Listening Only to the Mirror
One of the things that the past few weeks have revealed is the astonishing sexism that pervades the “mainstream” gay community.
I have seen transwomen – both in general and in specific, regardless of how civil or well-spoken they actually are – derided as harpies, Barbie dolls, and “men who cut their dicks off.” But of course deference is owed to the obviously masculine, regardless of birth sex.
A perfect example of this appears in Rex Wockner’s entry on the ENDA debacle, in which he asks what he has in common “with a guy who wants to remove his willy, grow breasts, become a woman and get married to a man,” in the very same entry in which he generously describes Shannon Minter, a transman, as “woofy,” and makes it clear that he (Shannon) represents the standard to which all transpeople ought to aspire, if they are to get people like Rex to pay attention to them. No snide references to Minter’s genitalia. No automatic dismissals. Shannon is sexually appealing, undeniably masculine, comparitively normative, and hence somehow more legitimate.
Well, I said that it was astonishing. It’s not, really. After all, what would you expect of a fragment of society that chooses to be defined only by the fact that it loves itself?
Yeah, I really want to do…something…every time I see someone come out with the most misogynistic things to say about trans women, and turn around and valorize trans men. I’ve just become used to seeing it happen around lesbians, and I can’t say I’m surprised to see a gay man do it to.
I like your name. It reminds me of this awesome poem.
My god; if gay men aren’t phallocentric, then who the hell is?
Lesbians are repelled that we were born with a penis and gay men are repelled that we would disrespect the penis so.
Transwomen say that the penis isn’t the defining characteristic that gay men & lesbians think it is, whether they love it or hate it.
And that’s reason enough for them to dismiss us, while venerating those who desire to have their own big willie. After all, isn’t that the basis of identity in America, the coming together of those who want the same damn thing?
[...] to the Gorgon Queen From a posting entitled Listening Only to the Mirror: One of the things that the past few weeks have revealed is the astonishing sexism that pervades [...]
Kudos to the Gorgon Queen « ENDAblog said this on November 12, 2007 at 5:02 pm |