I'm not a huge CJ fan at all. I think her privilege shields her from anyone else's lived experiences. As far as trans people that I admire, it starts with Jenny Boylan and moves through an interesting group of people like Jennifer Richards, and Parker Malloy. I get away with following these folks on my public twitter account because I'm such a good little lefty socialist.

Pfft. Caitlyn Jenner sucks. It's all about Lana Wachowski, she's a real badass.

You know who speaks for me? 

ME.

Quote from: Jill F on October 08, 2015, 03:40:01 PM
You know who speaks for me? 

ME.

Well, yes, but it's not that simple. Policy in our country is made by politicians who answer to the voters. So if we're going to have laws and government policy that doesn't make our lives miserable, we need to have a way to communicate with politicians and voters. A hundred thousand cacophonous voice will just sound like noise, but a spokesperson can get and keep people's attention long enough to explain why we do what we do and what we need.

Quote from: suzifrommd on October 08, 2015, 03:49:21 PM
Well, yes, but it's not that simple. Policy in our country is made by politicians who answer to the voters. So if we're going to have laws and government policy that doesn't make our lives miserable, we need to have a way to communicate with politicians and voters. A hundred thousand cacophonous voice will just sound like noise, but a spokesperson can get and keep people's attention long enough to explain why we do what we do and what we need.

I am actually pretty well connected when it comes to pols in Washington and Sacramento.  I know how to write and where/how to direct my correspondence.  I don't trust any "spokesperson" to speak for me more than I trust myself, so that's how I roll.

What Caitlyn should do as a conservative, religious Republican is speak to those in her own party who have long since dismissed us as "librul deviants" and refused to listen since day one.

Quote from: MugwortPsychonaut on October 03, 2015, 05:43:37 PM...it's a plus that they're both PoC.

Transpersons come in all ethnicities -- White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian.

QuoteSo now some rich, white, republican is our spokesperson?

Laverne Cox has $2 MILLION, which I wouldn't exactly consider "poor". Most spokespeople get to that place by having wealth and/or celebrity. Noone outside the trans* community would have given Laverne Cox's opinion the time of day if not for her being on OITNB. Similarly, Caitlyn Jenner's larger celebrity allows her to be heard by people who might not have ever listened to Laverne Cox.

I think Caitlyn is a great inspiration for a lot of transgenders at older age . Caitlyn has shown to have this strong personality no matter what the entire world thinks about her . She doesn't care for all those people making fun of her and calling her names . And that is willpower . I don't find it a weird thing that Caitlyn is a spokesperson for the transgender community . After all , statistics show that most transgenders are late transitioners and who could support them better than someone who transitioned herself very late in life ?

I myself can't relate to her and don't feel any connection with her . My spokesmodels are more like Jenna Talackova , Devon Marchant , Geena Rocero , Kelly Van Der Veer , Claudia Charriez . I can find more matches with them as they faced the same issues I have to face now in my life as a young transwoman .


I really hope that Jenna or Devon will get wider exposure in the trans community and especially under the trans youth .


This way the two groups would have their own spokespeople they could relate to :

Caitlyn Jenner for the mature transitioners
Jenna Talackova for the young transgirls / young transwomen .

I hate when people call Caitlyn "privileged". Really? Do you not remember who this person is and what she did for the United States at the time she did it? I'm generation X and I sure as hell do. She worked her ass off to get where she is and didn't have to come out in the spotlight at all for ANY reason.

Someone is only your spokesperson or role model or influence if you let them be.

I have to throw my two cents in here.

We should all be our own spokesperson, as we are the experts.  We are going through our own transitioning, each and every one of us.  We also know what is best for us, not relying on some "expert" or spokesperson other than our endos and hopefully transgender savvy therapists (as moi will be when she is a doctor in three more years).

In any case, more power to any trans man or trans woman who will go up in front of crowds or fight the man (lol)  Just remember, at least as far as I am concerned, it is up to each and every one of us to win our own individual battles and to be making our own statements.  That is how we will come out on top. 

As always, be safe  :-)

Marlo