Lara Reyes-Terry, Week 8: The Pastel American Flag
(I searched up “pastel American flag” after having this title idea, and I was shocked by how close it actually was).
This came to be after probably seven iterations of this blog post (they’re all about the same thing anyway). But for my final post for this cohort, I wanted to put this out mostly to see everyone else’s opinions:
America’s relationship to transgender people (insert sparkles here).
The elephant in the room is, of course, the current administration’s stance on transgender people---but instead I want to bring up a Ted Talk I recently saw given by Paula Stone Williams.
Williams is a trans woman who before transitioning, had been a straight, white male. Oh, and she was also Christian and a CEO…what some might imagine as the perfect American.
DUN DUN DUNNNNNN!
But something that interested me, as a fellow trans person, is that she transitioned later in life (as of now I believe she is in her seventies) when she described the “call toward authenticity” being as “[subtle] as a smoke alarm.” Aside from the potential factor of familial rejection, I thought it was because of the danger in transitioning and not passing.
To pass is to be perceived as one’s desired gender. This is often achieved through conforming to the standards of the other gender. For someone who is female-to-male, like me, you might see us cutting our hair shorter or imitating the styles of the guys around us. The goal is basically to fit in. It can be freeing for some, but others do not want to abide by the binary and will dress however they want and identity however they want.
The latter choice, for several reasons, can be risky as they are more identifiable as “queer” and thus attacked by heteronormative society more often. But even for those who pass/attempt to pass, “the good transgenders,” it’s risky if they are found out.
This linked story is one many trans folk have unfortunately succumbed to.
So damned if you pass, damned if you don’t. What about Williams?
Well, she didn’t transition for so long because she didn’t “want to give up [her] power or [her] income.”
But she’s right. She lost all her jobs within the week she came out
This isn’t new, although I’ve mostly heard it the other way around---as in trans men gaining privilege. The loss or desire for privilege isn’t something that motivates anyone to transition (I hope not), but it’s a criticism often made. Really, it just exposes the inherent favoring society has for certain genders---even down those weirdly sexist baby clothes (please tell me you guys know what I’m referring to). But Williams’ story reflects how crucial it still is to match the idea of the American dream.
The white picket fence and the house you worked hard for, with your wife and kids waiting for you when you come home from work. You. Yes, you. A man. A straight, white, christian man.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, Williams’ Ted Talks are uplifting and positive as she talks about wanting to work towards gender equity and pulling from her own experiences with how she’s treated differently as a woman.
I have no such monumental experiences…aside from being addressed as “sir” and there’s that one time I was with a random senior and being talked to like a bro, but that’s all positive.
My thoughts are all over the place, but if anything, I think trans peoples’ experiences could potentially be very valuable to addressing issues around gender that affect everyone. Even if it’s not a huge step, our experiences at the very least prove differences still exist. If you’re a trans woman or man in America, or a cis woman or man in America, we’re all still Americans.
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Links!!!
Paula Stone Williams’ Ted Talk (talks more about gender equity)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_flag
https://www.redbubble.com/i/sticker/Pastel-American-Flag-by-cedougherty/27375053.EJUG5
I’m surprised at the allegation that trans men supposedly transition to gain power in a patriarchal system. I’ve always thought that transphobic people proudly declared that transitioning was unnatural and a sign of mental illness, and that no trans person can be trusted around children, women, or anything, really. To me, this allegation just seems like another excuse to prosecute trans people.
ReplyDeleteTrans men cannot “gain” power in a patriarchy for multiple reasons. For one, they are usually (not always) born female and viewed as a woman until they transition. The very nature of a patriarchal society requires strict definitions and hard lines surrounding the definition of different genders, and there must always be a singular one that holds power over all others: the male gender. When trans men break these cross-gender boundaries by transitioning, whether or not one presents as passing or non-binary, the very structure that dictates patriarchal power dynamics crumbles. In other words, trans men cannot benefit from patriarchy when their existence completely derails it. Rather, they quite literally detract from it. Additionally, the notion that patriarchy is a mobile social hierarchy is completely bogus. Sure, a woman can gain favor with a patriarchal system when she enforces it by practicing internalized misogyny and weaponizing the power she may derive from her race or socioeconomic class to subdue rebellious women, but she cannot ever overpower men. Women can never possess as much or more social power than men, because that is the very opposite of patriarchy. Therefore, the claim that trans men somehow “move up” the patriarchal ladder is wholly untrue. Oppressive systems like patriarchy and matriarchy rely on suppression and obedience, not mobility and opportunity.
Overall, those were my thoughts about this apparently prominent socially conservative argument. I definitely think people need to use their brains a little more before coming to conclusions about a population that is still heavily persecuted around the world, including in so-called “first-world countries.” Great post!
Thank you for this meaningful comment! I agree that trans men cannot truly benefit from "ascending" the social ladder when they enter male-dominated spheres in the patriarchy, but it is still interesting to examine how some may experience better treatment from society on an individual scale. When they pass, they acquire the benefits that come with being perceived as male. As such, many spaces that would be uncomfortable or even dangerous for women become safer for trans men to navigate. I think this supposed "gaining of privilege" just goes to show how ridiculous traditional gender roles are. The patriarchy was never based off of rationality; it's a collection of arbitrary requirements about who should sit where the social hierarchy, and the system is both laughably fragile and dangerously oppressive.
DeleteLara, your opening line reminded me of Fitzgerald! The numerous drafts of your blog really capture your dedication to writing this and how much you care about the subject, just as Fitzgerald did with illustrating his masterpiece of a narrative. And of course, I appreciate you doing a special post for our final blogs.
ReplyDeleteYour blog showed me how much society really values these “sacred” ol’ gender roles. And also about those weird baby clothes—how much these roles play into every aspect of being this or that. Like why is this stuff so engrained in society anyway? As someone who has been ruminating on self-identity over the past couple of years (peak adolescence, I know), I’ve decided to just be unlabeled. I don’t fancy the idea of squishing myself into any definitions (personally). This mindset of mine stems from my pondering on what roles really mean—like if I want to be a boy, then what makes a boy a boy? Is it what people perceive boys as, that I want to become? Then I’ll just be playing into what society has out for gender roles. This whole debate in my head reminds me of the gain or loss of privileges you describe here, as people transition. I understand that beckoning “‘call toward authenticity’” that you describe, which is why most transition—but what is this really about? The thing with privileges comes with being integrated within a society that values traditional roles in this way, but does the authenticity relate to how this such society faces your outward identity? Maybe I’m thinking too hard about it; I completely understand your final thoughts in this post though (and I am in no way transphobic!!). Queer experiences could definitely cast a portal of insight toward reworking the gender norms!