I have a lot of online friends, and they're all very accepting of homosexuality, and im really the only gay person they know, but they're like totally accepting, for Gay marriage anti-DADT, etc, etc. But when it comes to Trans issues they're extremely, extremely transphobic. I don't know about my "in real life" friends because I've never brought it up. For this reason im very hush hush about the fact that I consider myself GenderQueer. I can't really wrap my head around it. Is it because they can't sympathize/empathize with the Trans community? Is it because they genuinely think its wrong? Anyone have any insight into this?
Well I know that many years ago people weren't really accepting of gays, and anything trans was... well just not even mentioned or thought of for most people. So maybe... gay is beginning to be more accepted, so trans is the old "gay view" where people aren't accepting. Non-acceptance usually has to do with one of the following: -Not seeing it while growing up so it's deemed unnatural -not being able to empathize with others or try to understand them -Not having someone close to you who's going through the issues so you don't even care about them as a result ...That's what I understand anyway.
There's nonacceptance within the LGBT Community in all aspects. It's pathetic really, but it happens. Homophobia, Sexism, Biphobia, Transphobia. You name it. Education or Apathy? I guess its your choice Peace or Annihilation.
It sucks how that happens. I've met a few trans people and they really are pretty nice. One even goes to my school, and she pulls it off fantasticlly well. I really hate it, though. As a community, we need to realize they go through things tens times worse than we do. At least we don't (usually) get laughed at, denied things, shunned from family, have few friends, all because we just want to be happy. It's ridiculous.
Every community has its inner struggles. I think that RaeofLite really hit the nail on the head; trans is the next struggle. Most people know about gays/bisexuals/lesbians, but I don't think that most people really think about trans people, or if they do, then usually it's something incorrect, such as the idea that trans people are nothing more than "men in dresses". I think people will become more accepting of it as time goes on.
The trans issue is harder to get one's head around. I think people have slowly come to accept the idea of people loving others of the same sex. But when you start talking about people wanting to be the opposite sex (or, more precisely, feeling like they were born with their biology one way and their mind/psyche the opposite way), then I think that's even harder to grasp. Add to it the notion of sexual reassignment surgery and I could see that triggering some very, very deep, unconscious fears, particularly in men (since many men, particularly straight men, prize their penises so highly) which probably contribute some to the phobia of trans people.
Interestingly enough, the most transphobic people ive met are girls, mostly age 17-23. Maybe you're right Rae, and its just something they havent seen so its scary to them, but those who ive seen that are against it vehemently bash FTMs and MTFs alike saying that no matter what they're still females [in the case of an FTM] and vice versa.
Well from what I've seen, many people haven't even met a gay or lesbian person where I live. And when I come out to them, they pretty much stop slurring gay things and want to know more. *shrug* There was also a transwoman who attended the school I go to but transferred last year. She was a sweetie. I hung out with her for a bit and was asked by a friend why I hung out with her. I told him he should try to be more accepting of things he doesn't understand basically saying "How would you feel if you were born into a body of the wrong sex?" He didn't realize what he was saying and said, "Really? That's how they feel?" "Well... can you see why they would want to go through being shunned in life if they didn't genuinely feel that way? I don't.." It's simple things like this that we can do to combat the homo/bi/trans phobia.
I don't know what anyone else thinks of this but this is something I've thought of before. Maybe it's simliar to why people are homophobic in the fact that they fear what they don't understand but being trans is probably even harder for straight people to understand than being gay. I mean we can all understand the feelings of love and attraction whether it is to someone of the same or opposite sex but i don't think that anyone that isn't trans can understand what it's like to be stuck in the body of the opposite sex. I think it's just going to take time for people to realise that they don't need to understand something to accept it. I'll be the first to say i don't undertand how people can feel that way, i'm perfectly happy being female but i'll also be the first to say I know people do and I'm fine and will be suportive of that.
well I have heard from certain people out there too that they dont mind gays but not transexuals. Besides living life of a transexual esp in transistion stage can be more stressful than a gay person as they would have to constantly put up with the jokes and people laughing at them. In addition they would have to be put up with bigots that scorn them. I saw that at a place where I worked where there was a guy that worked there and he left for a month and had sex resisgnment surgury and it was a shock to everyone as the person did not tell anyone and dressed in womens clothes and had a new name. This person became the biggest gossip topic at work for months.
i just dont care, aslong as they are happy with who they are then im content with whatever, i just see people as human anyway so transexuals dont seem any different than anyone else to me
Ironically enough, the religion of Islam forbids homosexuality but allows sexual reassignment surgery. I remember when the Thomas Beattie thing was on the news and everything, and everyone I know either said 'ew' or 'wtf'. Of course because of EC I knew the details and usually wound up explaining it. Some still didn't get it after an explanation, some said 'that's messed up' and only my mom said 'good for him'. I think being trans is very difficult for straight people to understand and, as they say, with understanding comes acceptance.
I think it's a fear of the unknown. Some Transphobic people might have in their mind that Trans people are walking circus acts or something. They would probably have less of a problem if they realized that much like gay people, Transgendered people are otherwise boring ordinary people. Homosexuals have a higher profile in the media and society, so people are more likely to know we're boring.
I think the "transphobia" is a result of the same thing as any other of the LGBT phobias. It is a result of ignorance and a lack of education. People are generally not all that empathetic when faced with something so different, i personally get angry when someone bashes trans people or the idea and defend it adamantly (my aunt was trans mtf). When ur friend sais "they are still female" i'd say "and who gets to decide that, you? What is it that even makes them male and female, is it genitalia cause that can be changed, people are born with indiscriminate parts all the time. Is it biology or hormones, cause those can be changed, those can even be biologically more like then opposite of the sex the person appears to be. Is it wearing a dress and being feminine cause that is just a societal norm." For trans people to go about denying who they are is to drive themselves insane (like anyone else who would deny themselves who they are). Who gave other people the right to pass judgement on what is normal, right, or ok, especially when they don't even know what they are talking about.
