Trans News/ Issues

[DapperButch]

Hi, Ender. I enjoyed your whole post. Very thought provoking.

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

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 agree with you around the lack of inclusive resources. I am wondering why that is. I see your thoughts about how it serves as a way to keep transmen back, so to speak, but do you think this is actually conscious?

Could it be simply about funding and how what gets funded in society is based on the individuals' interests who are setting up the programs/organizations?

Assuming that transwomen worked as males at some point and that transmen worked as females at some point, is it useful to consider that the higher salaries of males assigned at birth could create this difference? Meaning, transwomen have more money than transmen, so they create programs for themselves, while transmen don't have the same cash flow? This doesn't speak to the inclusive issue, however. <thinking>


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."

Yes, that is where a huge amount of the abuse occurs, but I believe that the majority (by, how much I don't know), of trans people don't live in those places. And I tell you what, I would MUCH prefer to be a transman in our society than a transwoman. There is a MUCH better chance of passing, especially on hormones, and I don't think transmen get half as much shit as transwomen. At least in my world.

Or, in all of this were you only talking about programs FOR homeless/prison/etc. transpeople?

More questions than answers for me. Very interesting topic.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by DapperButch

I agree with you around the lack of inclusive resources. I am wondering why that is. I see your thoughts about how it serves as a way to keep transmen back, so to speak, but do you think this is actually conscious?

Could it be simply about funding and how what gets funded in society is based on the individuals' interests who are setting up the programs/organizations?

Assuming that transwomen worked as males at some point and that transmen worked as females at some point, is it useful to consider that the higher salaries of males assigned at birth could create this difference? Meaning, transwomen have more money than transmen, so they create programs for themselves, while transmen don't have the same cash flow? This doesn't speak to the inclusive issue, however. <thinking>

It's not conscious in the sense that anyone is "conspiring" or something to not grant transguys services...but I think it should be recognised that transguys are often not seen as legitimate by institutions. Transguys are usually not what pops into people's heads when they think of "trans." I think there are definitely far more transwomen who advocate for disadvantaged transwomen or for themselves than transguys who do the same. Some services are set up by well off middle/upper class transwomen for low income/homeless transwomen or transfemale sex workers. But often, especially in the case of sex workers, these services are started by organisations trying to work with transwomen in these situations to provide those services. However, because they are organisations (often lgbtq) doing the funding and service creation, they have a very set view of what they think trans people need. Transguys are often not on their radars because even in the lgbtq community we're often forgotten.

I think a lot of it has to do with competing life experience and the assumptions people make about "what it means to be a man." Transguys were coercively assigned female at birth and wrongly perceived as female for a good chunk of our lives. When we are the victims of harassment or assault and especially sexualisation we often remain silent of it both because of the way we were brought up to think that we should remain silent about it and also because of insecurities about maleness/masculinity and the idea we shouldn't talk about it also silences us. As such, any statistic that might have existed, our experiences are often recorded in the "woman" category. No accurate statistics for us exist and its not because of a lack of experience, but because of silence. We don't often end up trying to advocate for ourselves or represent ourselves the way many transwomen do, and especially low income, homeless or incarcerated...or even transmale sex workers who are frequently forgotten or deemed non-existent because of stereotypes around sex work. Slowly transguys are starting to advocate more for each other and creating visibility, but there is still a long way to go. Organisations won't start paying more attention until we break the silence and start helping each other out and reaching out to others for help.

Originally Posted by DapperButch

Yes, that is where a huge amount of the abuse occurs, but I believe that the majority (by, how much I don't know), of trans people don't live in those places. And I tell you what, I would MUCH prefer to be a transman in our society than a transwoman. There is a MUCH better chance of passing, especially on hormones, and I don't think transmen get half as much shit as transwomen. At least in my world.

Or, in all of this were you only talking about programs FOR homeless/prison/etc. transpeople?

More questions than answers for me. Very interesting topic.

I really don't care much about what a "majority" is or isn't. It's a moot argument, imo, because there are no accurate statistics about trans people. It's pretty hard to gather any accurate statistic about any queer or trans identity because certain people will always be more likely to respond than others. Trans people with class privilege already have too much attention to begin with. A massive chunk of trans people are in low income situations or worse and that's what I care about.

As far as more of this "transwomen have it worse than transmen" generalisations...that's the kind of divisive thing I really think the trans community needs to move beyond. Ultimately this hierarchy competition doesn't mean shit to a homeless transman or transwoman being denied their basic rights.

[Beloved]

A friend posted this on Facebook.

http://votingwhiletrans.org/download.html

Excerpt: "Transgender people, the majority of whom have never had problems voting in the past, may now lose their right to vote due to dozens of new voter suppression laws. Over 25,000 transgender people could have their voting rights taken away. In response to these dubious new laws, we have released two resources to help transgender people reclaim their voting rights."

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by Beloved

A friend posted this on Facebook.

http://votingwhiletrans.org/download.html

Excerpt: "Transgender people, the majority of whom have never had problems voting in the past, may now lose their right to vote due to dozens of new voter suppression laws. Over 25,000 transgender people could have their voting rights taken away. In response to these dubious new laws, we have released two resources to help transgender people reclaim their voting rights."

Thank you, going to FB to repost for my friends there.

[Linus]

So.. Buck Angel has started a dating site for FTMs: http://buckangeldating.com/ You can read more about the thought process of why at this article http://www.huffingtonpost.com/buck-a...ef=transgender

[Toughy]

So I am at the SF VA Medical Center thursday morning. All over the VA are these flat screens that have announcements of stuff on them. It's a variety of things going on at the VA for veterans and staff members. One of the announcements was the following:

Transgender Awareness Day
Oct 3 8:00am-12:00noon

Featured speaker is Marci Bowers, MD

there are other speakers also.......

and yes I think I will go just to hear what is being said..........



please ohhh please vote, vote often and vote Democratic........

I promise if Romney wins none of this kind of stuff will be happening at any VA....we can count on a reduction in services and an attempt to privatize veterans health care.........just like they want to do with Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security.......it will be voucher-VA, voucher-care, voucher-caid and voucher-security
__________________

[theoddz]

Originally Posted by Toughy

So I am at the SF VA Medical Center thursday morning. All over the VA are these flat screens that have announcements of stuff on them. It's a variety of things going on at the VA for veterans and staff members. One of the announcements was the following:

Transgender Awareness Day
Oct 3 8:00am-12:00noon

Featured speaker is Marci Bowers, MD

there are other speakers also.......

and yes I think I will go just to hear what is being said..........



please ohhh please vote, vote often and vote Democratic........

I promise if Romney wins none of this kind of stuff will be happening at any VA....we can count on a reduction in services and an attempt to privatize veterans health care.........just like they want to do with Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security.......it will be voucher-VA, voucher-care, voucher-caid and voucher-security
__________________

You know, I heard that, at one time, the SF VA was doing SRS (Sex Reassignment Surgery) for MtF's. IF they ever did it, I don't think it was for long.

It's very encouraging that Dr. Bowers is giving a lecture there. Since the SF VA, like most other VA's is a teaching institution, I am hoping that Dr. Bowers and other surgeons and physicians who treat transpeople will encourage more new physicians to enter fields that provide services to transfolks and transgendered Veterans. Right now, the VA health care system is mandated to provide psychological treatments and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for transgendered Veterans, but they are forbidden from performing any kind of surgical treatment.

I, myself, get my Testosterone, along with all of my injecting supplies and health monitoring (including Testosterone levels) from the VA. It saves me a lot of money and I've found my doctors to be both understanding and cooperative.

~Theo~