Transphobia

In the same way that Homophobia is the fear and disgust of Homosexuals, Transphobia is the fear and disgust of Transsexuals. Even the word Transphobia is underlined by red even as I type this, showing the lack of mainstream attention towards bigotry directed towards the trans community.

Why is Transphobia and even the discussion of Transgenderism so largely ignored in the mainstream media, especially with gay rights being hotly debated by the supreme court as of late. You'd think the T in LGBT would be getting some representation at the very least.

I bring this up because Transphobia is way more ingrained in all of us than Homophobia. Many people have come around to the idea that two men or two women can love each other, but the idea that someone's gender identity doesn't match their bodily sex is still largely considered alien to the masses. I believe part of this is because people view gender identity as something inherent that always matches the body, while they view sexual attraction as something that can be changed across a population of people.

Transphobia isn't limited to transsexuals (those who take hormones and have surgery), but it's also limited to those who don't fit societies definition of men and women. Long hair on men is often banned in the workforce, as well as "immodest dress" for women. Men and Women who do things that aren't stereotypically masculine and feminine are subject to bigotry, stemming from Transphobia.

Surprisngly, radical feminists are perhaps the biggest opponents to trans rights. It's ironic because you'd expect this type of bigotry to come from the religious right, but nope, many radical second wave feminists are against transsexuals simply because they believe 100% of gender traits are socially constructed and the idea that a person has a specific gender identity, even if it's one pertaining to the opposite sex, flies right in the face of that. Here's one of those feminists: http://bugbrennan.com/
She has even protested a bill that would protect against gender identity discrimination, which is ironic because many feminists want those protections from gender bias in the workforce, but she doesn't want them for trans individuals, who are also discriminated against in the same way.

There's been numerous threads from the religious right members here about how all transsexuals are disgusting and that conservatives shouldn't have to look at them, but I'm creating this thread to at least discuss those statements and to discuss why people have that view of transsexuals. Transphobia is a problem that isn't given the same amount of discussion that other civil rights groups get, and so I'm hoping a good discussion will flourish here.

So what's your opinion of transsexuals and do you think it's a problem facing our culture?

 

My opinion of any individual depends on that individual; their behavior, demeanor, and the ideas they express.

I don't think it's a problem for our culture; I think it brings to light a larger problem within our culture - the ease with which people hate anyone they perceive as different or non-conforming.

 

Are dudes who get their junk snipped, and dress up as chicks a cultural problem, not really. They're just dudes who get their junk snipped, and dress up like chicks.

 

Women transition to living as men as well.

 

why would anyone be afraid of a guy dressed as a woman or a woman dressed as a guy?

Heck, there are shows in Vegas filled with cross dressers and they are funny and well attended

 

It's only a phobia if the reaction is irrational. It's completely rational and normal to find those lifestyle repulsive. You need to be trained to think otherwise.

 

Why do I need to be trained to be a bigot?

 

Indeed. People have to be taught to hate. But why should they?

 

Hate has nothing to do with it. It's like seeing a person with a face destroyed from burns. You don't hate them just because they are damaged but you have a natural repellent reaction. That's all.

 

Except you cannot see people's sexual orientation, so how exactly do you become repulsed unless they openly state they are?

If you knew a gay man for years and years and you had been friends for a decade long and one day he revealed to you that he was gay and did in fact have a boyfriend would you look at him differently and be repulsed by him? Really?

 

I dont see anything wrong with people identifying as a different sex or people being attracted to the same sex. I see the decision to get the sex change as a form of self mutilation though. Hard to understand how someone could make such a horrifying final decision like that and it not be out of an obsessive self hatred. I think its unfortunate that there are doctors out there willing to assist with surgery and medicine but I also think these things are personal.

I suppose. Maybe. With appearance I think its moreso about homophobia. They, bigots see transexuals as expressions of homosexuality maybe even in its purest form. if you are a woman dressed masculine or a man dressed feminine you look gay, even though every look can be gay. They're thinking about sex not gender identity or fashion. They're afraid of being attracted to the same sex - either that or they are attracted and that's just how they treat anyone they feel sexual attraction for.

With the workforce there are all kinds of variations and reasons for appearance restrictions. I don't think it works to argue dress code is an example of cultural transphobia or homophobia

 

Because it's a word that you made up and isn't in any dictionary.

Anyone who'd want to identify as part of a "transgender community" needs more help than any amount of affirmative action would ever provide them.

Well gosh, it could be the fact that 'transgenders' make up a whopping 0.3% of the population.

I fail to see what transgenderism has to do with being gay anyway. Other than the idea that some gay men and women might identify and adopt the mannerisms of the opposite sex I see no real connection.

Ideally I'd like it if the entire LGBT movement was disbanded and that insecure people who feel the need to forge an 'identity' based on their plumbing preferences, or whether they like to go out in drag - would realize how silly that is and find a real source of individuality.

Pure non sequiter.

I don't know of anyone who perceives "long hair on men" as feminine in this day and age. If anything it's associated with 'stoners' or and the like and is considered 'unprofessional'. This is the same reason many workplaces don't allow long beards on men - because we all know that long beards on men are 'feminine' - uh... yeah.

As far as 'immodest dress' - well a woman can make a nice 6 figure income at a high-end Vegas Gentlemen's club by 'dressing immodestly'.

I'm curious what you mean when you refer to "gender identity discrimination". So you're saying a tranny has a "right" to come to work dressed in drag just because they 'identify' as transgender?

Well then what if someone identifies as a 'goth' - why shouldn't they have a "right" to come to work dressed like Marilyn Manson? Or what about a nudist? It's their 'identity' - what makes it any 'less' of an identity than someone who's 'identity' is transgender, and who are you to unilaterally discriminate against them? "A tranny has a 'right' to cross-dress in the workplace because that's who they are - but a goth, or a nudist has to dress how I decide - because they aren't 'legitimate identities'?

This is where the insanity of your argument lies. A workplace should have a right to decide their own dress code without the govt stepping just because some employee wants to whine that they "can't dress exactly how they want". And if you want to wear long hair to work, then nothing's stopping you from going out and finding a job that allows it. Most bars I go to have no problem with long hair, or beards, or tattoos on men. And I'm pretty sure there's plenty of gay bars that'd have no problem with trannies either.

Why would I want me or my kids to look at it? Why would I want to have to explain to my 5 year old kid why "Uncle Bob" started calling himself "Roberta" and now dresses like a woman - and that some men apparently think that their girls, and decide to have their genitals mutilated?

No I don't, I think civil rights 'groups' based on the type of sex you enjoy, or whether or not you enjoy going out in drag, are a problem facing our culture. As well as the fact that there are people who think that being able to go to work in drag is a more 'pressing issue' in this day and age than our economy, crime, unemployment, etc

 

It's nice to see my old nemesis back. I don't have time to reply at the moment, but I will later tonight. Looking forward to the debate.

 

For the same reason that when people wanted to free the slaves, when they still viewed them as subhuman. We just like to reform in small incriments.

 

Because if a person isn't allowed to dress in drag while on their shift at a daycare center

Then they have it just as bad as a slave who is whipped, beaten, and raped each day on a cotton plantation

Are Americans seriously this spoiled?

 

What are you talking about?

 

Didn't you just make an analogy between an employer not allowing a person to cross-dress at work - and people using blacks as slaves?

 

Yes and no. I made it to establish a point, that is acurate. Just because one part of a civil rights movement gains support, doesn't mean that everyone gets it. People wanted slaves free, but wanted to ship them off to Africa. Another example would be just because women recieved the right to vote, doesn't mean they were treated equally.

 

Why aren't goths granted 'civil rights'. You're saying that a person has a 'civil right' to dress however they want while working for a private business - but then why does a Goth not have a right to dress like Marilyn Manson.

Or what about Nudist Rights - why doesn't a nudist have a right to walk around with his junk out while on his shift at the daycare center?

How can you justify denying these people the right to express themselves for who they are?

 

I can't, because I don't care. They can dress as they want to. I have no right to be denying them the right to dress as they want.

 

Since when is there a "law" denying trannies the right to dress how they want?

Workplaces set their own dress codes, and some may have an issue with people cross-dressing while on the clock - just like they might have an issue with people coming to work in the nude, or dressed as a Goth, or dressed in a Nazi uniform, etc

No where are transgendered people "legally banned" from dressing the way they want, so your argument is moot.

 

Whoever said there had to be a law banning how people want to dress? Staring eyes do just as much damage as any laws could.

 

Um dude, when you go out in front of people dressed like this - that's basically asking to be stared at:



Simple solution bro - don't dress in such an attention-seeking way if you don't want people staring at you.

 

And? Why should fear the eye-staring? Shouldn't they feel safe in doing what they want to do?

 

So is the word misandry. Interestingly, the word misogyny is not. So much for gender equality.

I would say the difference here is that "transphobia" is not actually a word that appears in the dictionary. Did you just come up with that, or is it more of a social slang term I'm not familiar with?