Posted on Apr 10, 2023
Language is often weaponized against trans people. Does the word 'transphobia' capture this...
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The Washington Legislature has passed a bill protecting young transgender people from the reach of anti-trans health care laws in other states. Kentucky, Florida, and Texas are some of the states that have banned gender-affirming health care for minors. Other states have passed laws about bathrooms students can use, sports teams they can join, and how they can discuss gender and sexuality.
These sentiments are commonly described as “transphobic.” Some people use transphobic to describe both a culture, and individual people. One of them is Jaelynn Scott, a black transgender woman who leads Seattle’s Lavender Rights Project. The group advocates for Black and Indigenous gender-diverse people.
Scott says she has no problem saying that individual people are phobic about her, for overlapping reasons.
“You have the fear that goes along with the power of Black women and their association of anger with us,” she says. “You have Black identity in general and the guilt associated with the experience of Black people in this country, from people who are not Black. Then you have trans identity. The wish to erase us as a people is deeply rooted in fear. We threaten everything they have understood to exist, about identity and gender identity.”
These sentiments are commonly described as “transphobic.” Some people use transphobic to describe both a culture, and individual people. One of them is Jaelynn Scott, a black transgender woman who leads Seattle’s Lavender Rights Project. The group advocates for Black and Indigenous gender-diverse people.
Scott says she has no problem saying that individual people are phobic about her, for overlapping reasons.
“You have the fear that goes along with the power of Black women and their association of anger with us,” she says. “You have Black identity in general and the guilt associated with the experience of Black people in this country, from people who are not Black. Then you have trans identity. The wish to erase us as a people is deeply rooted in fear. We threaten everything they have understood to exist, about identity and gender identity.”
Language is often weaponized against trans people. Does the word 'transphobia' capture this...
Posted from kuow.org
Posted 1 y ago
Responses: 4
Posted 1 y ago
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Once someone at the meeting suggested the word “fabulous,” more ideas flowed. People called out “enlightened, unafraid, caring, protective, strong, stable, authentic, and joy,” Palay says.
Scott says Palay’s story resonates with her.
“There are no truer words to my heart, especially at this moment,” she says. But she’s careful not to silence the negative words.
“Black folks hold paradox really well," Scott explains. "We're able to be getting ready for a protest where some of us might be harmed and possibly killed. But in the midst of that, we're eating dinner and laughing together and creating radical songs of worship. We have to hold these two things together or lose the awareness of oppression and danger. But we can't exist just in that. We have to also exist in our birthright, which is the joy of being trans, the joy of being Black and trans, the joy of being Black, and all of those things that we are.”
..."Once someone at the meeting suggested the word “fabulous,” more ideas flowed. People called out “enlightened, unafraid, caring, protective, strong, stable, authentic, and joy,” Palay says.
Scott says Palay’s story resonates with her.
“There are no truer words to my heart, especially at this moment,” she says. But she’s careful not to silence the negative words.
“Black folks hold paradox really well," Scott explains. "We're able to be getting ready for a protest where some of us might be harmed and possibly killed. But in the midst of that, we're eating dinner and laughing together and creating radical songs of worship. We have to hold these two things together or lose the awareness of oppression and danger. But we can't exist just in that. We have to also exist in our birthright, which is the joy of being trans, the joy of being Black and trans, the joy of being Black, and all of those things that we are.”
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Posted 1 y ago
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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