University of Chicago students offended by gay activist's "transphobic slur"

[DONNIEP]

I retract my previous statement regarding transgendered people. I totally get it now. And I'd like to come out right now and proudly state that I too am a transgendered person. And a lesbian. Now, I demand access to all women's locker rooms, restrooms and dressing rooms! Victoria's Secret - here I come babayyyyy!!!

[vandeleur]

[ELVIS]

There's more to life than perversion, DONNIEP...

[PETE'S BROTHER]

There's more to life than perversion, DONNIEP...

[ZahZoo]

But in this case the words tranny or trannies are just a shortened version of transgender... and now we've got a new word transphobic. I don't see where it's even a slur.

Reminds me of an incident back in the 90's I got sucked into the middle of while managing an internal technical help desk. One of my team transfers a call to me with a customer irate and wanting to talk to a manager.

So I got this dude screaming and cussing, demanding I fire the tech he previously talked to... I also had a growing audience gathering outside my office door all grinning from ear to ear wanting to see how I was gonna handle this call.

Seems James was calling to formally request his name be changed to Maryanne in the corporate directory and all HR records...

I first told the guy... look quit yelling and cussing at me or I'm hanging up and will be talking with his manager directly. So he pipes down and I ask now what's the problem? He goes into a 10 minute rant about how he's never been so insulted treated poorly by my staff... I ask what did they say? He said when I told him I want my first name changed from James to Maryanne my tech chuckled and asked if he was freaking joking...

I ask and what else? He said that's it and I yelled at him and demanded to speak to you... I said well I apologize for the way my guy treated you. I'll address it with him. Give me all the details of your name change and I will submit the necessary forms and get back with you.

At the same time I pointed my finger at the guy who took the initial call and then flipped him off!! Some bitch...

I spoke to Maryanne's manager an hour later to inform him of the incident... that poor guy... tells me he suspected James was gay but the guy took 2 weeks off and shows up back at work with huge boobs, a blond wig in a mini-skirt with mens size 11 pumps on... Then goes to everyone in the department informing them he's now Maryanne... Tells me about how he's been consulting with HR because the females in his area are concerned about sharing a bathroom with a she-male. Plus he's now got most the men who can't keep a straight face dealing with this guy and his low cut blouses, wigs and ugly man legs... I didn't envy that manager in any way, shape or form...

[DONNIEP]

There's more to life than perversion, DONNIEP...

Is it really perverted for me to want to see sexy womarns in their skimpies?

[DONNIEP]

I spoke to Maryanne's manager an hour later to inform him of the incident... that poor guy... tells me he suspected James was gay but the guy took 2 weeks off and shows up back at work with huge boobs, a blond wig in a mini-skirt with mens size 11 pumps on...

Izzy!!! Come back! I found your new life partner!!!

[VetteLS5]

But in this case the words tranny or trannies are just a shortened version of transgender... and now we've got a new word transphobic. I don't see where it's even a slur.

I'm gonna guess it's the "anny" or "annies". Like it's feminized the term, whereas "transgender" is more businesslike. Now nevermind that many of these goofs have done just that to themselves by going from boy to ladyboi.

Off topic a little... there's a DC Pride event I think this weekend that the good 'ole Westboro Baptist buffoons have said they are going to demonstrate against. DC's mayor said on the news his message to them was to go to hell. Should be a good time in the nation's capitol.

[FORD]

Geezus... not only are they calling Dan Savage transphobic, but RuPaul too??

RuPaul is transphobic? Does that mean she hates himself??

RuPaul’s Drag Race Crosses the Line with “Female or Shemale”
By Rafi D'Angelo

I’m a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Now early in its sixth season, the Logo drag competition show manages to be smart, entertaining, and hilarious—and, to be honest, drag queens are naturals when it comes to reality show dramatics. However, with each passing season, I feel like I’m constantly giving RuPaul passes for transphobic behavior—passes that I wouldn’t give anyone else—just writing it off because, “Hey, it’s RuPaul. RuPaul loves everyone.” This week’s mini-challenge left a particularly bad taste in my mouth, and now that I’ve slept on the episode, I’m just going to say it: Ru, girl, it's time for the transphobia to sashay away.

In the mini-challenge, called “Female or Shemale,” the queens had to look at an extreme close-up of a celebrity and then decide if the person was a “biological woman” (female) or a “psychological woman” (shemale). I was over this stupid game from the moment it started. While I’m not a trans person, it’s pretty clear that using a derogatory term like “shemale” to directly refer to a human being is a no-go. Society has come a long way in respecting difference, and the queer community especially has become more open about gender identity and expression. But we are far from the day when a trans woman will be able to walk down the street without fear of hearing insults or worse, and suggesting that “shemale” is an acceptable word—even as a joke—is not helpful in getting us there.

Part of the problem with this little game is that a drag queen is not, in fact, a “psychological woman.” A drag queen is a drag queen. A drag queen goes home at night, takes off the wigs and makeup, and is still a man. You can be the most feminine queen in drag, but, at the end of day, you still enjoy the privileges of being a cisgender man. Trans women don’t have that option. They are women every day, and that comes with the threat of ridicule, exposure, and violence. True, there are male-to-female transgender folks who gravitated toward drag as part of their journey through gender identity, but that’s a limited case. Generally speaking, to put drag queens, who pretend to be something like women as a profession or hobby, in the same category with trans women—which is to say, real women—is offensive.

I realize a lot of Drag Race fans will say I’m being overly serious; Ru himself probably would. But I can’t help feeling it’s gratuitous and unnecessary to continue exploiting these old, hurtful stereotypes when the game could just as easily have been “Woman or Drag Queen.” Why are we still looking the other way when RuPaul uses “shemale” in every episode? Are there people who really defend that term and say it’s not derogatory? “Shemale,” “he-she,” “man-woman,” etc., are all terms the public has used and continues to use to defemenize and dehumanize transwomen, treating them as people less-deserving of compassion and respect.

I like to think I’m not an overly sensitive person, but that mini-challenge took me out of the whole episode. We all know RuPaul’s mantra is to love yourself and one another, but how far does intent take you when you refuse to change your behavior? Ru has been called out on transphobic behavior for years now, but so far he’s excused his crassness as good fun or accused the trans community of being too fragile. At some point, don’t you have to listen to the T in the LGBTQ community that made you famous? I’m not asking for some kind of tearful apology, but for Ru to hear time and time again “Girl, you’re being transphobic, stop that,” and to not only continue with the same behavior but to magnify it even MORE is just outright disrespectful.

Drag Race is the kind of program that has the potential to do a lot of good in the world; its message of love and acceptance is one that gays and straights both need to hear. That’s why this willful disregard for trans people’s feelings and wellbeing is so jarring—it just doesn’t fit with the rest of the show. Maybe RuPaul honestly doesn’t think he’s doing anything wrong, but I’m at a point where I really don’t care if he personally understands why “shemale” is offensive. This isn’t just a question of bawdy humor or political correctness; at the core, Ru is showing a blatant disregard for members of the trans community who have repeatedly asked him to put that language to the side. Drag Race’s success depends on the support of fans, and we are complicit if we keep watching this show without calling on Ru to cut the transphobia. It’s just not a good look.

This post originally appeared in an extended form on Rafi D’Angelo’s blog, So Let’s Talk About... Read more of him there, and follow him on Twitter @RafiDAngelo.

[FORD]

Dunno if this is what RuPaul was watching, but it's kinda disturbing in a way

Don't worry.... there's nothing pornographic or NSFW in here.

[DONNIEP]

Geezus... not only are they calling Dan Savage transphobic, but RuPaul too??

RuPaul is transphobic? Does that mean she hates himself??

Is RuPaul really a Trannie? That's the question. I believe to be considered a Trannie, a dude must have at least had breast implants put in.

[DONNIEP]

Dunno if this is what RuPaul was watching, but it's kinda disturbing in a way

Uh oh, Ford's teetering on the edge of Trannie Love...

[FORD]

Is RuPaul really a Trannie? That's the question. I believe to be considered a Trannie, a dude must have at least had breast implants put in.

The term "trannie" is probably thrown at anybody who's born male but appears female. Though there's obvious differences between drag queens like RuPaul, who are gay men who like to dress like women, and transgenders who are born physically male, but consider themselves female mentally/emotionally/spiritually/whatever it is.

[DONNIEP]

RuPaul is gay??

[FORD]

Uh oh, Ford's teetering on the edge of Trannie Love...

Nah, it ain't about all that. Just picturing a scenario in a bar where you could be 3 or 4 hours deep into drinking and one of these "girls" came up to you in a bar. How the Hell would you know??