Defining our Community by Mona Mason

I would like to share this great speech/blog by Mona Mason.

DEFINING OUR COMMUNITY

Mona Rae Mason

Field Coordinator,
The Transgender Project
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc.
New York, NY

April 6, 2006
International Foundation for Gender Education
20th Annual Conference
Philadelphia, PA

***************************************************
Transvestite

Crossdresser

Transsexual

Pre Op Transsexual

Post Op Transsexual

Non Op Transsexual

Part Time

Full Time

Transgender

Bi-Gendered

Omni-Gendered

Liminal Gendered

Pan Gendered

Gender Variant

Gender Fluid

Gender Migrator

Butch Queen

Femme

Femme Male

Femme Queen

Butch Queen Up in Drags

Male to Female

Female to Male

Female to Female

Male to Male

Trans Lesbian

Transbian

Trannie

T-Girl

Transdyke

Two Spirit

Third Gendered

Intergendered

Gender Queer

Gender Bender

Gender Fuck

Out

Closeted

Transgenderist

Transwoman

Transman

Gender Dysphoric

Gender Euphoric

Gender Inverted

Woman

Man

Male

Female

Poly Gendered

Passing

Non Passing

Androgyne

Intersexed

Autogynephillic

Gender Emerging

Gender Dualist

Bio Man

Bio Woman

Differently Gendered

Gender Questioning

Gender Curious

Over Dresser

Gender Evolving

Conceptually Gendered

Hormonally Challenged

Homosexual Transsexual

That’s more than 60 to get us started.

I’m sure we can add more as we go, because it seems that while we all hold to a
common thread within our community, many of us see ourselves, and choose to identify
ourselves, differently. And why? We are, after all, each individuals in our own right.
While all of us here share similar characteristics, we are all individual characters.
However, how we see ourselves with regards to our own, individual gender identities is the way we try to describe ourselves to others within our community, and particularly to those people who are only aware of, or will only accept, a binary gender system. Even our own self-descriptors are based on the binary gender system; this dichotomy is difficult to explain away to most people. But is there really such a thing as ‘binary gender’? The term ‘trans’ indicates variations of the binary norm, which in turn leads to that age old question, what is normal?

WHY EXPLAIN OR DEFINE OURSELVES?

Why indeed? We certainly don’t have to. But we should. In light of all that is going on around us, politically and socially, and to those who are trying to understand, and perhaps most importantly to those who don’t want or refuse to understand, maybe we should all attempt to describe our individual gender identities and feelings; our perceptions of ourselves. We are after all, each our own very unique individuals. While there is commonality in the Transgender community, our own cultural, regional, and generational differences can and do confuse even those of us who have studied in great depth and detail, our community and even ourselves. And to each and every one of us, our individual identity is a very personal thing. To some of us, transgender is a lifestyle, to others, transgender is a life. Our diversity is incredible and it should at the very least, be accepted, even if not fully understood by all.

As the laws concerning the rights of transgender persons change or are created and adopted, isn’t it our responsibility to demonstrate the diversity within our community and to educate those outside of the Transgender community that we are indeed otherwise reasonably normal, boring, folks—just like most everyone else in the world –and not what they see on some of the sensational TV talk shows? I am not suggesting we have to explain ourselves, but rather help those outside our community to understand through discussion and education what we are all about. Just because the law may say we CAN use the bathroom consistent with our gender identity / expression, isn’t it better for everyone in there to be comfortable as opposed to just obeying the law? It’s basic human nature to be uncomfortable with new and unfamiliar things, concepts, and people. I see this as the point where we best serve ourselves through identification and education. Don’t forget, almost everyone at some point in their life has grappled with their own personal sexuality and gender issues. There is a basis for many people to want to learn and understand.

“Bringing individuals together under a common label is not without consequences”
Gianna E. Isreal
Transgender Care, 1997

In the preceding list of identification terms, how many did you understand? I’m sure there were at least a few that you have never heard of. How many of these terms do you think someone from outside our community would understand? These terms came from many sources–mostly ourselves–but they demonstrate to a very small degree the cultural, regional and generational differences between us. I am sure we would all have many different definitions for most of the terms. As almost all are popular terms, or slang, if you will, how do we use these terms to accurately identify ourselves? And how do we help those outside our community understand?

In this room right now, I am sure we could get several different interpretations and definitions of the very term ‘transgender’ itself. The term means different things to different people. The term ‘transsexual’ for example; pre-op, post-op, non-op. Is a person who has been through his or her surgeries really any more transsexual or transgendered than a person who has had no surgical procedures? Is a persons degree of transsexualism determined by physical or mental characteristics? Is the degree of a persons’ transsexualism determined by financial ability to pay for surgery? Is the trans-man or woman who can only appear periodically in their preferred, public, gender expression due to fear of loss of income or family, really any less a ‘trans-person’ than one who has had the opportunity and ability (and determination) to transition to completion? If we agree to use the term ‘Transgender’ for all our many variations of gender, then I see where there are no degrees or levels of ‘trans’, rather we stand at different points on the plane of gender, a continuum of gender. We’re all singing the same song– some of us are singing in different keys. So just how do we make the general population understand and accept all this?

” It is not so much that there have always been transgendered people; it’s that there have always been cultures that imposed regimes of gender”

Riki Wilchins
Read My Lips, 1997

Transgenderism is certainly not a new phenomenon. Trans or cross-gendered people who have lived differently than the sex they were born to and outside the social roles that were expected of them have been well documented throughout history. Transgenderism is not a new psychological or medical ‘condition’. Socially and politically, there has never been a time of more awareness of transgender than now, at least in Western civilization, and in spite of this new awareness, we find ourselves in a struggle for our civil rights. You wouldn’t think such a struggle should be necessary, but apparently it is. Many of us have lost our jobs, or can’t find one. Many of us face verbal and even physical abuse every day.

Why? Because we are different. We look different. Remember, it is basic human nature to be suspect of, or even fear that which is new and different. Yes, we have been around forever, but our community has had this HUGE coming out party over the last 10 years or so, an ‘open house’ party, and we left the closet door open—maybe we should have tidied it up a bit first! People are starting to look inside that open closet. To them, it must be like an old comedy where the unsuspecting hero opens the closet door only to be buried in an avalanche of golf clubs, boxes, bowling balls, etc. Our ‘closet’ buries even the well- intentioned visitor and student of transgender in an avalanche of terms and self-identification labels that even many of us don’t often understand, and then we pile on the psychological, medical and clinical terms just for good measure. For most people, it’s certainly much easier to walk away from this mess, rather than even begin to attempt to pick it all up and neatly organize all this information—their level of willingness to learn and accept has just dropped a few points! It’s little wonder the general public has a difficult time with us. People like simple. Simple is easy. Gender A, Gender B. We come along and add X,Y.Z. We make it complicated for them. And just when they DO start to get it, we give them the bonus plan—our various sexual orientations! The variables are adding up! I imagine many people would find understanding the tax codes easier than figuring out the complexities of gender.

The first step to acceptance is understanding. The first step to understanding is education. Defining ourselves is key to both. Yes, the laws are changing, slowly, in our favor. But social acceptance is another thing all together.

In the past few weeks, we saw that a 70 year old transwoman was arrested for using a public women’s rest room at her job location. Lawyers were involved, a protest rally was held and he Press was called in. This incident has been dealt with to her satisfaction, but would all of this have been necessary in the first place if there had been the least bit of understanding on the arresting officer’s part?

A substitute school teacher in NJ took some time off from her job to have her SRS/GRS surgeries. She had notified the school board ahead of time of the situation. Shortly before her return to work, a ‘concerned’ parent took out a full page add in the local newspaper ‘advising’ other parents of this situation. I’m sure this parent was genuinely, sincerely concerned, perhaps even a bit fearful but his concern and fear came from a lack of education and understanding of the situation. He had ill-informed, pre-conceived notions of ‘transsexual’.

Would either of these incidents been necessary had there been some accurate education available? No, of course not. Even in light of new trans-favorable laws, shouldn’t WE be at the forefront of the education process? Aren’t we, the Transgender community ultimately responsible? There are many therapists, counselors, and clinicians who genuinely want to help, but they require accurate information from us to do so. As a community, isn’t it up to us to guide them to effectively help those of us who may seek their care?

The late Sylvia Rivera said, “We are our own future.” I suppose this statement holds true for any given group, but as the world we find our Transgender community in changes, I think that our finding ways to define ourselves and our community are of primary importance. This is our time—let’s use it wisely. via monamason