Wednesday, April 30, 2014

If We Tell You It's A Slur Word, Dont Use It

words dont potential business partnersI'm still amazed that elements of the white gay male community are still tripping about the RuPaul mess and using it to let their transphobia fly simply because we told you we will not tolerate you or anybody else in cisgender world using the two words we consider slurs to us. 

And that's not overpolicing language, being PC (and I hate that term), creeping fascism or the other over the top BS I've seen in predominately gay male site comment threads over the last month. 

I'm also megatired of elements of the white gay male and drag community trying to prop Andrea James and Calpernia Addams up as their apologists and human shield cheerleaders to attack the rest of us transpeeps who hold the majority consensus opinion that 't----y' and 'shemale' are unacceptable slur words.
And in some cases, some of those white gay males have gone transphobically off the rails in doing so.  

Words matter.   They matter because hate thoughts + hate speech = hate violence.  Words matter because they have the potential to be weaponized and hurt marginalized communities when aimed at them by people with societal power.   Words matter to a trans community facing unacceptable levels of anti-trans violence aimed at it in addition to anti-trans discrimination. 

Thumbnail image for bo trans bathroomWhen a majority of people in a marginalized community tells you a word is offensive to them, you don't fracking use it if you wish to be considered respectful allies to that community.   I don't see gay men using the slur words the Latin@, African-American and Jewish communities have told them are offensive or claiming they are 'being PC' for demanding they not do so.  

So why are they tripping in this case?   Is it because it's the trans community telling them not to do it? 

Let me drive this point home once again.  You don't get to make the call as to what words are or aren't offensive to my community.  WE make that call.  If you respect our community as you claim you do, then heed our repeated request to simply NOT use the offensive slur words.  

Hell, if Jerry Springer can stop using it, so can you. 

Neither do we need trans people acting as agent provocateurs undermining the message we as a community are trying to send to the world NOT to use them. 
Bottom line is we have seen the same gay male community hypocritically crying to us about 'word policing' tearing people new anuses for using the slur words unacceptable to them.   So why is it acceptable for gay men to demand people not use the slur words they deem unacceptable, but the trans community is considered to be 'word policing' when we do the same thing in defense of our humanity?

If it is acceptable for you gay peeps to demand people respect your community and your humanity by insisting that people not call y'all the f-word that rhymes with maggot among others, then we as trans people expect the same reciprocity in the name of defending our humanity that you not use the slur words deemed unacceptable to ours.

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