Comments on: Body Display, Crashing Gender

By: Liz

Liz — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:49:47 +0000

Wow! Excellent article. Valid points, made both within the article and within the comments. Kudos.

I haven’t really very much to add, except that from this transpersons perspective, the NewsWeek article was a fluff piece, and as critical as I am of it, it likely did well for the average person who has no awareness or education regarding trans-issues, let alone any understanding of what being trans is. I am trans and I am not sure what it means to be it, so how can others who have never had to deal with this queerness have any understanding.

I guess I have more to add: I am early in transition and feel torn – a part of me wants to hide, to be stealth, to exist in my chosen gender without anyone knowing (the better to fit into straight society, as pointed out earlier) yet a part of me want to make everyone in the room with me aware, to educate them on transgenderism, to confront their fears and counter their arguments that transfolk are simply gay folk in denial. It is an odd headspace. That NewsWeek article, as bad as it was, did good. It portrayed common trans people, who want nothing more than to fit in and be accepted by society, the ‘everytrans’ if you will.

I guess my point is we have to start somewhere. Education of a society is a long arduous process, and it starts with fluff pieces. If in 5 years we still have fluff and no meat, I may well rant at length.

I also want to point out that the original CSI (Las Vegas) also did an episode on trans subculture and they did it fairly well. Objective, without explanation, without frills, but more or less accurate in portrayal of the human-ness of our Trans brothers and sisters.

By: justevolvin

justevolvin — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:28:06 +0000

As a gay man, I have never understood what it might mean to question my gender. Sure I questioned my sexuality as an adolescent, but gender? I know I’m a man — without a doubt. But socially speaking, if it weren’t for my social environment, my masculinity wouldn’t mean a thing. I could really care less if I was a man or a woman, I’m still me. But based on my looks and anatomy, society is a lot more comfortable and a lot more accepting if I act like a man too.

Even in the gay community (at least in my part of the world), feminine gay men are sometimes viewed in a lesser light than their “straight-acting” brothers and sisters. Gay people who conform to society’s gender roles are more readily accepted in a straight society than their more “gray” counterparts.

It’s an interesting topic and I appreciate your comments. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m for gender abolition, but there certainly has to be room in our society for those that don’t fit “the mold”, especially without ostracization (

By: euny

euny — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 23:29:15 +0000

I always feel that it is so hard to know if when identifying yourself as “masculine” or “feminine”, “man” or “woman”, is it that you identify with the having of a body type, conceptions of that body type or wish to slot nicely into a social role. What you say about someone’s gender identity being identified by the perceiver rather than the experiences of the person to whom the gender belongs rings very true.

I’d like a society where if I felt other than what is now perceived as feminine, it wouldn’t make me question the appropriateness of my genitals. I hate to sound cheesey, but I am what I am. I do not long for a man’s body, just the freedom of identity. Specifically to break out of “femininity”. I don’t think that makes me any less of a woman. Because a woman is what I am, I am exemplary of how “woman” is defined, why should my mind and my body be seen to not fit, when I am a perfectly good example of mind and body.

Gender abolition, WOO!

Sorry, half-baked rant over. I like yer post, sorry to crash in on it. x