Leave a comment

Comments 57

forest_rose October 19 2008, 23:12:31 UTC
Hi - I hope you don't mind me commenting - I'm here from friends-of-friends, and I'm quite fascinated by this post. I'm a med student, and after a brief discussion of trans people in our (only ever!) sexual diversity talk last week, I think a presentation like you're proposing would be great for my colleagues too. I freely admit I'm no expert myself - I have a couple of trans friends, but I'm still learning about the issues involved - but I'm really open to learning about it, and maybe writing an article on the subject for the British Medical Journal - I think doctors in general need educating on the subject!

Anyway, rambling aside - I'd love to look at your presentation when you've done it. It'd be great if you could send me an lj message if you'd be willing to share it with me, and I'll let you have my email address.

Many thanks, and good luck!

Nats

Reply

starstealingirl October 23 2008, 03:56:06 UTC
*looks at your profile, sees you're from the UK*

I'll warn you that basically all of my knowledge about trans issues and trans activism is pretty exclusively American. I don't know a whole lot about the shape of trans activism or trans issues in other parts of the world, so I can't tell you if what is true here is true where you live, as well.

But if, despite that disclaimer, you'd still like to look at what I have, I can send it, and some other resources your way once I'm done with it. What's your e-mail address?

Reply


thespisgeoff October 19 2008, 23:24:46 UTC
Now you have to share the glossary.

Reply

persephone78 October 19 2008, 23:37:28 UTC
indeed you do need to share. The suspense is killing me.

Reply

starstealingirl October 25 2008, 17:23:37 UTC
Hoo boy. Where do I start? I know; we'll go in alphabetical order!

Berdache. Seriously, people still put this word in a glossary of trans terms?! Native Americans have said over and over again that this is an offensive term, that they don't like it, that it was a term imposed by white missionaries, and that the term "two-spirit" is generally preferred. And yet the term "berdache" continues to crop up, everywhere. I think my friend Megan also hit it on the head when she said: "I think people always include two-spirit stuff in queer and gender discussions as a nice piece of trivia. But there's never any effort to actually include two-spirit people in the discussion."

Butch and femme. "Butch" is defined as "a person whose personality, mannerisms and dress is more masculine than normal." There is no attempt whatsoever to define what "normal" is; apparently, we all know it when we see it. The definition of "femme" also contains the observation: "Opposite of butch." But apparently, there is no need to define "butch" as " ( ... )

Reply

thespisgeoff October 25 2008, 17:54:20 UTC
Awesome and a half.

I've always thought that transvestite is the preferred term - for straight-defining men who dress up in "women's" clothing for sexual gratification. Has "cross-dresser" overtaken that, even though it's the exact same words translated from latin? Or is there some other term currently in vogue that more clearly separates fetish from identity?

Reply


cappucinogrrl October 20 2008, 00:16:52 UTC
Sylvia Rivera.

Reply


cappucinogrrl October 20 2008, 00:17:24 UTC
Whoops, just saw that in your paragraph - sorry!

Reply


Some you might want to check out... nineinchlovely October 20 2008, 02:19:09 UTC
In terms of prominent trans intellectuals and activists, you may need to go a little deeper than the big names. The late Alexander John Goodrum, Rabbi Levi Alter, Rev. Alexander Yoo, the late Marsha P. Johnson, C. Jacob Hale, Deirdre McCloskey, Stephen Whittle, Shannon Minter, Paisley Currah, Lynn Conway, Andres Rivera, Yhajaira Marcano Bravo are some good ones.

Issues and debates: the WPATH standards of care.

Reply


Leave a comment

Up