Trans Community Surveillance

Activist and professor Dean Spade, in his book Normal Life: Administrative Violence, Critical Trans Politics, and the Limits of Law, condemns current law policies surrounding discrimination and hate crimes against transgender and gender non-conforming populations. Spade proposes a critical trans politics that is superior to the equal rights efforts of gay and lesbian activists up to this point in United States history. Instead of desiring to be included in a law enforcement system that oppresses the people it claims to protect, proponents of Spade’s critical trans politics argue that the entire system, along with all related systems of policing and regulation, need to be either fundamentally

Elizabeth Blevins quoted Neil Carpathios in an article saying “’ [Stacey Waite] dares to explore and write about the often complicated terrain of gender, sexuality and societal perceptions of the self, the body and desire.’” Waite is slowly helping everyone break away from the idea that gender is a solid tangible concept. In “The Kind of Man I am at the DMV” written by Stacey Waite, traditional gender roles are being challenged by explaining that transgender people are the same as everyone else and pointing out the ignorance that some have towards less commonly recognized genders.

Becker (1963) argues: “…acts of enforcement do not follow automatically on the infraction of a rule. Enforcement is selective, and selective differentially among kinds of people, at different times, and in different situations” (p. 133). Transgendered individuals, those who simply wish to express a gender not assigned to them at birth have been highlighted throughout history as the objects of violence, physical and verbal abuse, and discrimination because of their deviance from the norm. In recent news, the former American Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner admitted to identify more so with the ‘fairer sex’ and decided he would now be assuming female pronouns, and dressing like the typical (glamorized) female. Those made uncomfortable by any queer identity rejected her, but many in support glorified her decision. The rules of gender and gender-bending have been long enforced. When one within the groups breaks the boundary there are repercussions, like violence to that individual. In Dolezal’s case, her race-crossing is a new sort of deviance which requires a new set of values and consequences for her

The author lists recent protests held by the trans community over a movie that places a cisgender, white, gay male at the center of the revolutionary Stonewall Riots, despite the widespread fact and acknowledgement that trans-women of color were the revolutionaries of the riots. The Stonewall Riots were the pivotal moment in the on-going movement towards equality for the LGBT communities. During the riots that took place in the 60’s, queer men and women worked alongside trans and gender nonconforming people for the purpose of making the LGBT voice heard across not only America, but world. The conjoined efforts of both the trans and gay communities are what have led us to the legalization of gay marriage this past year. Together, both communities have created so much progress. Wouldn’t dividing ourselves into separate communities effectively stop us from continuing this progress towards

The most obvious example is the differentiation of “transsexual” and “transgender.” In the article, “transsexual” is used to refer to someone who has specifically had treatment to physically change their body to match their gender identity; “transgender” is someone whose gender identity does not match the gender they were assigned at birth, regardless of whether they have made physical gender-related changes to their body (155). Today, the term “transsexual” is almost obsolete. Interestingly, however, Halberstam briefly presents conflict between “transsexuals” and “transgenders” that is mirrored somewhat today in informal conflicts between “truscum” and “transtrenders/tucutes” (154-155). In today’s transgender communities, people called “truscum” (generally by other people) feel that people they call “transtrenders” or “tucutes” are not truly transgender; they feel these people are merely pretending to be transgender for the sake of attention. On the other hand, those called “transtrenders” or “tucutes” (generally by other people) feel attacked and policed by “truscum” and insist that they are transgender regardless of whether they meet the standards set by truscum. Halberstam cites some identity politics (154-155) that are reminiscent of this, which suggests that even as terms change, identity policing remains a consistent issue in transgender

I think this paper was arguing about the violence that is reinforced through Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) and its inability to look beyond gender identity as the sole contributor for violence afflicted on transgender individuals. This paper is also arguing beyond the issues of sexism, racism, and classism TDOR engages in total erasure of those who experienced violence by ignoring intersecting identities through memorialization. I have highlighted in yellow all of the sections/sentences that I though were particularly strong at setting a tone for the paper, as well as getting your point across clearly and powerfully. You do this on page 1 and 2 by discussing the unmarked barriers of systems of power and their effect on transgender people,

Scholars have been critical of the medical establishment’s and state’s involvement in constructing and policing of transgender identity. These kinds of pressing issues have occupied the small existing literature. There is not much information and studying what is being done on transgender in traditional areas, family studies research, such as their dating behavior and formation of intimate relationships in adulthood. There is little research on the issues around being parents, their children’s experiences with having transgendered parents, as well as relationships in the family as a whole, and relationships in work and school.

One’s gender identity represents who they are, whether they were born with male or female genitalia. Back in the 1900’s, “for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) folks in America, the efflorescence of sexual expression did not begin until the waning months of that decade in the heart of the nation’s then-largest bohemian enclave and gay ghetto, New York’s Greenwich Village” (Wolf). In the 60’s, being able to express who you were freely was pushed aside much too often. But because of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village, their fight has helped people today be who they want to be without any discrimination. Over “four decades after the Stonewall riots, political leaders are now beginning to recognize the influence of the LGBT community, knocking down barriers to gay and lesbian participation in the military and nominating at least two transgender officials, for the first time in history, to senior posts in the federal government under the Obama administration” (Teal). Whether someone identifies as a man, woman, or neither, they are able to participate in any group regardless. Due to the Stonewall riots, no matter what no one can turn you down based off of your gender identity, which is causing political leaders to now think differently because of this monumental time in history where everyone can be accepted for who they want to

In her book “Gender Outlaw: On Men, Woman, and the Rest of us,” Kate Bornstein goes over a lot of the major issues regarding gender awareness and identity politics. She talks about the ideas of labeling ones self, understanding gender differences, how people view laws, behaviors, and the medical and scientific privilege that make transitioning challenging for a lot of people. Bornstein touches on many of the issues today that affect trans people. She includes poetry, pictures, quotes, essays, and a play to raise questions and discuss the idea of gender. This is a great book to introduce and discuss the issues that affect the lives of trans people as they navigate and explore the lines that define gender.

The reading in this assignment made me understand and appreciate the lives of others. Transgender are just like you and me. They have the same goals and inspirations. However, their hardships are more drastic then normal. I got the chance to be educated on trans 101 with this assignment. I have taken so much away from these readings. It has helped me be more understand of what transgender go through. Having the opportunity to have the two articles side by side to make my notes and analyzing. Finding the connections between the two and disconnect from society to transgender communities.

Imagine, you go to work in your dress shoes, black suit, buzz-cut hair, red power tie, and nobody pays you a second look. But, the second you get home, you kick off your shoes, and don high-heels, the suit is replaced with a dress, your short wig is taken off, and you let your long curls fall, and your tie is in the closet, with a necklace in its place. Such hiding of true feelings is not an unheard concept in the transgender world. Millions of transgender people will never express their true feelings in their lifetime. This is similar to The Intruder by Andre Dubus, Kenneth Girard a

Kidd and Witten define the term transgender vaguely, stating it “describe[s] people who transcend the conventional boundaries of gender, irrespective of physical status or sexual orientation” (Kidd & Witten, 2007, p. 36). This term is a reference for the ‘other gender’ that is not particularly male or female. Currently, within the American society, there is a growing awareness of individuals who are transgender. Much of this awareness comes from LGBT movements and

TSA scanners are made designed for male and females whose gender matches their sexual identity. Those who are transgender do not fit this design and can be outed in front of a group, suspect to invasive pat-downs, and treated differently. Because this scanners were not created for the inclusion of all genders and identities, the transgender population is specifically marginalized. Another way TSA scanners marginalize groups is because of the scanners also not recognizing those with prosthetic limbs, pacemakers, or hip replacements.

In Susan Stryker’s (De)Subjugated Knowledges, she culminates a history of academic attention to transgender studies; tracking the field’s movement from abnormal psychology to its contemporary form of self-analysis and discourse (by which I mean that rather than being discussed by those outside of the trans community, transgender voices are now leading their own academic discussions). At a basic level, Stryker defines transgender studies as that which:

In a world moving advancing with near instantaneous publication worldwide the fringe edges of society have become more visible. One group of people that has had the spotlight shined on them is those suffering from gender dysphoria–persons who are not comfortable living in the bodies that they are born with and are often referred to as transsexual. As of 2010, there was an estimated population of less than 1,000 of these fringe members of our society incarcerated in state and federal facilities. (Brown)