use the word but never discuss the people. On MSNBC only Melissa Harris-Perry devoted a part of her weekend show to transgender people.
The point? Well, there isn't one except history is showing the transgender community do best by themselves and transgender people, and more so legally recognized women (post-transition) do even better without the transgender community.
It's about women. Where it should be. Sorry (trans)men, you're just another form of men.
Why is that? Wait, we already know, they don't like transpeople as we saw with the fight for ENDA and we've seen in the fight for marriage equality. There is no mention or explanation of what these efforts do for transpeople.
The transgender community is the one doing the work to advance laws and changes in regulations for transgender people. They've effectively left the gay, again meaning men, community out of the work and out of the conversation.
This is a position long advocating by some transgender people which I thought made sense being as gay, yes men again, only allowed transpeople if they sat quietly in the back of the bus and were invisible. And there are reasons for this.
First, they've always thought transgender women were just gay men who like to live as women and they hated that fact and reality that it wasn't true, that transwomen were women, that pesky proven issue of biology that the gay men cite as they're being gay.
Second, they've always looked at transwomen as "trannies" blatantly using the demeaning term in a degoratory way to dismiss transwomen. Gay men only consider drag queens to be the only reason men dress as women, something Ru Paul is keenly aware and defends.
Third, they've always asked the transgender community to fight for their cause and issues and promise to help them "later" but never do, as we saw over the fight in Congress with ENDA where the then HRC executive director promised inclusion until Representative Franks said no way there would be inclusion.
And now with the wins for marriage equality becoming the normal as federal judges rule against laws or state constitutional provision against same-sex marriage, the gay community is totally forgetting transgender people.
Even noted and respected journalists like Rachel Maddow ignore transgender people while talking about LGBT rights to simply use the word but never discuss the people. On MSNBC only Melissa Harris-Perry devoted a part of her weekend show to transgender people.
The point? Well, there isn't one except history is showing the transgender community do best by themselves and transgender people, and more so legally recognized women (post-transition) do even better without the transgender community.
It's about women. Where it should be. Sorry (trans)men, you're just another form of men.
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