I have said many times that our consciousness around gender is evolving much more quickly than the language used to describe it. If these transgender activists wish to get rid of the word tranny because it’s hurtful and offensive, I would like to know which other words they would rather use to describe people who inhabit the spaces between traditional gender representations. What are the acceptable words for those of us who refuse to identify as male or female? Please let us know. Because on most legal forms, we don’t exist. If you were born male or female, or if you’ve transitioned to male or female physically and legally, and are able to live comfortably under one of those rubrics, then there is a box for you to check. But what about the rest of us? If there is no language, do we not exist? FYI, whether there are other words or not: We’re here. We’re Trannies. Get used to it! Instead of asking the world to banish certain words, we should be fighting for the inclusion of more, so that those of us who don’t identify as male or female are no longer forced to lie about ourselves and what we are every time we fill out a form.
Hey, M and F! Give me a T!!!!”
— Tony Award-nominated performance artist Mx Justin Vivian Bond in a brilliantly-written essay for The Stranger that in a reasonable world would settle the debate over word policing once and for all
Qjersey
Preach Justin!
Should we suggest the pronouns Te, tem, tes?
hotboyvb81
Justin was in ShortBus, right? Very sensible and well written!
michael mellor
Why do you need a label? Male and female are sufficient. Anything else is a thought process.
Transgender is a completely phony word that was invented by identity politicians. You’re either male or female biologically.
Billy Budd
I totally agree with her regarding the word T*annies. But I don’t agree that we should include a T in the forms and questionnaires.
inbama
The only solution is to have a building constructed on every city block that consists of nothing but hundreds of single-stall restrooms.
This way we can accommodate as many genders as this new generation can invent, and no one will be endangered or feel disrespected.
Bryant
There are several words that have been made for this though. Words like genderqueer, genderfuck, androgynous, etc. are all more up-to-date words that have rendered the T word unnecessary.
tdx3fan
I most definitely have transgender related tendencies. However, I have no idea what language to use not to be offensive to the community, and since it seems to change every single year, I am always lost in what I should say, and what word to use.
I also highly believe that the word does not mean nearly as much as the intention, and we need to stop being so incredibly offended so incredibly easily.
tdx3fan
@michael mellor: You need to do some research or shut your mouth or both. You are completely, completely, completely wrong. Biologically speaking you are just so incredibly wrong. For starters, gender is not a biological concept to begin with. However, if it was, there are MANY combinations of chromosomes beyond the general male and female (sex) combinations. You just sound so incredibly ignorant on this matter. You really should educate yourself about it before venturing your insanely warped opinion.
tdx3fan
@Billy Budd: We ABSOLUTELY should include a Transgender Person option in the forms we fill out. The center where I work already has this in the forms because it allows people to feel included and helps us to gather more information.
tdx3fan
@inbama: This new generation did not invent any genders. There is no excuse for non-unisex bathrooms in most every single place. The only excuse you can possibly come to is that it makes you feel wrong or bad when you use these things because of societal brainwashing that we should be ashamed of our sexual organs. That is the same logic that the fundies use. Do you want to be on that same level?
GeriHew
@michael mellor: You really should have heard about people who are intersex by now. Even Oprah’s done a show on the subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9a1rXOpIuc
Cam
Anybody notice how the original person who attacked RuPaul over that word and launched this whole thing (Parker Malloy) has completely shut up and is hiding trembling like a frightened closet case in their little closet?
Must be easy to write the occasional blog, lob bombs at people more famous and then run and hide.
Justin Bond makes an interesting point, it’s a shame that we won’t hear a well reasoned response from the enraged, anti-gay, anti-lesbian fringe from the transgender community for it. No, they will name call, feign outrage and call Bond a list of names, but most likely won’t have a reasoned response to this.
Teeth
Justin lives a reality that gives her permission to use the words that work for her. I 100% support the statement. And PS: saw her show at Fiensteins last week— absolutely charming and lovely.
inbama
@tdx3fan:
If you want to be taken seriously, don’t ever accuse anyone who makes a controversial statement “as being on the same side as the fundies.” That merely shuts down rational conversation – much like the transgenders who resort to the suicide threat if you don’t surrender to Transfeminist ideology.
Yes. Optional unisex restrooms are a definitive solution. In the late 60s/early 70s, we thought we’d all be going to unisex bathrooms, but for the general public, that just doesn’t happen.
Gays and lesbians need to be careful as change is coming at such great speed on transgender issues, that we will as well be swept up in the inevitable backlash. Yes, we should advocate accommodating transgender people in society (which is our goal for ourselves). Transfeminists, however, are trying to reinvent society in the image of their politics. In Slate today, there’s an article against calling babies “girls” or “boys” on the chance they may be transgender. A school district in Vancouver has introduced three pronouns for use instead of “he” or “she.”
When everyone has their own personal gender, the word ceases to have any meaning.
In another post, you mentioned having “transgender tendencies.” 80 percent of Childhood Gender Variants are actually gays and lesbians who generally do not understand and accept their sexual orientation until puberty (this is why I am firmly against the abuse of so-called “puberty blockers”) As evidence accumulates that gay men have somewhat feminized brains (which is what transgender men also have, they don’t have “women’s brains” in the “wrong body”)it is not unusual to have other feminine aspects besides just loving men. This is why studies show straights can pick us out over 60 percent of the time. We’re generally not as butch as some of us like to pretend.
Tracy Pope
@GeriHew: @tdx3fan: Please stop feeding the trolls. Michael Mellor is just another alias for a JimBryant.
@Bryant: You may believe “t*4nny” is unnecessary but for me the alternatives you mentioned are more offensive than that.
debinqueens
@Teeth: justin is not a “her,” and doesn’t identify as such. dude doesn’t speak for the community of trans women, any more than RuPaul or Tony Curtis.
debinqueens
@Cam: really have no interest in what a bunch of gay dudes have to say about the trans community. sort of like the zionist take on Islam.
michael mellor
Transgenderism is a thought process, not a reality.
Calling yourself “transgender” is just a cute way of saying you submit to stereotypes of the opposite sex.
Cam
@debinqueens: said,,,,”@Cam: really have no interest in what a bunch of gay dudes have to say about the trans community. sort of like the zionist take on Islam.”
____________________________
Funny isn’t it, you fringe members of the Trans community want the LGB’s to completely care about what you want, what you say, and worry about what they can do for you. But look at your comment. Thank you for finally being honest and admitting that you have absolutely no concern or interest in what the other members of the LGBT community say.
Funny, if you didn’t care then why bother to attack RuPaul.
And as for your comment as a whole. All you did is admit that I hit the nail on the head, and you couldn’t come up with a rational intelligent response to my comment.
So thank you for admitting two things.
1. That you want the LGB’s to care about what you say but you couldn’t give a crap what we say.
2. That you are not intelligent enough to engage in a debate, explain your position, and cannot even intelligently discuss your opinion. How sad for you.
Teeth
@debinqueens: Thanks for the rigteous indignation, McDouch. But check yourself. I wrote a nice review for JV on facebook, and she texted me and asked me to change the prnouns to she.
Jacob23
Justin Vivian’s response is pointless, because the trans activists’ complaints are not about the word “tr@nny” or any other word. The whole point of the T-word controversy is to give trans activists a reason to attack others and deflect their anger onto others. If the T-word disappeared tomorrow morning, there would be a new “offensive” word or phrase identified by lunchtime and a new wave of outrage by the afternoon.
The point is to always be complaining, to always be judging, to always be attacking. As long as they are attacking others, they never have to look at themselves. And since they only attack progressive people and LGB people, they usually get the twisted thrill of seeing their target beg and grovel for forgiveness for the contrived transgression. The best response to this pathology is to repudiate “LGBT” and to ignore any further demands or complaints from these trans activists.
DarkZephyr
@debinqueens: Justin doesn’t identify as a “dude” either. Thank’s for exposing yourself as the big fat hypocrite that you are.
hex0
If a man can become a woman and vice versa (you can’t) surely using trans logic Mr Bond can be “genderqueer”. Thus I don’t get why frustrated trans are saying he’s a gay man and can’t say tr@nny when he doesn’t think of himself as one.