Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Transgender Rights

[kandi.dolfen]

I need to thank my good friend, Stacy for posting this video link on her FB page.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Transgender Rights (HBO)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmoAX9f6MOc
John tries to explain this topic with real life examples.
This one is great and I highly recommend watching it.
Enjoy!
Dionne

[kandi.dolfen]

<Dr. Gagne responds with her comments on the above video {reposted with her permission}.>

Hi Dionne,
I REALLY enjoyed the video. I’m going to post it on Facebook. The statistics were helpful, and we’ll probably use the video to pull up the sources they provide when we get to writing. I’ve interviewed only a few trans people who have not either attempted suicide (almost all) or suffered deep depression (all) or both.

Asking about genitals, implants, surgery: I think it’s rude. If the person wants to tell, that’s fine. Otherwise, go with the identity. If you want to have sex with them, then I think it’s OK to ask, but probably good to get to know the person first or be willing to take your chances. That said, I think the questions about all that are cisgender people trying to figure out what the hell’s going on. People like categories, so asking what your “junk” looks like is their way of trying to figure out A) What category you belong in and, more importantly B) How they should treat you. (Interestingly, I interviewed an MTF who handles such questions by turning the tables. [e.g., “So have you had gender realignment surgery?” Response: “So what do your genitals look like?” If she got a legit answer, she’d talk about it. If all she got was a gasp or stunned silence, she’d add, Yea, that’s how I feel when people ask me.”]

When I first got into this research, I struggled with trying to figure out who was who and which direction they were going and had they arrived, so to speak. It’s a definite paradigm shift in a world where you only think you know what’s what. When the motorcycle instructor I told you about came out to me, I kept saying, “OK. She’s a woman. Treat her like a woman,” which then had me questioning, “What does that mean?” It took some time to fully adjust to the idea that people/individuals should be able to present in the way they want to be recognized and validated and that it’s our role (both as cis and co-trans people) to treat them with respect and dignity.

The weather forecaster…He works for FOX. He got hired because he doesn’t have a brain. The fact that his ignorance found its way onto the airwaves speaks as much for him and the network he works for.

The trans guy in Kentucky arguing about the bathroom issue—brave kid (I know trans people often hate being called brave, but what he did took guts), but Kentucky is one of the worst places to be trans or gay (with the exception of Louisville, which is pretty good on the gay/lesbian/bi front). I think we might be a half step ahead of Mississippi and Alabama on gender and sexuality issues. I personally am trying to figure out what the deal is with the bathroom. I don’t know of one trans person who has ever gone into a bathroom to check out other people. Secondly, if you (cis or trans) want privacy, go into a stall and close the door. You’re there to do your business, not hold a party or a meeting. Just as people were once used to racial segregation and it felt weird when we started mixing, it likely feels weird to some cisgender people to have women who might look a little masculine in “their” private space. Get over it! You’re not there to make friends. Wash up and move along.

The creepy guy following the girl into the restroom was just insulting and degrading to trans people. Children are used to promote fear in so many ways. Sex crimes against children are no more common today (except for internet porn, of course) than they were 20 years ago, yet as women have found freedom from the home, the media and others (a lot of cultural conservatives) have created and pandered to fears that there are pedophiles lurking on every corner. What they don’t portray is that the person most likely to sexually abuse a child either lives in or frequently visit your home, and they’re 99.999999999% cisgender.

I wish I were being more academic and professional here. These issues really strike me at my heart. Growing up in the era of the Civil Rights and feminist movements, I think we should be so OVER all this, and yet I live in a state where some 60 county clerks are refusing to issues same sex marriage licenses and the leader of the state assembly is saying it’d be too expensive to impeach them all and that we’ve got to find a middle ground. (I was on line with someone representing themselves as Greg Stumbo, Speaker of the General Assembly, who told me that) only to realize when the conversation was over that it was an aide or possibly his wife.) (Clerks are elected so can’t be fired, they have to be impeached and old Greg, who will call a special session for race horses or any other inane topic that could wait says it’d be too costly to call everyone back to make the Clerks do their jobs. (The gov. is on our side, at least.))We’re in the Bible belt here, and I’ve noticed that as S. Carolina has lowered its confederate flag, more of them are going up on private residences out my way, so our ignorance isn’t limited to gender issues. You might say that as a state, we’re pan-ignorant! (I texted with a nephew in NY state who says that the shift went off without a hitch there.)

I wish people would just understand that when you’re interacting with other people, respect is the first rule of the day. If we could just get that far, I’d be soooo happy (for now).

Thank you so much for sharing the video. You’ll find it on my wall when you friend me.
Patricia Gagne, PhD