About a week ago, my sister phone me a few times and then hung up right when I picked up the phone. I did finally reach her and I asked her what’s up and then she decided to call me by that old male name. Anyone in this situation knows what happened next - click. My sister broke the first rule of respecting trans people and that is not to use the old name of the person, no matter where they are in transition. Seriously, this is not permissible in any situation and any transwoman or transman that tolerates this is being a lot more gracious and wonderful to you than I would be. And from many of the reactions I’ve gotten and agreements about this, I would have to say that I am not alone in this position, that a lot of transwomen are in agreement with me about this. Continue reading ‘The First Rule of Respecting Trans People: Don’t Use the Old Name’
Archive for the 'Queer' Category
Today, I received an e-mail from Lambda Legal announcing loudly and proudly that we have finally gained equal marriage rights in Connecticut! With this victory, we now have 3 states in the United States have fully equal marriage. The high court has ruled that it is unconstitutional to deny equal marriage rights to lesbian and gay couples, and I have to resound with the obvious claim: damn right! (Yeah, I know this was a short post, but I will say more tomorrow)
I hear all the time these bigoted assholes that want to “protect marriage”, when what they really want to do is divide people and forbid people from marrying who they love because of the sex of the people involved. Marriage should be between two adults who truly love one another and are committed to being with one another for life. Marriage is a meaningful institution and I hope that when I find the love of my life, I hope that I can get married to her and enjoy a long and fruitful relationship with her. I am seeking more out of life but I also want to settle down somewhere one day and have a family. Weird, I know, but I am telling the absolute 100% truth! I want to have the 2.5 children, white picket fence and the german shepherd. I want to have family vacations and be a stay at home mom once it is time for that. I know it sounds weird, but this is absolutely and honestly what I want out of my life - I shouldn’t be denied it just because my spouse will most definitely be another woman. Continue reading ‘Marriage Does Need to Be Protected, From Conservatives’
Earlier, I posted on Gender Neutral Pronouns. But now, I am going to talk about something even more important - the use of a name which is not attached to masculinity or femininity. In society, names are especially important and they hold attachments to many of our memories. We remember our parents getting pissed and calling us by our first and middle names. My mother even told me that if she was going to name me and if I were born a genetic girl, she would have named me Lacie Starlene. Yeah, I didn’t get that either. But why should we give children names that try to lock them into one gender or another without their consent? What is the motivation behind this idea? Continue reading ‘Should We Give Children Gendered Names?’
I was talking with some people in my building and one of the people passing by said “Praise God” and I shouted back, as I normally do, “And Praise the Flying Spaghetti Monster!” She responded saying “You atheists and your flying spaghetti monsters!” I got a little irked and responded “Well, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is not real. It was a concoction to help show how teaching creationism in the classroom is foolish.” She responded back “Well, they teach atheism in the classroom!” This kind of puzzled me because I know of NO classroom in the United States or Canada that teaches atheism. We then went on to debate and she finally made the statement that “atheism is equivalent to racism”. That kinda took me aback and it made me think, how is atheism racist and why is it that some people choose to say things like that? Continue reading ‘“Atheism is racism” - WTF?’
About a week ago, after coming home from work, I had to stop in at the Boulder Transit Centre and who did I see but my old acquaintance, Brody! She just came back from Boulder Pride with her friends (I am ever so jealous) and now, she was beginning to head back to Denver. We only got to talk a little before the incident that really started to make my head spin begun. She went to use the ladies room and the RTD security guard got up, waddled over to the ladies’ room door and waited for her to come out. I was thinking “what the hell is he standing there for?” and was preparing to help resolve a confrontation between the long arm of the RTD Wackenoff, er I meant Wackenhut security guys and her. But then I saw what really was going down, as he started asking her why she went into the ladies room, thinking that she was a he. Of course, Brody corrected the man and he lingered around for a while, looking at her and walked away. I was all thinking “what the fuck?!?” Of course, when I had to go back to the Boulder bus the next day, I let the RTD Wackenoff security guard know and he said he’d look into it. But this does raise a bigger concern - what is the importance of passing and how can we in this society pass for who we really are? And what is the concern with passing at all? Continue reading ‘Passing for Something’
At first, when I heard of Log Cabin Republicans, I thought that it was just a practical joke, much like Landover Baptist Church. But, no, they are seriously real. And sadly enough, even though we are all being attacked through the Republican party, these people still support the Republican party rather than trying to change the party from the inside out. These people are gay, they are Republican, and they are fighting a battle on a side that will ultimately leave them hanging. No one is more bigoted or hateful than a Republican candidate and McCain supports a constitutional amendment banning our equal right to the institution of marriage. Clearly, this is a threat to our relationships and to the legal and social recognition to them. And yet these people continue to support the republican party. Please, please, enlighten me - where is the logic in doing this? What logical reason could you possibly have to side with a political party that is so full of neo-conservatives, you would be lynched if they could legalize it on the senate floor? Please, tell me why you would want to vote for these people, much less support them? Continue reading ‘Gay Republicans? Curious, very curious.’
Why Are Some People So Unkind to Transvestites?
Now, while I myself am not a transvestite (I say this from a solely technical definition, since just being full time isn’t doing it for me, although not being full time would be worse), I have to say that sometimes, some people’s attitudes and ideas about transvestites worries and concerns me. What brings this up? Well, I was reading Becky’s T-Blog (a weblog of a TV girl in the United Kingdom) and she had a very hurtful comment on one of her posts that was very transphobic. I know that there are a few transsexuals who thank their lucky stars that they are not transvestites. I would have to ask though, what gives transsexuals superiority over transvestites? Why can’t we all just respect one another as people who transgress the concept of gender? Are we afraid that if we are lumped in with the transvestites, will we lose respect in the hearts and minds of others? I want to address these concerns, as well as our reasons for having such concerns. Continue reading ‘Why Are Some People So Unkind to Transvestites?’