http://questioningtransphobia.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/transphobic-tropes-5-the-man-in-a-dressstealthy-deceiver-double-bind
The link above is to a post by queenemily posted on Questioning Transphobia. In it she clearly points out the double bind that I face almost daily, particularly when dealing with dating. Guys who have seen my pictures online have
"complimented" me by telling me that I "could have fooled them (into thinking I was bio-female)". Guys who have decided to stop seeing me have pointed out, inflated, and used any perceived "male" features, interests, behaviors or opinions to question my validity as both a woman and partner. It bears mentioning that these same guys are taken by how well I "pass" until they get tired of their walk on the wild side - then my status becomes both insult and insurance that they aren't being jerks
Showing posts with label anti-trans feminism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anti-trans feminism. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I got to Thinking
I read Questioning Transphobia regularly. I have to say Lisa Harney is one of my idols, along with RiftGirl they were the unwitting kick in the pants I needed to start this little blog (along with other groovy friends who told both of us we needed to talk less and write more).
Anyway, a recent shit storm on the F Word blog is documented and commented on QT.
http://questioningtransphobia.wordpress.com/
This reminded me of some conversations I have had with long time Lesbian Feminist friends of mine. A few things keep comming up when talking with my friends and also talking with RadFems on the Internt that I would like to discuss.
1) You can be a "different kind of man (woman)".
This assumes I didn't actually TRY that - for YEARS.. and YEARS.
2) "I wasn't comfortable being a 'girl' growing up, but through soul-searching and really processing my feelings and society's demands on women I was able to be comfortable as a butch lesbian who loves her female body."
This one REALLY stinks. It stinks to the highest heaven. It centers a Trans* person's life on the cis-gendered person's experience of comming to terms with their own non-conforming gender expression. It further claims that what's good enough for them is good enough for me. It assumes, again, that I didn't Try that for YEARS..and YEARS.
3) "In MY world there would be no gender, so no need to transition. Everyone could dress and act the way they pleased."
Awesome.. I wanna live there too. Except.. well, I would still be transitioning. See it isn't about clothes, or hair, or shaving, or makeup. I did all that yummy goodness as a BIG OLE SISSY boy. The thing is - I UNDERSTOOD myself, from as early as I can remember, as being a girl. There is nothing more to say because there isn't language to express it. The affectations of "feminity" are just that - props to be used or discarded at my whim. The UNDERSTANDING is not the same as a desire to put on mum's shoes.
4) "There is so much pressure to transition. It's like if you don't feel enough like a guy or a gal you should transition."
My assumption from this is the pressure is comming from within the Trans* community. I haven't seen it. Quite the opposite actually. When I was first seriously questioning transition every Trans*woman I met was quick to point out that being a Drag Queen, or a Cross Dresser, or a sissy guy was valid and perfectly OK.
If the pressure is supposed to be somming from society - WHAT??!! Let me say without hesitation - me being seen as a shy sissified gay boy was so much easier than being seen as Trans. Night and day - seriously.
Also, the underlying theme here is that transitioning is somehow easier than being non-conforming to one's birth sex. That Trans* folks are taking the path of least resistance. Again I'll say from where I sit, it was a hell of alot easier to be a fey man than a tranny.
Anyway, a recent shit storm on the F Word blog is documented and commented on QT.
http://questioningtransphobia.wordpress.com/
This reminded me of some conversations I have had with long time Lesbian Feminist friends of mine. A few things keep comming up when talking with my friends and also talking with RadFems on the Internt that I would like to discuss.
1) You can be a "different kind of man (woman)".
This assumes I didn't actually TRY that - for YEARS.. and YEARS.
2) "I wasn't comfortable being a 'girl' growing up, but through soul-searching and really processing my feelings and society's demands on women I was able to be comfortable as a butch lesbian who loves her female body."
This one REALLY stinks. It stinks to the highest heaven. It centers a Trans* person's life on the cis-gendered person's experience of comming to terms with their own non-conforming gender expression. It further claims that what's good enough for them is good enough for me. It assumes, again, that I didn't Try that for YEARS..and YEARS.
3) "In MY world there would be no gender, so no need to transition. Everyone could dress and act the way they pleased."
Awesome.. I wanna live there too. Except.. well, I would still be transitioning. See it isn't about clothes, or hair, or shaving, or makeup. I did all that yummy goodness as a BIG OLE SISSY boy. The thing is - I UNDERSTOOD myself, from as early as I can remember, as being a girl. There is nothing more to say because there isn't language to express it. The affectations of "feminity" are just that - props to be used or discarded at my whim. The UNDERSTANDING is not the same as a desire to put on mum's shoes.
4) "There is so much pressure to transition. It's like if you don't feel enough like a guy or a gal you should transition."
My assumption from this is the pressure is comming from within the Trans* community. I haven't seen it. Quite the opposite actually. When I was first seriously questioning transition every Trans*woman I met was quick to point out that being a Drag Queen, or a Cross Dresser, or a sissy guy was valid and perfectly OK.
If the pressure is supposed to be somming from society - WHAT??!! Let me say without hesitation - me being seen as a shy sissified gay boy was so much easier than being seen as Trans. Night and day - seriously.
Also, the underlying theme here is that transitioning is somehow easier than being non-conforming to one's birth sex. That Trans* folks are taking the path of least resistance. Again I'll say from where I sit, it was a hell of alot easier to be a fey man than a tranny.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Dirty Pool
http://dirtywhiteboi67.blogspot.com/2008/07/mtf-mtws-and-their-perpetual-male.html
dirt is at it again:
Something that needs far more serious attention is the Mt"w"'s perpetual need to shove their "cocks" in womens spaces. And it makes absolutely no difference to them (Mt"w"s) whether that cock is a healthy functioning cock or a largely, or should I say tiny non functioning cock mutilated by the ME.
I'm curious how the assessment of various body parts to determining legitimacy for womanhood would be taken by dirt if the woman in question was cis? "She ain't no real chick, her tits are too small."
This is an issue that regardless of when the ME realizes its harmful "treatment" of trannyism, will not go away. This is an issue of male privilege plain and simple. Whether men suffering from a major mental disorder or the average Joe in the street, 30+ years after feminism and men STILL rightfully believe they should have access to every space on the planet, and under current patriarchal regimes they do!
Firstly, operating on the assumption that GID is a purely mental/emotional "disorder" I don't see any qualifications (aside from opinion and having a huge hate-on for trannies) for an informed critique of the treatment of GD/GID. I don't want to get into the whole biological aspect of this, but we all know that many things that were considered purely psychological "disorders" have been found to have physical causes.
But strictly speaking of the trannyism male privileged realm, these men disordered though they may be do not, will not and cannot relinquish the male privilege with which they were ALL born and raised! And really who can blame them even if this was something (which it is not btw) they could logically choose to disown?
People of color don't actually suffer from racism, I know this because white people told me so. How the hell can she make any sort of statement as to the way transitioned women experience power dynamics? I know, by erasing and denying the lived experiences of transwomen. If Transwomen benefited from male privilege then why are so many of us unemployed or under employed? Why are so many of us attacked and killed? Why are so many of us limited in the resources we may need as a result of being poor and physically assaulted? It would be nice to get some of the perks that comes with male privilege.
There are two issues that go hand in glove here; one being disorder males using their male privielge to insert themselves into women only spaces, they other more important issue being the women conditioned to allow it! It is the glove here that will remain the problem long after trannyism has been dismantled and no longer exists!
Women understanding, or trying to understand the position of Trans*women are somehow not smart enough to get past "conditioning"? What an elitist load of crap. It should be noted that this was in response to someone ASKING about a woman-born-woman policy of a website, and the site admin taking suggestions about the issue. If curiosity is the same as "males using their male privilege to insert.." then I guess mayby life DOES being with "hey ya wanna?"
Which is why women today need to wake up, assert their unique female strengths and womanhood and protect what is inherently theirs while there is still time and woman spaces left to protect!
I just want to know if this is the constructionist dirt posting or the essentialist dirt posting this,. She does love to contradict herself and be intellectually dishonest in her arguments.
dirt is at it again:
Something that needs far more serious attention is the Mt"w"'s perpetual need to shove their "cocks" in womens spaces. And it makes absolutely no difference to them (Mt"w"s) whether that cock is a healthy functioning cock or a largely, or should I say tiny non functioning cock mutilated by the ME.
I'm curious how the assessment of various body parts to determining legitimacy for womanhood would be taken by dirt if the woman in question was cis? "She ain't no real chick, her tits are too small."
This is an issue that regardless of when the ME realizes its harmful "treatment" of trannyism, will not go away. This is an issue of male privilege plain and simple. Whether men suffering from a major mental disorder or the average Joe in the street, 30+ years after feminism and men STILL rightfully believe they should have access to every space on the planet, and under current patriarchal regimes they do!
Firstly, operating on the assumption that GID is a purely mental/emotional "disorder" I don't see any qualifications (aside from opinion and having a huge hate-on for trannies) for an informed critique of the treatment of GD/GID. I don't want to get into the whole biological aspect of this, but we all know that many things that were considered purely psychological "disorders" have been found to have physical causes.
But strictly speaking of the trannyism male privileged realm, these men disordered though they may be do not, will not and cannot relinquish the male privilege with which they were ALL born and raised! And really who can blame them even if this was something (which it is not btw) they could logically choose to disown?
People of color don't actually suffer from racism, I know this because white people told me so. How the hell can she make any sort of statement as to the way transitioned women experience power dynamics? I know, by erasing and denying the lived experiences of transwomen. If Transwomen benefited from male privilege then why are so many of us unemployed or under employed? Why are so many of us attacked and killed? Why are so many of us limited in the resources we may need as a result of being poor and physically assaulted? It would be nice to get some of the perks that comes with male privilege.
There are two issues that go hand in glove here; one being disorder males using their male privielge to insert themselves into women only spaces, they other more important issue being the women conditioned to allow it! It is the glove here that will remain the problem long after trannyism has been dismantled and no longer exists!
Women understanding, or trying to understand the position of Trans*women are somehow not smart enough to get past "conditioning"? What an elitist load of crap. It should be noted that this was in response to someone ASKING about a woman-born-woman policy of a website, and the site admin taking suggestions about the issue. If curiosity is the same as "males using their male privilege to insert.." then I guess mayby life DOES being with "hey ya wanna?"
Which is why women today need to wake up, assert their unique female strengths and womanhood and protect what is inherently theirs while there is still time and woman spaces left to protect!
I just want to know if this is the constructionist dirt posting or the essentialist dirt posting this,. She does love to contradict herself and be intellectually dishonest in her arguments.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Trans Misogyny
Poking around the Interweb lately I came upon a question about Trans-Misogyny and if women, even Feminist women could be trans-misogynist. Now, I'm not in Academia, I'm just a grrrl trying to make it in the big bad wrrrld. I do have my own understanding of this topic though.
Trans-Misogyny is the particular way misogyny is applied to Trans*folk. The easiest example is the double-bind trans*women are in with respect to how we present ourselves. A T-gal who wears makeup, skirts, lace, has long painted nails, and a hair-do is "trying to hard". A T-gal who has short hair, little or no makeup, a button-down shirt "may as well have remained a man". It's a take off of the Beauty Myth and "male gaze" that Feminists are familiar with - but used to discount our identity as women. The "perfect middle ground" doesn't exist for us we are either "making a mockery of womon" or we are not trying hard enough.
It also plays out in how we act. It a T-gal is demure, and soft-spoken, and likes to cook and garden, and take on a traditional woman's role in a relationship, she is reinforcing the gender binary. If a TG is loud, vocal in expressing herself, stands up for what she believes she is using her "male privilege" or has "male energy".
It isn't so much that Trans-Misogyny is worse or easier than anything. It is a term used to show how the tools of oppression are used specifically to keep transwomen in their places.
Trans-Misogyny is the particular way misogyny is applied to Trans*folk. The easiest example is the double-bind trans*women are in with respect to how we present ourselves. A T-gal who wears makeup, skirts, lace, has long painted nails, and a hair-do is "trying to hard". A T-gal who has short hair, little or no makeup, a button-down shirt "may as well have remained a man". It's a take off of the Beauty Myth and "male gaze" that Feminists are familiar with - but used to discount our identity as women. The "perfect middle ground" doesn't exist for us we are either "making a mockery of womon" or we are not trying hard enough.
It also plays out in how we act. It a T-gal is demure, and soft-spoken, and likes to cook and garden, and take on a traditional woman's role in a relationship, she is reinforcing the gender binary. If a TG is loud, vocal in expressing herself, stands up for what she believes she is using her "male privilege" or has "male energy".
It isn't so much that Trans-Misogyny is worse or easier than anything. It is a term used to show how the tools of oppression are used specifically to keep transwomen in their places.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Anti-Trans Feminists
I promised to show some feminists who were anti-trans and it didn't take long while reading about the Michigan Womyn's Music Fest policy to find dirtywhiteboi. She's a self proclaimed Butch Lesbian who seem to have an axe to grind against trans* folks. Her focus seems to be transmen, but she an equal opportunity hater. To be fair, her blog is:
www.dirtywhiteboi67.blogspot.com/
In her posts on a michfest discussion board, as well as her own blog, she has a tendency to post a comment and refuse to answer any challenges or requests for research to verify her claims. Perfect way to re frame and discount the lived experiences of people without being called out. Using her cis privilege to tell trans people what they are (diseased, narcissistic, delusional) without the uncomfortable need to view reactions or facts.
Her tactics are those of the Religious Right. Her blog is full of convenient snippets from Trans Blogs, LiveJournals, and discussion boards devoid of their proper context. She then, oh so joyfully ads her own comments, observations, and critiques.. because we all know that a cis womon is better able to tell a Trans*person what is going on in their life.
Unfortunately, she contradicts herself: (Note: I'd link to the specific article, but the pictures are a bit more risque than I'm currently comfortable showing - it's from June 26 2008 though)
"I seriously dont know which one is worse, granny on top thinking cuz she sprouted a few chinny chin chin hairs (gran? srly shave that shit) after going through "the change" she's a man, or Heart on the bottom thinking nobody knows he's not a man! HELLO! I always had my suspicions about Heart, (even battered women dont hate men that much) but that pic clinches it for me! If Heart isnt a fucking bio male I'll eat someones hat!(dirt doesnt do hats-that pesky ear sticking out issue)."
This is shown with two pictures, one of an assumed transman (or perhaps particularly butch womon) and another of an assumed cis femme who is thin and has a pronounced Adam's apple. Now DWB - you moron.. which is it - do physical traits make gender or not??? If "chin hairs" are not a determining factor to someones gender/sex identity, why question someones gender/sex identity due to the existence of a visible Adam's apple?? Both are incorrectly applied to men only. But I guess they only matter when you can make a dig on someone to erase their identity as a man, or use transsexualism as a means to questions someones biological history as a womon. Really affirming of body image there DWB - you go!!
There is soooo much to pick apart here.. so so so much. I just want to leave with two things. DWB's identity is secure as a Butch Lesbian. She can claim that identity because her life has shown that to be correct. It wasn't so long ago that Lesbianism was viewed as a mental disease, and even a form of Narcissism... "Female Inversion" was the popular term in the 20's-40's. But now, DWB can correctly claim "That her identity is a born identity".. she doesn't seem to afford Trans* people that luxury. Yes, luxury..her cis privileged allows her to minimise, re frame, other, discount, ignore the realities of being Trans while at the same time railing against Misogyny and the gender binary. It must have been a happy day when this Butch Dyke found someone else to take a crap on.
www.dirtywhiteboi67.blogspot.com/
In her posts on a michfest discussion board, as well as her own blog, she has a tendency to post a comment and refuse to answer any challenges or requests for research to verify her claims. Perfect way to re frame and discount the lived experiences of people without being called out. Using her cis privilege to tell trans people what they are (diseased, narcissistic, delusional) without the uncomfortable need to view reactions or facts.
Her tactics are those of the Religious Right. Her blog is full of convenient snippets from Trans Blogs, LiveJournals, and discussion boards devoid of their proper context. She then, oh so joyfully ads her own comments, observations, and critiques.. because we all know that a cis womon is better able to tell a Trans*person what is going on in their life.
Unfortunately, she contradicts herself: (Note: I'd link to the specific article, but the pictures are a bit more risque than I'm currently comfortable showing - it's from June 26 2008 though)
"I seriously dont know which one is worse, granny on top thinking cuz she sprouted a few chinny chin chin hairs (gran? srly shave that shit) after going through "the change" she's a man, or Heart on the bottom thinking nobody knows he's not a man! HELLO! I always had my suspicions about Heart, (even battered women dont hate men that much) but that pic clinches it for me! If Heart isnt a fucking bio male I'll eat someones hat!(dirt doesnt do hats-that pesky ear sticking out issue)."
This is shown with two pictures, one of an assumed transman (or perhaps particularly butch womon) and another of an assumed cis femme who is thin and has a pronounced Adam's apple. Now DWB - you moron.. which is it - do physical traits make gender or not??? If "chin hairs" are not a determining factor to someones gender/sex identity, why question someones gender/sex identity due to the existence of a visible Adam's apple?? Both are incorrectly applied to men only. But I guess they only matter when you can make a dig on someone to erase their identity as a man, or use transsexualism as a means to questions someones biological history as a womon. Really affirming of body image there DWB - you go!!
There is soooo much to pick apart here.. so so so much. I just want to leave with two things. DWB's identity is secure as a Butch Lesbian. She can claim that identity because her life has shown that to be correct. It wasn't so long ago that Lesbianism was viewed as a mental disease, and even a form of Narcissism... "Female Inversion" was the popular term in the 20's-40's. But now, DWB can correctly claim "That her identity is a born identity".. she doesn't seem to afford Trans* people that luxury. Yes, luxury..her cis privileged allows her to minimise, re frame, other, discount, ignore the realities of being Trans while at the same time railing against Misogyny and the gender binary. It must have been a happy day when this Butch Dyke found someone else to take a crap on.
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