A Lost Cause: Stopping the Misuse of the ‘LGBT’ Term by Politicians

[MadelineB]

A Lost Cause: Stopping the Misuse of the 'LGBT' Term by Politicians
September 26, 2012. 1:25 am
Posted by: Jillian Page


http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2012/09/26/a-lost-cause-misuse-of-the-lgbt-term-by-politicians/

I suppose it has become politically correct to use the LGBT term when referring to gays and lesbians, because it makes the politicians think people will think they are being all-inclusive. And perhaps some people will think so, that is, people who may not know the difference between a transgender person and a gay person. But transgender people do know the difference — and there is a big difference. Many feel insulted when a politician is talking about gays and lesbians — not about trans people — but uses the LGBT term anyway. They might ask: does this politician assume all transgender people are gay? Then again, politicians in Canada, at least, are intelligent people (as opposed to politicians in other countries). They know the difference. And trans people know the politicians know the difference.

So, really, it seems to be all about political correctness. Even the media is guilty of it. Too many articles and reports appear about lesbians and gays, but use the LGBT term, with nary a mention of transgender people and the particular obstacles they face.

As for what bisexuals might think about all this, lord only knows. They are hardly ever mentioned by politicians or the media, yet they are part of the LGBT term. I am a bisexual, and am in a same-sex relationship.

Meanwhile, I am going to stop pointing it out when politicians use the LGBT term incorrectly. It's a lost cause. Transgender people will just have to live with it.

[Padma]

I keep noticing this - a big international charity recently started in the UK is quite specifically, from it's mission statement, aiming to support LGB people in oppressive countries, people oppressed due to their sexuality - but the media and politicians keep referring to it as LGBT.

[suzifrommd]

Actually being lumped in with the gay community doesn't bother me.

After all, unless one changes sexual orientation during transition, we all are involved in same-sex attraction somewhere in that process, right?

And we share with gays a brain anomaly that we didn't choose that requires us to live differently than the vast majority of others born to our sex.

To my seeing, the similarities far outweigh the differences. I'm happy to keep their company.

[Padma]

Not the point, for me - it's more that the media and politicians are implying support for trans issues where there actually is none.

[eli77]

I actually think Jillian Page is really wrong. The conservatives have been moving on trans issues and the media has generally been recording that pretty accurately. It was 15 federal conservative members who broke ranks to save the NDP private members bill on trans rights in the second reading. The conservatives in Alberta have re-listed SRS. The conservatives in Ontario voted in favour of the trans right bill here.

Something interesting has changed in the party recently. Looks like the libertarians are finally, finally getting some control back from the social conservatives. A change I am very happy to see. And I think we really need to try not to blatantly attack folks who are coming around to helping us out, regardless of how late they may be to the party. We need the conservatives on side, especially for getting the bill through the Senate, and especially because it looks like they are going to be in power for a good while longer unless the centrist parties can figure out how to work together for once. I think, if anything, the conservatives need some encouragement for going out on a limb for us and potentially pissing off some of their core supporters. I would really like to reach a point where LGBT folks can just vote for whichever party is closest to their values, without being forced into single-issue voter status.

I do notice LGBT being misused in the media in the UK and the US, but it doesn't happen in Canada with nearly the same frequency. People forget sometimes how far ahead we are on this stuff. Same-sex common law since 1999, marriage since 2005. Trans rights is the next big push, and it's actually really happening right now. Ontario has now reached a point where it's competing for the top slot in most trans-positive places to live in the world. With any luck that will spread to the rest of Canada in the next couple years.

So ya. The LGBT thing works for achieving real progress. Has been working. Don't knock it.

[Padma]

I think it's both, depending on who's using it and how. It can be valuable exposure and umbrella-ing - or it can be exploitation of a buzz-acronym without any real support behind it. It's so ubiquitous, a lot of people seeing/hearing LGBT just translate it in their heads to 'queer' without thinking what the letters stand for, so it doesn't necessarily contribute to awareness of trans stuff at all.

But then sometimes it does. Depends who's using it, and how.

[suzifrommd]

Not the point, for me - it's more that the media and politicians are implying support for trans issues where there actually is none.

Oh, I see.

Hasn't been much of a problem in this area. The Catholic church and African-American denominations are so influential here that it's extremely rare to see a politician on any part of the political spectrum make claims about their support for gay issues (not to mention Trans issues).