Trans News/ Issues

EnderD_503 · 08-09-2012, 01:29 PM

I can't help but get frustrated over these whole "x trans person has it worse than y trans person" discussions. Over in my city its manifested itself in some circles as transwomen constantly hating on transguys acting as though there is only one kind of transguy with one experience. One prominent transwomen activist here even ranted on about transmen as part of her speech at Slut Walk. Meanwhile, there's quite a number of homeless or incarcerated transguys out there with few places to turn for support because most the orgs focus on transwomen. So you end up with situations where transguys are placed into women's shelters because someone decided to designate a woman's shelter as "the trans shelter," yet fail to recognise the issues that transguys face in those shelters (being denied access to health care facilities because they are "women only" and no effort by the shelter to organise something for transmen staying at the shelter, being harassed, people trying to get them kicked out of the shelter etc), to the point where what little statistics exist (thanks to one transguy activist in the city, who sadly recently committed suicide) point to the fact that the majority of homeless transmen prefer to sleep outside than in shelters. These are things both transmen and transwomen face. And yet, neither can transguys (just as transwomen as well) go to male shelters safely because of the violence and harassment they face there.

So why can't there be more inclusive resources? I feel the idea that transwomen face more issues than transmen can create this imbalance where there aren't really inclusive resources, so that transmen "can stay here too" but there's not the same level of organisation to provide them with support, health care etc.

I don't mean to always bring it back to shelters, streets and prisons, but that is where a huge amount of the abuse of trans people occurs...so we shouldn't really be looking at as much at the experiences of trans people in office jobs or something as the way of saying "oh such and such has it so easy."

It becomes frustrating. I think all trans people should be equally considered, and there just seems to be so many barriers wedged between transmen and transwomen right now.

And it feels like no one ever thinks of people's experiences depending on their choices or situations as far as hormones/surgery etc. A lot of trans people who are low income, suffer from depression, have a history of substance abuse or incarceration are denied hormones or surgery because therapists decide they aren't "stable enough"...and the more they deny them what they need, the more "unstable" they appear to the therapist or health care professional. That happens equally with all trans people in those situations.

And what are those people having to go through? How many transguys have had people abuse them to try to "make them acknowledge" their "femaleness," especially when they're not on T...but that's one thing I've noticed talking to friends and such is that there seems like there's little space to talk about that, and partially because some people feel it will detract from their identities as men. So how to get over that... And I also feel that because a lot of transguys who are not on T are frequently mistaken for female, when it happens there's just zero visibility statistically.

Everything that happens to vulnerable transwomen, there's a flip side for transguys in similar situations, whether its visible or not...and especially since there are very few statistics that include transguys who are in more vulnerable living situations.

But then there's this fucked up feeling that every time these discussions occur, someone is being left out. Like transguys feeling left out when a lot of the resources out there are for transwomen, but then you also get transwomen feeling left out when things focus on transguys. How do you strike a balance?

Edit: and I think it stems too from the fact that everyone is struggling for space. Because society in general doesn't leave much space for trans people, especially certain trans people, its like we struggle among each other to create more safe space for ourselves or to get our struggles across...but again how to strike a balance?

Blah...

08-09-2012, 01:29 PM	#26
EnderD_503 Member How Do You Identify?: Queer, trans guy, butch Preferred Pronoun?: Male pronouns Relationship Status: Relationship Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Canada Posts: 1,329 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,090 Thanked 3,878 Times in 1,022 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	I can't help but get frustrated over these whole "x trans person has it worse than y trans person" discussions. Over in my city its manifested itself in some circles as transwomen constantly hating on transguys acting as though there is only one kind of transguy with one experience. One prominent transwomen activist here even ranted on about transmen as part of her speech at Slut Walk. Meanwhile, there's quite a number of homeless or incarcerated transguys out there with few places to turn for support because most the orgs focus on transwomen. So you end up with situations where transguys are placed into women's shelters because someone decided to designate a woman's shelter as "the trans shelter," yet fail to recognise the issues that transguys face in those shelters (being denied access to health care facilities because they are "women only" and no effort by the shelter to organise something for transmen staying at the shelter, being harassed, people trying to get them kicked out of the shelter etc), to the point where what little statistics exist (thanks to one transguy activist in the city, who sadly recently committed suicide) point to the fact that the majority of homeless transmen prefer to sleep outside than in shelters. These are things both transmen and transwomen face. And yet, neither can transguys (just as transwomen as well) go to male shelters safely because of the violence and harassment they face there. So why can't there be more inclusive resources? I feel the idea that transwomen face more issues than transmen can create this imbalance where there aren't really inclusive resources, so that transmen "can stay here too" but there's not the same level of organisation to provide them with support, health care etc. I don't mean to always bring it back to shelters, streets and prisons, but that is where a huge amount of the abuse of trans people occurs...so we shouldn't really be looking at as much at the experiences of trans people in office jobs or something as the way of saying "oh such and such has it so easy." It becomes frustrating. I think all trans people should be equally considered, and there just seems to be so many barriers wedged between transmen and transwomen right now. And it feels like no one ever thinks of people's experiences depending on their choices or situations as far as hormones/surgery etc. A lot of trans people who are low income, suffer from depression, have a history of substance abuse or incarceration are denied hormones or surgery because therapists decide they aren't "stable enough"...and the more they deny them what they need, the more "unstable" they appear to the therapist or health care professional. That happens equally with all trans people in those situations. And what are those people having to go through? How many transguys have had people abuse them to try to "make them acknowledge" their "femaleness," especially when they're not on T...but that's one thing I've noticed talking to friends and such is that there seems like there's little space to talk about that, and partially because some people feel it will detract from their identities as men. So how to get over that... And I also feel that because a lot of transguys who are not on T are frequently mistaken for female, when it happens there's just zero visibility statistically. Everything that happens to vulnerable transwomen, there's a flip side for transguys in similar situations, whether its visible or not...and especially since there are very few statistics that include transguys who are in more vulnerable living situations. But then there's this fucked up feeling that every time these discussions occur, someone is being left out. Like transguys feeling left out when a lot of the resources out there are for transwomen, but then you also get transwomen feeling left out when things focus on transguys. How do you strike a balance? Edit: and I think it stems too from the fact that everyone is struggling for space. Because society in general doesn't leave much space for trans people, especially certain trans people, its like we struggle among each other to create more safe space for ourselves or to get our struggles across...but again how to strike a balance? Blah...