Monday, January 17, 2011
Blog Post #11 Question K Repsonse
Not knowing much about transgender identity I feel I learned a lot from the article and film. In the article Julia Serano explains that a trans woman is defined as any person who was assigned a male sex at birth, but who identifies as and/or lives as a woman. I can't even imagine what it would be like to try and defend your identity in America where we live with so much discrimination. I think transgender oppression may be a topic that is almost forgotten at times and this article brought it into light for me. Understanding that they may be born as a male and eventually consider themselves a woman goes a long with the idea that people should be accepted for who they are. Not who they were, not who they can be or should be, but who they are. I feel bad that these women are looked at as being fake. I feel that no person in this country is fake, no matter what type of background you have. Julia brought up the idea that America has become a male-centered gender hierarchy, where it is assumed that men are better than women and that masculinity is superior to femininity, supports the overall idea that there in fact is male privilege present today. I feel sorry that these individuals have to fight everyday and defend who they are. In one of the opening lines of the film Beautiful Daughters one of them stated, "I now live in the female zone, but you know how they feel about immigrants." That line just broke my heart. How can these individuals who are American citizens, not immigrants, be spoken about like that. It's very sad. Cisgender people can help and become allies to give these individuals the freedom that they deserve, the freedom that we all live in. I'm not saying that cisgender people have to agree with the decisions transgenders make, but don't partake in the discrimination that shoots them down for the person they've become.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I loved that line in Beautiful Daughters as well. It is like transgender women feel as though they are fighting multiple battles from different angles.
ReplyDeleteThe article and film both opened up my eyes too, transgender discrimination never crossed my mind all that much before and now I see that theres an issue that people need to help fix. I agree that people need to be accepted for who they are, great point.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the "jokes" and "stereotypes" an
ReplyDeleteD i was completely enlightened by the concept that they have always been women with male bodies.
That line was very influential on how I viewed the battles transgender women face. I also did not know too much about transgender identity so I was able to gain a lot from the film and article too. I also completely agree with the idea that cisgender people do not have to agree with transgender people and their decisions, yet it should not be used as a base for discrimination.
ReplyDeleteI like how you said, "people should be accepted for who they are. Not who they were, not who they can be or should be, but who they are." I couldn't agree more with you. If we analyzed every aspect of someone's past, it would be nearly impossible to not find something we didn't like. Instead of ridiculing a transgender person for their past, their honestly and courage to be themselves (even if it's not considered the norm) should be appreciated.
ReplyDeleteit concerns me though that some (many?) folks seem to be learning more about transgender in college when they are young adults. I believe we need to start younger with age-appropriate messaging about all forms of diversity so that people are prepared for the realities around them. It is troubling to me that so many see education about diverse identities as an "agenda" that is pushing this "lifestyle" onto innocent children. To me, it is simply educating them about the diversity of the human family in the hopes of promoting tolerance and acceptance.
ReplyDelete