Dr Janice Raymond... a figure who has been blogged to death amongst Trans* bloggers and Radical Feminists. If you don't know about Dr Raymond and her impact on Trans* life in the US, I'll give some brief history.
In 1979 Janice Raymond, Professor of Women's Studies at the University of MA wrote "The Transsexual Empire: the making of the she-male". In this book she equates transitioning to rape... yes RAPE (as a Feminist, she knew full well the weight of that word). She further went on in her book to publicly "out" Sandy Stone, who worked for Olivia Records (a very important recording studio that is women-owned and operated .. seriously good important stuff happened and is happening with Olivia Records). Ms Raymond ultimately called for the termination of Ms Stone and under threat of a very real boycott, Olivia fired her. Ms Stone's gender status was known and until then a non-issue within Olivia Records.
As if this particular bit of personal mean-spirited attack on an individuals employment wasn't enough. Ms Raymond submitted a paper to Congress in the 1980's when the issue of support for SRS was being debated. Specifically, the issue as to whether Medicare/Medicaid should be used to assist with the costs of transitioning. Congress, with Ms Raymond's "research", decided that government medical assistance would not be used to fund SRS or HRT. Taking a cue from the government, insurance companies soon determined that they wouldn't cover these either. They went further and decided not not cover (in many cases) issues like Breast Cancer for Trans Women.
This has then (nice how things loop back) created a rather large group of women who cannot afford SRS or HRT, with no options but prostitution or porn to fund their transitioning. Since GD/GID isn't "real" enough for the government, it isn't "real" enough for most private employers either, TGs so often get fired - just because.
So.. I'm pissed.. I read ads looking for a "Hot Shemale" and not only do I see some guy who has no clue and no actual interest in my reality, or any other transwoman's reality.. I see that freaking word, part of that book that calls me a RAPIST and firmly set me in my place as only worth medical treatment if I could come up with tens of thousands of dollars in addition to a couple hundred each month for those pesky 'mones.
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5 comments:
Wow, I didn't know that. I'm adding her to my list of People Who Can Kiss My Ass.
I guess she always bothered me because it always seemed silly to be "blowing the whistle" on transsexuals, as though we were some kind of power group, movers and shakers who could somehow destabilize the entire women's community. Truth is, we couldn't do that if we wanted to, and we're telling the truth when we say we just want to be a part of that community. I've always been happy to know that women like Raymond have long gone out of fashion (replaced by pseudoscience peddlers like J. Michael Bailey, veteran of my list), but I never knew of the lasting damage that she did, that she convinced Congress that GID is somehow not a "real" condition. (Huh, I wonder what it is I have, then...)
What I'd be really interested in finding out - and I've tried a few times but come up empty handed - is Raymond's opinion with regard to trans men. Does she feel they "rape" men? Or, and what I suspect, is she of the opinion that they'll never truly BE men and still encompass feminine spirit - as supported by many wymyn-born-wymyn events that welcome trans men but exclude chicks like us? I don't understand the reasoning of the trans men who still attend and/or entertain at these events, either... Hmmm, an odd spin on the good 'ole "male privilege."
I don't think Jan ever commented on the guys. There is a real double standard with regard to Trans*men. Although Patrick Califfa (sp?) was raked over the coals when he transitioned. Mayby the transitions of Transmen aren't taken seriously (dismissed as "just bustchieness") or if surgical options aren'r so great yet that a genital-centric group can make allowances...
tinarussell-
Woo! add het to that list, right near the top...
Dr Bailey, now he'll get his own entry, but right now I have an Autogynephillic urge to look for "girl pants" that have actual pockets because I don't want to take my purse out with me.
This is one thing I doubt I can ever understand. I commented over on RiftGirl's blog about Oprah, and how I think it is because Oprah feels that a man who wants to be a woman can't be anything but male but a woman who wants to be a man is somehow "sick" and needs pity. Kind of a reverse feminism/discrimination. I still cannot understand that mindset can be prevalent and accepted.
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