Decolonizing Trans As Allies

[Shana A]

Decolonizing Trans As Allies

Filed By Mercedes Allen | July 01, 2011 8:00 AM

http://www.bilerico.com/2011/07/decolonizing_trans_as_allies.php

I've mentioned alliance when dissecting the problems with umbrella thinking in transsexual and gender diverse activism, in "The Death of the 'Transgender' Umbrella" and "Why The Umbrella Failed." It's easy to pull something apart - the more challenging question now becomes: how do we do activism if not as a single umbrella community? Why do transsexual and gender diverse peoples ally, and how do we ally? Or should we ally at all?

For the moment, I'm speaking specifically about the rifts between transsexual and gender diverse groups, although many of the same principles apply to LGBT activism as well. Personally, I'm in favour of building communities and building alliances - but ones that are not fraught with the structural framing issues or conformity requirements that umbrella activism is susceptible to. I don't expect everyone to be on board with that, and that's fine - but there are excellent reasons to seriously consider it.

[Natasha]

Decolonizing Trans As Allies

http://dentedbluemercedes.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/decolonizing-trans-as-allies/
7/1/11
Mercedes Allen

I've mentioned alliance when dissecting the problems with umbrella thinking in transsexual and gender diverse activism, in "The Death of the 'Transgender' Umbrella" and "Why The Umbrella Failed."  It's easy to pull something apart — the more challenging question now becomes: how do we do activism if not as a single umbrella community?  Why do transsexual and gender diverse peoples ally, and how do we ally?  Or should we ally at all?