Defining Transphobia

girl_dee · 03-26-2012, 05:06 PM

i feel most *phobias* come from having learned that from someone/somewhere along the way. Maybe as generations evolve we will have much more tolerance and acceptance along the way. That's my hope anyway, NOT that we should have to wait that long!

Quintease · 03-26-2012, 05:43 PM

I think a lot of transphobia is a lack of understanding about what transsexuals are. Is a transwoman a woman if she doesn't look like a woman to you? Is a transman a man if you know he was once a lesbian? Is a transman straight if he's dating a woman? What about a transwoman dating a man? People don't know where to put their eyes and their pronouns. They're not sure where transpeople fit in as all they've ever known is Male/Female, Gay/Straight.

But then there are the Angry People. The people who (usually) not only hate trans people, but immigrants, people of colour, the unemployed, teenage mothers, gays, sluts and men. You can't win against those people. They have the belief of their own entitlement stuck so far up their behind, you'd never be able to reach in far enough to pull it out.

princessbelle · 03-26-2012, 05:59 PM

I agree. The more knowledgeable the people are the more acceptance will be found. Of those that are transphobic, i believe a lot of it equates to the "unknown" and the total misunderstanding of our people.

I remember when the whole "Chas" stuff first came out. Now i know there are many that didn't approve of how he did it and what he stands for. But. It started some conversations, even if not in a positive way. It was at least some awareness. My little southern baptist republican momma watched the show. She asked me many questions to include..."Does that mean he felt that he was born in the wrong body?" To my disbelief she actually "got it" and more than that, understood.

If that show had not been aired, i doubt that conversation or that learning experience would have ever come up. So, the more exposure the better. The more education out there the better. More shows. More documentaries. More trans-friendly movies. Just more exposure to everyone, i believe, will have a positive outcome, even if it is just discussion around the water cooler.

It has to start somewhere.

SelfMadeMan · 03-27-2012, 09:02 AM

IMHO, I think the terms homophobia and transphobia are perhaps an under exaggeration of what's really going on in this country. I don't think it's a fear of anything, as much as deliberate oppression and violence against the LGBTQ communities. I think what's going on politically and socially is insidious and it goes WAY beyond any phobias.

aishah · 03-27-2012, 12:21 PM

i agree that i don't think it's fear so much as hatred and oppression that is the problem. i do know some people who genuinely don't know, but i know more people who, even when they are educated, still persist in being hateful just because they can.

one really big problem i see is the fact that many people think it should be up to them to define other people. and i still haven't figured out how to deal with that kind of belligerence. i meet so many people who, on top of thinking that they know everything, think that they are the ones who get to define what other people are and that if someone's identity is actually different than what's being pushed on them, they are now owed an explanation/justification, if that makes any sense. i've seen this happen with things like race, ability, etc. too. i think the inability to accept what someone tells you about themselves and how they identify is a big problem. like...if someone tells you they identify as a man, why should they owe you all kinds of explanations about their transition, their birth name, their life history, etc. in order to be accepted by you? it's none of your business. (edited to add: i mean this idea that people have to PROVE their basic identity is hella fucked up. i was looking for the word prove earlier and couldn't find it, hehe.)

03-26-2012, 05:43 PM	#2
Quintease Member How Do You Identify?: Rainbow femme Preferred Pronoun?: princess Relationship Status: Married Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 514 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 508 Thanked 1,817 Times in 417 Posts Rep Power: 10560327	I think a lot of transphobia is a lack of understanding about what transsexuals are. Is a transwoman a woman if she doesn't look like a woman to you? Is a transman a man if you know he was once a lesbian? Is a transman straight if he's dating a woman? What about a transwoman dating a man? People don't know where to put their eyes and their pronouns. They're not sure where transpeople fit in as all they've ever known is Male/Female, Gay/Straight. But then there are the Angry People. The people who (usually) not only hate trans people, but immigrants, people of colour, the unemployed, teenage mothers, gays, sluts and men. You can't win against those people. They have the belief of their own entitlement stuck so far up their behind, you'd never be able to reach in far enough to pull it out. __________________ It is not worth an intelligent person's time to be in the majority. By definition, there are already enough people to do that.

03-26-2012, 05:59 PM	#3
princessbelle Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: femme Preferred Pronoun?: femme ones Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Tennessee Posts: 6,100 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 29,380 Thanked 30,496 Times in 5,198 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	I agree. The more knowledgeable the people are the more acceptance will be found. Of those that are transphobic, i believe a lot of it equates to the "unknown" and the total misunderstanding of our people. I remember when the whole "Chas" stuff first came out. Now i know there are many that didn't approve of how he did it and what he stands for. But. It started some conversations, even if not in a positive way. It was at least some awareness. My little southern baptist republican momma watched the show. She asked me many questions to include..."Does that mean he felt that he was born in the wrong body?" To my disbelief she actually "got it" and more than that, understood. If that show had not been aired, i doubt that conversation or that learning experience would have ever come up. So, the more exposure the better. The more education out there the better. More shows. More documentaries. More trans-friendly movies. Just more exposure to everyone, i believe, will have a positive outcome, even if it is just discussion around the water cooler. It has to start somewhere. __________________ ~ I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou

03-26-2012, 05:06 PM	#1
girl_dee Practically Lives Here How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: dee Relationship Status: Hitched up Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Livin’ the Dream Posts: 24,079 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 30,560 Thanked 54,830 Times in 13,908 Posts Rep Power: 21474873	i feel most phobias come from having learned that from someone/somewhere along the way. Maybe as generations evolve we will have much more tolerance and acceptance along the way. That's my hope anyway, NOT that we should have to wait that long!

03-27-2012, 09:02 AM	#4
SelfMadeMan Member How Do You Identify?: Transsexual Man Preferred Pronoun?: Male Relationship Status: Married to The Woman of My Dreams <3 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 802 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 796 Thanked 2,668 Times in 527 Posts Rep Power: 18972345	IMHO, I think the terms homophobia and transphobia are perhaps an under exaggeration of what's really going on in this country. I don't think it's a fear of anything, as much as deliberate oppression and violence against the LGBTQ communities. I think what's going on politically and socially is insidious and it goes WAY beyond any phobias.

03-27-2012, 12:21 PM	#5
aishah Member How Do You Identify?: queer stone femme shark baby girl Preferred Pronoun?: she, her, little one Relationship Status: dating myself. Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: dallas, tx Posts: 1,495 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,823 Thanked 6,440 Times in 1,288 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	i agree that i don't think it's fear so much as hatred and oppression that is the problem. i do know some people who genuinely don't know, but i know more people who, even when they are educated, still persist in being hateful just because they can. one really big problem i see is the fact that many people think it should be up to them to define other people. and i still haven't figured out how to deal with that kind of belligerence. i meet so many people who, on top of thinking that they know everything, think that they are the ones who get to define what other people are and that if someone's identity is actually different than what's being pushed on them, they are now owed an explanation/justification, if that makes any sense. i've seen this happen with things like race, ability, etc. too. i think the inability to accept what someone tells you about themselves and how they identify is a big problem. like...if someone tells you they identify as a man, why should they owe you all kinds of explanations about their transition, their birth name, their life history, etc. in order to be accepted by you? it's none of your business. (edited to add: i mean this idea that people have to PROVE their basic identity is hella fucked up. i was looking for the word prove earlier and couldn't find it, hehe.)