Male? Female? Not Me. Transgender Doesn't Mean What You Think.


http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2007/11/08/arts/19243.shtml

by Jean/Gene Beebe
Princetonian contributer
11/08/07

'Transgender? Trans-gender? Trans-what? Okay. Let's break this down...'

Interesting article. I agree with several of her? points.

To me the writing mostly looked like incoherent babble. If the writer had a point to make, it wasn't clear. Apparently it was written while drunk.

I picked up something about not identifying with either gender. I have read the arguments of the androgynes in this forum and understand where they're coming from. The androgynous people here make their case much more clearly. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have a clue what that essayist was talking about--or how they can claim to define what transgender is or isn't to the public.

The Alliance for Gender Awareness on the one hand seems to be supportive of transgender. On the other hand, they've been promoting t-shirts with the words "Male" and "Female" crossed out and "just ME" written below. As if to say: I don't identify with either male or female. It confused me at first: Is that what transgender is supposed to mean? That doesn't speak for me. I identify as female all right. I understand that some people don't identify with either, but this neither/nor position cannot define what "transgender" means on the whole. No wonder onlookers from the outside of the issue find it confusing.

Quote from: Hypatia on November 08, 2007, 09:05:53 AM
I picked up something about not identifying with either gender. I have read the arguments of the androgynes in this forum and understand where they're coming from. The androgynous people here make their case much more clearly. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have a clue what that essayist was talking about--or how they can claim to define what transgender is or isn't to the public.

I got kinda confused too. I THINK the writer was saying that TGism covers gender ambiguity too, and not just crossing genders? But I don't know...

QuoteI identify as female all right.

I sorta do too, although it's more like it just is what it is, lol. Not so much "identify" as accept what is. I dunno, now I'm not making much sense either, lol.

~Kate~

The only sane gender is Null Gender   >

Gee, I thought it was interesting. Ok, it was way out there, way beyond the left field wall and on to Landsdown Street, but sometimes being outragous makes a point. Sometimes being totally stupid has value to express the obvious. Gender is relative to everything from the individual to the whole of society. After all, what's the worst it did, bring a smile to your face and a "WTF?" thought? It wasn't Jack Kerouac, but even his writing at times was off the wall and out the window.

--Susan--

Quote from: Kate on November 08, 2007, 10:55:25 AM

Quote from: Hypatia on November 08, 2007, 09:05:53 AM
I identify as female all right.

I sorta do too, although it's more like it just is what it is, lol. Not so much "identify" as accept what is. I dunno, now I'm not making much sense either, lol.

Sure you're making sense. I'm getting to the same place with it. Accepting what is. Regular women don't "identify" as such, they just are. But I think there's a stage in this journey where it becomes important to "identify" with where you're headed because it doesn't just happen overnight and we need to keep our eyes on the prize when it becomes a hard struggle. Conscious identification is like buying a ticket for a destination. And hopefully the train won't derail before you get there.

Quote from: Hypatia on November 08, 2007, 08:48:43 PM
Regular women don't "identify" as such, they just are. But I think there's a stage in this journey where it becomes important to "identify" with where you're headed because it doesn't just happen overnight and we need to keep our eyes on the prize when it becomes a hard struggle. Conscious identification is like buying a ticket for a destination. And hopefully the train won't derail before you get there.

This is me now and I am not a woman or a man. I am Null Gendered and it is me and not who I think I am. I have no place to go and I couldn't be happier.   

I think it is incredible and joyous in how we have each found our way.

I love us!!!!!!   

True this essay was not very clear. But it certainly throws the idea that things are not always clear cut obvious and people should be treated as more then just what their designation should entail. Maybe a near incoherent run-on idea is the way to get people to start asking questions(even if they are "what was that?"). If this essay reaches anyone, its done its job. Keep in mind, its a student that wrote this, so maybe they'll learn to better state their ideas as they continue through university.

M&M

   I kind of took the confusing tone as being reflective of the writer's point of view that gender  concepts can be confusing.
   The tone may have been kind of a performance piece meant to amuse or entertain.

Quote from: Marq and Mia on November 08, 2007, 11:37:12 PMMaybe a near incoherent run-on idea is the way to get people to start asking questions(even if they are "what was that?"). If this essay reaches anyone, its done its job.

I'd say it has. 8 comments is pretty good for a news post.

seemed pretty average student newspaper writing. There was too much talk of leather daddys and dildos and butch dikes for me to connect, to much in your face stuff, not enough personal realisation.