Sunday, September 20, 2009

All My Trans Skinfolks Ain't My Trans Kinfolks


Had to borrow a line from writer Zora Neale Hurston to write this post.

She originally stated, 'all my skinfolks ain't my kinfolks'. I just added the trans to it.

We are a diverse community of people that come from various backgrounds, faiths, areas of the country, educational backgrounds, classes and trans experiences.

That diversity is our strength and secret weapon against the Forces of Intolerance.
We need to do a better job of tapping into that diversity and making it work for the betterment of the trans community.

That being said, there are just some trans peeps who don't, don't want to and never will work and play well with others. They have issues beyond just the gender identity ones that they need professional help sorting out.

There are some who are racist, lament the loss of status from the previous male lives and cling to vanilla flavored privilege like a wino holding his last bottle of MD 20/20.

There are trans people who fancy themselves as leaders who tragically aren't. They don't have the various skills, intelligence, temperament, knowledge and diplomatic touch required for the tricky job of advancing a marginalized people's civil rights to wider acceptance.

Then there are trans people who are just bullies and antisocial anuses.

I love my African descended people, but there are some that I wouldn't claim, defend, or touch with a ten meter long pole, much less a ten foot one. I not only call them out, I steer clear of them.

Same rule applies to certain people in the trans community. Just because you are trans doesn't automatically guarantee that I'm going to lockstep support you come hell or high water. If you engage in consistent antisocial batshit crazy and nekulturny behavior, I'm calling your behinds out as well.

If that makes me a sellout to you in trans bizarro world, then I'm not losing any sleep over it. Jesus Christ, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela were talked about in their day by their critics for doing the right things, too.

I consider myself in good company.

I'll just let you people continue ranting to no one in particular on your negative 3 Technorati ranked blogs while I and the reality based trans community continue to build broad based intersectional coalitions to achieve what should have been done a decade ago.

Y'all can continue to chomp on those hater tots and drink Hateraid while I and the reality based trans world continue to energize, empower, enlighten, and educate our people and allies.

Those of us in the reality based trans world will provide the inspirational, visionary leadership that is required at this critical juncture in order to make our political Holy Grail a reality.

You may be my trans skinfolks, but you ain't my trans kinfolks.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you are a sell out Ms. Robert's we need more. The idea that ones support is given automatically across any similarity is naive. I love your vision and your blog, it has been insightful, educational, and funny. Stay true we need you and your voice in the struggle.
Tee

Zoe Renee said...

certainly agree with tee on that statement, it is much better to be a "sell out" in regards to not following negativity than to be soulout by following one. let the bizzaros continue to inhabit their bizzaro world, ours is just fine :)