Hate 101: Gay and Lesbian Transphobia – The Causes
Posted by CA_Medicine_Woman • April 2, 2010
http://standingwatch.net/2010/04/02/hate-101-gay-and-lesbian-transphobia-%E2%80%93-the-causes/I had originally planned on wrapping this series up with how we all can come together to put an end to the bigotry, so that we can work together towards the mutual goal of equality with the rest of society. Yet, how can one stop bigotry without understanding the causes behind it? And, here's the kicker, there are legitimate concerns that are the underlying causes of gay and lesbian transphobia, concerns that all of us need to work on and address together, not fight amongst ourselves over them.
Most who read this will likely have no clue who Christine Jorgensen was. The short of it is this, she was the first widely known transsexual who had undergone gender reassignment surgery (GRS). Those who remember Jorgensen's story likely also remember the way the international and US media exploited her story, and focused on the more lurid details of her life (not much has changed). What isn't well known is that Jorgensen's case, indeed Jorgensen herself, may be the root of the modern incarnation of transphobia amongst gays and lesbians.
