Here! #TransforObama
Trans United Bloggers
As I did last time around, I’m looking for bloggers who would be willing to write about the Trans United for Obama volunteer effort. Since the bloggers themselves might not see this post, I’d love for anyone who does to recommend blogs and people who they think would be great.
I’d like trans people of course, but also allies, family, friends = you name it.
Thanks.
Not “It”
But Bellifemine should have left well enough alone. After the episode aired, someone on Twitter wrote to him, “Dude you made out with a dude.” He responded: “hahaha nah I didn’t. It give me a kiss on the cheek.”
You don’t refer to human being as “it”. Ever. For any reason. That is not specific to trans people or people with unidentifiable genders.
Is this really that hard? Stop being assholes, people.
Trans People @ Pride
A young trans guy out on Long Island gets called a “girlboy” by some young gay men at Pride.
Why am I not surprised?
Because the ignorance within the LGBQ about trans identities – and even basic etiquette – is often just as bad as it is in the rest of the world.
It makes me tired and sad.
So here are some simple rules to remember:
- Don’t ask trans people about their genitals.
- Don’t be surprised if someone you hook up with at Pride has genitals you didn’t expect.
- If you think someone is “really” some gender that doesn’t match the pronoun you’re using, it is not up to you to decide that person’s gender. In other words, respect other people’s ability to self-identify.
- Learn something about genderqueer people. Learn how to use gender neutral pronouns.
- Every person who is male bodied who is tall and wearing a wig is NOT a drag queen.
- There are straight-identified trans people. Some of them will be at pride events. Deal.
Okay, that’s all for now. Although reading yesterday’s post – about how to be a good ally within a movement in which you may have more privilege than others – say if you’re a gay white man, perhaps, for instance, at pride – isn’t a bad idea, either. Continue reading “Trans People @ Pride”
Allied
My friend Dylan found this article on what it means to be an ally – and therefore given more power & privilege than the group you’re working for, and I find it echoes a lot of my experience.
These four points especially:
- We don’t *need* the movement: we can leave at any time. This means we are more free to piss people off etc
- Outsiders to the movement will reward us more. We’ll be seen as more generous, heroic etc for our efforts in the movement, and probably given more respect, airtime and resources as a result. Sometimes this results in really tangible benefits like research grants, book deals, employment.
- Insiders in the movement will reward and value us more, knowing that outsiders will value us, and that therefore we’re useful spokespeople and a legitimising presence. This means that sometimes we can get our way by threatening to leave. Even without threats, people will be eager to appease and placate us.
- Because we’re usually still able to access the various kinds of support and resources open to us outside the groups we are allies to, that means we have two areas to draw on, whereas non-ally activists have only their own communities’ support and resources.
Very, very good thoughtful stuff, and unlike many other articles on the subject, it actually provides useful ways of defeating, or subverting, those kinds of power.
Trans United for Obama Launches Nationwide Volunteer Effort
WASHINGTON, June 8 — Trans United for Obama, a national volunteer effort, has launched a campaign to rally transgender people, their allies, families, and supporters in the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama.
The campaign, organized by a group of transgender advocates, educators, bloggers, authors, and their families and allies, aims to educate people about the historic changes that the Obama Administration has accomplished in the past three and a half years to secure equal rights and protections for all Americans, including transgender people.
Among the victories achieved during President Obama’s first term is the removal of onerous and outdated requirements to change gender markers on legal documents such as passports, immigration documents, federal employee records, Veterans’ Administration records, and birth certificates for American citizens born outside of the US. In addition, discrimination based on gender identity is now banned in areas like federal employment and public housing programs, and President Obama signed the first federal law aimed at addressing the rampant violence that transgender people face.
Trans United for Obama (TU4O) will work closely with the president’s campaign and will hold regular national calls to coordinate and boost trans and allied people’s participation in the re-election campaign. One of its goals is to register new trans voters and support others who may be prevented or discouraged from voting by new and discriminatory voter ID laws in several states. Supporters can register at the website to volunteer, donate money to the campaign through the grassroots fundraising site, and express their support for the re-election of President Obama and for his ongoing efforts to secure equal rights for transgender Americans.
Trans United for Obama can be found at http://www.transunitedforobama.org/index.html.
To learn more about the Trans United for Obama campaign, follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TransUnited4Obama
Miss Rhode Island
Problematic bits to her answer, but she still came down on the right side of this question. And the audience agreed enthusiastically.
So I’ll shut up about the whole beauty pageant issue for now. Ahem.
Feinberg Arrested
I can’t even say anything about the results of the WI recall election, so instead: Leslie Feinberg got hirself arrested today in solidarity with CeCe McDonald.
Which gives me some kind of hope.
Feinberg’s statement follows:
CeCe McDonald to be Housed in Male Prison
Some news even undoes my ability to channel my frustration and I just cry my eyes out instead. I can’t believe this news. I can’t believe how inhuman people can be – in general, but to trans women of color in particular.
She fought off bigots who were trying to hurt or kill her & her friends because she is trans and black, and because one of those bigots died of the wounds inflicted, she will be serving time in a male prison.
My heart goes out to her and her family and her friends, and to all of the trans community. This is heart-breaking and horrible.
CeCe Sentenced
According to Mara Keisling, ED of NCTE, “Cece sentenced to 41 months minus time served (about 275 days).”
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