A deeper truth

[Shana A]

A deeper truth
Transmissions
Published 10/06/2011

by Gwendolyn Ann Smith

http://www.ebar.com/columns/column.php?sec=transmissions&article=174

I was recently talking with an acquaintance of mine. She is a transwoman, and a writer. She is also a self-described political junkie. It was during one recent political discussion where someone who opposed her views – presumably out of valid talking points to counter her side of the debate – went after her, referring to her by her old name in some attempt to win the argument.

In talking to her after the fact, I counseled her to assume that the person attacking her is an idiot, and move on; that the person really wasn't worth her time. Nevertheless, it got me thinking about the use of former names and former genders as a way to discredit anything w