March 14, 2012
Community and Consequences: Understanding the Costs of Reclaiming "->-bleeped-<-"
by: Tobi Hill-Meyer
http://inourwordsblog.com/2012/03/14/community-and-consequences/I'm at a small local performance hall. It's the annual queer women's music festival. In this small college town, events like these only happen a couple times a year, and after an anti-social northwest winter, it feels good to be out. I sometimes forget how many friends I have here; some that I haven't seen in over a year. The loud music washes over us as we dance in the semi-dark. This is what I needed. But in one moment, all that comes crashing down.
Somewhere in my head, I should have known this would happen and prepared myself. "->-bleeped-<- got pack!" shouts the performer on the stage. The crowd begins cheering, but suddenly I'm crestfallen. I just can't join in the celebration on this one. I withdraw from the crowd and move to the back of the room. Looking around I see a few others who had the same reaction, and I can't help but notice that out of the small number of trans women in attendance at this show, each of us are removing ourselves. I raise an eyebrow towards one friend and we share a moment of, "Yeah, I know."
