That ever popular bastion of Jesus freedom, WorldNetDaily, is hiding a Transgender Partriot! In their “Letter of the Week” they showcase the anonymous patriot. She starts out by saying
“First, before I begin, I just want to let you know that I support WND and the work you do primarily as it relates to the illegal-alien invasion and the North American Union. My feedback below doesn’t change that.”
Then goes on to say:
I feel badly that the “T” is almost always associated with the LGB as well. I often times do not agree with their politics. In fact, I almost never do. I’m very patriotic, and their politics cannot typically be characterized as patriotic.
The rest of the post is an appeal to right wing conservatives to see us as separate from the GLB community. While I don’t agree with the writer, I can understand the reasoning behind it. I’m getting rather tired of our community being treated as third rate within the larger G and L community on one end and being used as morality bait by religious conservatives on the other. Acclaimed transgender radio host and National Center for Transgender Equality Advisory Board member, Nancy Nangerioni writes:
“Ethan told me that he is being asked by a member of congress for stories of transgender persons who work successfully with children, in order to counter accusations from the opposition – mostly Republicans, I expect – that transgenders are pedophiles.”
Why are we being targeted? The Bible doesn’t mention transgender people at all.
“Last night I lay awake while this infuriating accusation rolled around my brain. I have never heard of a case of a transgender person being convicted of child molestation. I HAVE heard of Catholic priests and heterosexual men and – oh yes – Republican Congressmen being convicted as such. But never a transgender person. So why are we being asked to mount a defense against such accusation? Why are we presumed to be dangerous to children in the face of absolutely no evidence that we present any danger whatsoever to young persons?”
The answer is simple. It’s our alignment with gays and lesbians that causes our community the most grief with the conservative Christians. What do we get for this grief? We have to protest to be included into ENDA and hate crimes legislation, we get short changed in the Corporate Equality Index, and we can’t even get the head of the largest GLBT organization to ask the Democratic Party’s Presidential hopefuls more than one question about transgender issues (but they could ask 22 questions about marriage)!
I support marriage equality for gays and lesbians. But marriage equality is the number one issue with these equality groups, to the expense of our issues and our families. Is HRC working on the repeal of the Real ID act? Are they advocating against the “no match” letters that will out transgender Americans in the workplace? How about birth certificate issues? These issues are not being addressed in any substantial way, but they sure can address the bark bettle!
Would we be better off in the long run to disassociate ourselves from the GLB community?It’s times like these I wonder.
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[...] reported earlier this week that Jeffery Hancuff of the House Education and Labor committee had contacted Ethan St. Pierre. He [...]
Like it or not, and whether we work together or not, people will lump together homosexuality, s&m, transgender, intersex, and anything else that makes them think of the “naughty bits”. Especially in the USA, we are raised to be ashamed of sexuality and our own bodies.
Combine “ooh, the icky parts” with “THOSE people” and you have “ooh, THOSE people with issues about icky parts”, and that makes i easier to dismiss the real issues.
[Caution: seminarian at work. Jesus stuff follows. If this offends you, avert your eyes.]
Jesus tells of the “Good Samaritan”. A man is robbed, beaten, stripped naked and left for dead.
Two religious leaders pass by, but are afraid to even come close because – if the man is not Jewish or not alive – doing so could make them ritually unclean, forcing them to turn back to Jerusalem to be ritually cleansed. They’re unwilling to take the chance of helping because of the cost.
A Samaritan – a guy the Jews don’t like – is the one who stops and helps. He follows the same law, but is so moved that he can’t continue without helping. He risks being unclean, takes the man to an inn, and even pays for the man’s stay to be healed.
The lesson is in the love, in the caring. It is so easy for people to pass us by and say “I don’t want to get involved, to dirty myself by associating with people my church says are dirty”. After all, there are costs involved. People could be called “queer lovers”.
Yet it is not appearance of being clean that counts. Family, community, nations cannot be built of people who are afraid to get a little dirty.
Let the self-righteous pass by. They don’t know who they’re passing by. It could be one of their friends. It is certainly one of their fellow humans.
We – those society often calls “the other” – are the Samaritans who often stop to help. We see our brothers and sisters bruised, broken, and bare on the roadside, and are moved with compassion. We know. We have been there too.
Like it or not, and whether we work together or not, people will lump together homosexuality, s&m, transgender, intersex, and anything else that makes them think of the “naughty bits”. Especially in the USA, we are raised to be ashamed of sexuality and our own bodies.
Combine “ooh, the icky parts” with “THOSE people” and you have “ooh, THOSE people with issues about icky parts”, and that makes i easier to dismiss the real issues.
[Caution: seminarian at work. Jesus stuff follows. If this offends you, avert your eyes.]
Jesus tells of the “Good Samaritan”. A man is robbed, beaten, stripped naked and left for dead.
Two religious leaders pass by, but are afraid to even come close because – if the man is not Jewish or not alive – doing so could make them ritually unclean, forcing them to turn back to Jerusalem to be ritually cleansed. They’re unwilling to take the chance of helping because of the cost.
A Samaritan – a guy the Jews don’t like – is the one who stops and helps. He follows the same law, but is so moved that he can’t continue without helping. He risks being unclean, takes the man to an inn, and even pays for the man’s stay to be healed.
The lesson is in the love, in the caring. It is so easy for people to pass us by and say “I don’t want to get involved, to dirty myself by associating with people my church says are dirty”. After all, there are costs involved. People could be called “queer lovers”.
Yet it is not appearance of being clean that counts. Family, community, nations cannot be built of people who are afraid to get a little dirty.
Let the self-righteous pass by. They don’t know who they’re passing by. It could be one of their friends. It is certainly one of their fellow humans.
We – those society often calls “the other” – are the Samaritans who often stop to help. We see our brothers and sisters bruised, broken, and bare on the roadside, and are moved with compassion. We know. We have been there too.
the patriarchy will be happy to learn that its nefarious plan to keep minorities divided is performing as expected. martin luther king said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, because he understood that to divide is to conquer. unless we as people of transgender history align ourselves with *all* minorities, *all* of us are beaten. the patriarchy is only a majority when the minorities are divided. when we combine ourselves into one force, fighting for justice for all, we become the majority.
the patriarchy will be happy to learn that its nefarious plan to keep minorities divided is performing as expected. martin luther king said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”, because he understood that to divide is to conquer. unless we as people of transgender history align ourselves with *all* minorities, *all* of us are beaten. the patriarchy is only a majority when the minorities are divided. when we combine ourselves into one force, fighting for justice for all, we become the majority.
“The homosexual fight is not OUR fight. The homosexual agenda is not OUR agenda. Their issues are most definitely NOT our issues. If one wants to wave the GLB flag, I support you in doing so…knock yourself out. But do it as a gay or lesbian, not as a transsexual. As for the crossdressers…who cares.”
==========================
Firstly – it’s hilarious that a transsexual is trying to align herself with the bigots at the Wing Nut Daily. Will she try and align herself next with the Christian Identity folks or the KKK?
But, Susan – I care. Though I don’t much care for the attitude that all struggles for equality aren’t connected. Or people who are so politiclly naive as to think that that progress occurs without coalitions. That we wouldn’t have gotten into ENDA without support within the Leadership Council on Civil Rights from GLB, African American, Latino, Asian, Native American and Jewish organizational allies. You sound rather like Chris Crain saying “Shame on you Joe” for HRC making a statement in support of the Jena 6. One of the few times I’ve unequivocally supported HRC.
Like you – I also refuse to be defined completely divorced from my sexual orientation – many transgender and transsexual MEN and WOMEN identify as gay or lesbian. Indeed – many straight transsexual women came out in gay bars as safer social spaces to explore their identities, started out defining themselves as crossdressers before being able to verbalize their true selves, started out defining themselves as gay or lesbian (particularly in some minority communities) before being able to verbalize their true selves (are you completely unaware or the discussion in the lesbian community over how many people from their community are coming out as transsexual men?). We benefit from health services at LGBT clinics and have LGB family members.
When you say transsexuals did just fine – what statistics are you using to base that on? Or do you mean straight, white, middle & upper class transsexual women who were able to afford treatment and maintain employment? Certainly you’re not referring to all the transsexual children who were thrown out of their homes by their families and had to try and make it on the street. You are aware that the Baltimore homeless census that came out last week showed that 7% of the kids in shelters are transgender? I don’t think LGB people or crossdressers did that – straight people did. Their families did. Are they doing just fine?
But – on to Marti’s other question. We have every type of person in our community – sadly – just like non-transgender people we have some who are thieves, religious bigots, racists, homophobic, elitists and even pedophiles. Though I think it likely have fewer per capita than other communities. And given that we are a small part of the population it’s straight, non-transgender people who violate most of these children – even if we have the same rate per capita.
I do know transsexual folks who stayed away from employment with kids from fear of this stereotype – and this goes back decades. I’m not sure that the best way to counter it is to only showcase stories of transfolks who work in the area. I think it’s perhaps more important to show transgender folks with their own children. That undercuts several stereotypes. We’re part of families, we have children and care for them. Who is more angry at abuse of children than a parent? How can one deny or denigrate the love in these families without looking pathetic and evil?
“The homosexual fight is not OUR fight. The homosexual agenda is not OUR agenda. Their issues are most definitely NOT our issues. If one wants to wave the GLB flag, I support you in doing so…knock yourself out. But do it as a gay or lesbian, not as a transsexual. As for the crossdressers…who cares.”
==========================
Firstly – it’s hilarious that a transsexual is trying to align herself with the bigots at the Wing Nut Daily. Will she try and align herself next with the Christian Identity folks or the KKK?
But, Susan – I care. Though I don’t much care for the attitude that all struggles for equality aren’t connected. Or people who are so politiclly naive as to think that that progress occurs without coalitions. That we wouldn’t have gotten into ENDA without support within the Leadership Council on Civil Rights from GLB, African American, Latino, Asian, Native American and Jewish organizational allies. You sound rather like Chris Crain saying “Shame on you Joe” for HRC making a statement in support of the Jena 6. One of the few times I’ve unequivocally supported HRC.
Like you – I also refuse to be defined completely divorced from my sexual orientation – many transgender and transsexual MEN and WOMEN identify as gay or lesbian. Indeed – many straight transsexual women came out in gay bars as safer social spaces to explore their identities, started out defining themselves as crossdressers before being able to verbalize their true selves, started out defining themselves as gay or lesbian (particularly in some minority communities) before being able to verbalize their true selves (are you completely unaware or the discussion in the lesbian community over how many people from their community are coming out as transsexual men?). We benefit from health services at LGBT clinics and have LGB family members.
When you say transsexuals did just fine – what statistics are you using to base that on? Or do you mean straight, white, middle & upper class transsexual women who were able to afford treatment and maintain employment? Certainly you’re not referring to all the transsexual children who were thrown out of their homes by their families and had to try and make it on the street. You are aware that the Baltimore homeless census that came out last week showed that 7% of the kids in shelters are transgender? I don’t think LGB people or crossdressers did that – straight people did. Their families did. Are they doing just fine?
But – on to Marti’s other question. We have every type of person in our community – sadly – just like non-transgender people we have some who are thieves, religious bigots, racists, homophobic, elitists and even pedophiles. Though I think it likely have fewer per capita than other communities. And given that we are a small part of the population it’s straight, non-transgender people who violate most of these children – even if we have the same rate per capita.
I do know transsexual folks who stayed away from employment with kids from fear of this stereotype – and this goes back decades. I’m not sure that the best way to counter it is to only showcase stories of transfolks who work in the area. I think it’s perhaps more important to show transgender folks with their own children. That undercuts several stereotypes. We’re part of families, we have children and care for them. Who is more angry at abuse of children than a parent? How can one deny or denigrate the love in these families without looking pathetic and evil?
As I was writing my post, Susan chimed in and it’s crap like this that irritates me to no end. Get off your damn high horse and get real. How can you say our cause is not related to that of gays and lesbians? Is being gay or lesbian not about breaking the gender norm? As for your take on crossdressers and such, why not just live and let live. As a transsexual woman who is about as liberal as you can get, I like to think that we are one big human family and I’ll fight just as hard for someone else’s rights as I will my own.
Finally, I have to say that my friends in the GLBT community that you so despise have worked tirelessly to see that I am included and that my rights are given the same respect as anyone elses. In our battle with the school system, they have stated from the get go that it is all or nothing. They know that they could pass a sexual orientation only policy much easier, but you know what, they believe in equality for all. I for one think that’s pretty damn important.
I’m sure you will take offense with what I say here and that’s fine, it’s your right, but do know that there are a lot of groups and organizations out there that see the big picture and that picture is inclusive and focuses on the real rights and issues. As my friend Mike said to me today, marriage was already illegal for him and while he would love to have it, what matters more is that people like me have the ability to be gainfully employed and live my life with dignity. So yeah, I walk with my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And yes, the crossdressers are welcome too.
As I was writing my post, Susan chimed in and it’s crap like this that irritates me to no end. Get off your damn high horse and get real. How can you say our cause is not related to that of gays and lesbians? Is being gay or lesbian not about breaking the gender norm? As for your take on crossdressers and such, why not just live and let live. As a transsexual woman who is about as liberal as you can get, I like to think that we are one big human family and I’ll fight just as hard for someone else’s rights as I will my own.
Finally, I have to say that my friends in the GLBT community that you so despise have worked tirelessly to see that I am included and that my rights are given the same respect as anyone elses. In our battle with the school system, they have stated from the get go that it is all or nothing. They know that they could pass a sexual orientation only policy much easier, but you know what, they believe in equality for all. I for one think that’s pretty damn important.
I’m sure you will take offense with what I say here and that’s fine, it’s your right, but do know that there are a lot of groups and organizations out there that see the big picture and that picture is inclusive and focuses on the real rights and issues. As my friend Mike said to me today, marriage was already illegal for him and while he would love to have it, what matters more is that people like me have the ability to be gainfully employed and live my life with dignity. So yeah, I walk with my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And yes, the crossdressers are welcome too.
While I share your frustration with HRC and many aspect of other national organizations, but from a local perspective, the T has long been a very important part of the GLBT community. Louisville is a liberal city in a conservative state and our local GLBT rights group, Louisville Fairness, is a stalwart advocate for the rights of all who identify as transgender or gender queer.
When Fairness began the campaign to get an ordinance passed prohibiting discrimination, they were insistent from day one to include Gender Identity. And you know what, it worked just fine. Since 1999 we have had a law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accomodations based upon sexual orientation and gender identiy. Today, Fairness is working with the local teachers union, of which I am a member and the only transgender teacher in the district, to add similar language to our contract. It appears that in two weeks, we will have just that.
My point is, there are a lot of local groups that do good work. I can tell you that Fairness has no love for HRC as the goals of HRC are not in line with what we do here in Louisville. We work on all issues, not just marriage. We work to battle poverty, hunger, racism and employment justice. We are working to stop mountain top removal mining, elect progressive politicians, of which we have been fairly successful and we still find time to advocate for all members of the community. At leaast here in Louisville, a city of one million in the south, being T and being associated with the GL and B is a good thing.
So yeah, I here you on HRC, but they are supporting full inclusive END and that’s progress. As I was saying today to a friend of mine at Fairness, and he agreed, “what naturally brings us together is that all of us, the G, the L, the B and the T are constantly waging war against an oppresive binary gender system. We break the rules set by the gender police and because of that, we are much the same.
That’s my two cents worth.
While I share your frustration with HRC and many aspect of other national organizations, but from a local perspective, the T has long been a very important part of the GLBT community. Louisville is a liberal city in a conservative state and our local GLBT rights group, Louisville Fairness, is a stalwart advocate for the rights of all who identify as transgender or gender queer.
When Fairness began the campaign to get an ordinance passed prohibiting discrimination, they were insistent from day one to include Gender Identity. And you know what, it worked just fine. Since 1999 we have had a law prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accomodations based upon sexual orientation and gender identiy. Today, Fairness is working with the local teachers union, of which I am a member and the only transgender teacher in the district, to add similar language to our contract. It appears that in two weeks, we will have just that.
My point is, there are a lot of local groups that do good work. I can tell you that Fairness has no love for HRC as the goals of HRC are not in line with what we do here in Louisville. We work on all issues, not just marriage. We work to battle poverty, hunger, racism and employment justice. We are working to stop mountain top removal mining, elect progressive politicians, of which we have been fairly successful and we still find time to advocate for all members of the community. At leaast here in Louisville, a city of one million in the south, being T and being associated with the GL and B is a good thing.
So yeah, I here you on HRC, but they are supporting full inclusive END and that’s progress. As I was saying today to a friend of mine at Fairness, and he agreed, “what naturally brings us together is that all of us, the G, the L, the B and the T are constantly waging war against an oppresive binary gender system. We break the rules set by the gender police and because of that, we are much the same.
That’s my two cents worth.
Whoever is responsible for the “T” in GLBt should be drawn, quartered, tarred, feathered, and rode out of town on a rail. It is the most absurd association on the planet and, frankly, it makes me nauseated every time I see those four letters. It does nothing but draw unwanted attention to us, has no basis other than to further the sterotype that we are simply gay men who have gone to the ultimate extreme, buddies us up to the crossdressers as though there actually are simularities, and increases the homosexual movement’s numbers as they fight for their rights at the expense of compromising ours. Transsexuals did just fine before some idiot, or group of idiots, decided to align us with the GLB movement and crossdressers.
Of course we are drawn into the gay movement’s battles. Is that a big surprise? One can’t read anything – anywhere – without getting the impression that we are joined at the hip with the homosexual movement. How anyone other than a deaf, mute, halfwit could think we are anything BUT homosexual should surprise no one. If I had a dollar for every time I saw the acronym “GLBT” in transsexual blogs, on TV specials, media articles, written interviews, and web sites advertised as “educational”, I would be a millionaire. And for what? So the insecure and illadvised transitioner can say they belong to a “community”? So the same group can have a mutual pity party with yet another group that is discriminated against? So the crossdressers and weekend women can stand beside us as though they are in some way similar and actually can “idenify”. We don’t want to be identified as men who are simply in love with the idea of being a woman. We don’t want to be identified as homosexual men who only undergo the transitioning ordeal and GRS because having gender surgery is the only way we can justify having sex with a heterosexual man. Certainly we refute the theories of autogynephilia. Yet, some preach and praise the homosexual movement as the party line…as though their success is the Holy Grail of OUR success…as though we actually have something in common with them. The only TS’s, pre or post op, who have anything in common with the GLB movement are those who are homosexual. Granted, by the amount of blog posts by the so-called TS “lesbians”, often in love with yet another TS, that may be a considerable number of people, nonetheless, the common ground is that they are homosexual, not that they are TS. As the majority of us who are not homosexual generally don’t participate in the debate, it might be worth adding that we ARE indeed out there…and it is the ultimate personal embarassment to be included, by proxy, in discussion that insinuates all TS’s support the GLBT association, regardless of their sexual orientation.
The homosexual fight is not OUR fight. The homosexual agenda is not OUR agenda. Their issues are most definitely NOT our issues. If one wants to wave the GLB flag, I support you in doing so…knock yourself out. But do it as a gay or lesbian, not as a transsexual. As for the crossdressers…who cares.
Whoever is responsible for the “T” in GLBt should be drawn, quartered, tarred, feathered, and rode out of town on a rail. It is the most absurd association on the planet and, frankly, it makes me nauseated every time I see those four letters. It does nothing but draw unwanted attention to us, has no basis other than to further the sterotype that we are simply gay men who have gone to the ultimate extreme, buddies us up to the crossdressers as though there actually are simularities, and increases the homosexual movement’s numbers as they fight for their rights at the expense of compromising ours. Transsexuals did just fine before some idiot, or group of idiots, decided to align us with the GLB movement and crossdressers.
Of course we are drawn into the gay movement’s battles. Is that a big surprise? One can’t read anything – anywhere – without getting the impression that we are joined at the hip with the homosexual movement. How anyone other than a deaf, mute, halfwit could think we are anything BUT homosexual should surprise no one. If I had a dollar for every time I saw the acronym “GLBT” in transsexual blogs, on TV specials, media articles, written interviews, and web sites advertised as “educational”, I would be a millionaire. And for what? So the insecure and illadvised transitioner can say they belong to a “community”? So the same group can have a mutual pity party with yet another group that is discriminated against? So the crossdressers and weekend women can stand beside us as though they are in some way similar and actually can “idenify”. We don’t want to be identified as men who are simply in love with the idea of being a woman. We don’t want to be identified as homosexual men who only undergo the transitioning ordeal and GRS because having gender surgery is the only way we can justify having sex with a heterosexual man. Certainly we refute the theories of autogynephilia. Yet, some preach and praise the homosexual movement as the party line…as though their success is the Holy Grail of OUR success…as though we actually have something in common with them. The only TS’s, pre or post op, who have anything in common with the GLB movement are those who are homosexual. Granted, by the amount of blog posts by the so-called TS “lesbians”, often in love with yet another TS, that may be a considerable number of people, nonetheless, the common ground is that they are homosexual, not that they are TS. As the majority of us who are not homosexual generally don’t participate in the debate, it might be worth adding that we ARE indeed out there…and it is the ultimate personal embarassment to be included, by proxy, in discussion that insinuates all TS’s support the GLBT association, regardless of their sexual orientation.
The homosexual fight is not OUR fight. The homosexual agenda is not OUR agenda. Their issues are most definitely NOT our issues. If one wants to wave the GLB flag, I support you in doing so…knock yourself out. But do it as a gay or lesbian, not as a transsexual. As for the crossdressers…who cares.