Traditional Sexism and Trans-Woman-Exclusion

[Shana A]

Traditional Sexism and Trans-Woman-Exclusion

http://cataclysmia.org/?p=101

I attend a weekly reading circle known as VARC –Victoria Anarchist Reading Circle− and our recent focus has been on gender theory, along with an extended exploration of ->-bleeped-<-. ->-bleeped-<- is a highly overgrazed topic, and it is because of the ignorance which follows it that transsexuals are consistently criticized. Transsexual women are accused as being men who are 'parodying a stereotype of women', and transsexual men are accused of betrayal by moving beyond being only a masculine women.

An author of choice for our reading material on ->-bleeped-<- is Julia Serano. Julia is a trans-woman and the author of the book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity. In her chapter Bending Over Backwards: Traditional Sexism and Trans-Woman-Exclusion Policies Julia explores the issue of trans-women-exclusion. She focuses on why it's harder, in a trans-tolerating society, for trans-women to find acceptance than it is for trans-men.

[Nero]

Thanks for posting this.

[NicholeW.]

Very good, and not limited to cissexuals either.

A pose among trans-women is often to exclude the feminine as "parody" of women. "Feminine" is consistently degraded, ignored  and look-down on: "sissy-boy" as opposed to "tom-boy." The "girl" completely disappears.

Nichole

[nooneinparticular]

Interesting that this topic was just brought up..

I read Julia's book when it first came out and although I feel she makes a lot of excellent points, I feel she also misses a lot of points as well.  Feminism is not a monolithic whole and never was, it encompasses a wide wide range of definitions about womanhood, the patriarchy and especially on where the fight against the patriarchy should properly be focused.

I have not experienced the exclusion she has in feminist circles and I am and have been quite active in them.  Conversely, I have experienced widespread exclusion from anything trans...and I have come to the conclusion both are from the same source, I approach feminism and women's space as a woman without qualifiers.

[NicholeW.]

Interesting that this topic was just brought up..

I read Julia's book when it first came out and although I feel she makes a lot of excellent points, I feel she also misses a lot of points as well.  Feminism is not a monolithic whole and never was, it encompasses a wide wide range of definitions about womanhood, the patriarchy and especially on where the fight against the patriarchy should properly be focused.

I have not experienced the exclusion she has in feminist circles and I am and have been quite active in them.  Conversely, I have experienced widespread exclusion from anything trans...and I have come to the conclusion both are from the same source, I approach feminism and women's space as a woman without qualifiers.

All quite true. I think Ms. Serano in using "Feminism: is using a trope, hardly trying to shoehorn everything into a single space. In order to avoid prolixity and an endlessly long essay that tends to be the case for most essaists. Some who do not find that they can do so don't get published. 

I think that most of us know that women with a transsex in their background are often rejected in some feminist circles, just as are women who are "femme." About that Julia Serano makes some rather insightful observations. That is the crux of a couple of her essays in Whipping Girl.

Neither have I been rejected in feminist circles I gravitate toward. But, I have definitely heard the hatred of trans-women in those circles although they do not seem to realize one is present. If they had, I would fully expect a call to exclude me as an "interloper." I believe that is the point Ms. Serano is making, not that all feminists are a monolithic block of women who extol male virtues rather than female virtues.

Nichole

[nooneinparticular]

Hi Nichole, BTW I wasn't ignoring your invitation, just unsure how you meant for me to go about it.

On this topic, almost no one is aware of this, but probably the most exclusive and influential lesbian group in the US, Heterodoxy, has a woman of trans/intersexed history as a member with her background well known to the group.  Like myself, she approaches her feminism totally as a woman and as a direct result, even though this group consists of those who come from a separatist background and are members of the HRC executive board are also members, she is totally accepted.  It is a limited group, invitation only.

I think we do more from this position than will ever be done from an outsiders POV screaming for admission.  Our history gets placed in the proper perspective this way, a ho hum from our past rather than a definition of our present and future.  Hearts and minds are changed by examples.  One of these women recently visited our Abbey and we had a long and wonderful chat about feminism, lesbian activism and women's issues.  Since it was the woman of trans/intersexed history who brought her by and given our Abbey is locally well known for having a lot of transsexual women associated with it, I assumed she knew about my background.  During the conversation I mentioned my experiences with the draft in the sixties.  It took her two full days to process that and realize I had a trans/intersexed background myself.....with a further positive result.  Yet another woman without qualifiers she met with that background and did not fit any of the stereotypes associated with being trans.

[NicholeW.]

Hi, Cathryn,

One simply reads the OP, follows it and leaves a comment if she wishes. Just a comment that remains within the guidelines is all and waits for another comment. That's a generally accepted practice on BBs. The first comment might be constrained to 12 or fewer sentences due to one's needing to appear with something to edibly and potably share with others. But after that 18 or fewer sentences consisting of 25 or fewer words will be entirely up to the poster to present.

As for your contention that knowing is a positive thing for some and that trans women in that respect do great good for our "imprint" on our sisters is definitely right and, once more, we agree on that. That has also been within my own experience. I'd rather not have had it occur, but one of my dearest friends was told about my history by someone who had made it a point to exclude me simply on the grounds that "I was really still a man."

I expected when she told my partner that the fact would have her exclude me as well. But, it didn't. Instead: "Nichole, I just want you to know that for many years I have refused to have any truck with males povs and gatherings. They do not ring true to me. I have known you over two years and simply was floored to discover you had transitioned. You have never even sparked the first warning signal for me. You are another woman & I would very much like you to continue to be my friend."

So, I'm not completely unaware or dismissive of what you are saying. Just responding to the notion that Serano paints too wide a stroke. That's a literary device, not a philosophical one.

Nichole