Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The Anti-Trans Hate Speech Is Affecting Our Cis Sisters

Hate
Since today is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, this subject needs to be addressed, and what better day than the IDAHOT to do so?

Anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans violence/murders.  That is the Equation of Anti-Trans Oppression that the Republican Party, the conservative movement and right wing evangelical church folks are gleefully engaging in right now.

But some of the unintended consequences of that nonstop anti-trans hate speech are being felt by our cis sisters who are 5' 8" or taller, who have androgynous gender presentations or whose presentations don't mesh with what the Gender Gestapo thinks a woman should have.

Unfortunately, it is increasingly leading to cis women finding out firsthand what it's like to walk in our trans feminine pumps and disrespectfully have their femininity questioned.

But this isn't a new phenomenon. There were instances of cis women with non stereotypical gender presentations getting yanked out of female restrooms long before this current coordinated GOP anti-trans hate campaign began. .

But now with the increased media attention on trans issues, the ignorati are letting their misogynistic flag fly. Cisgender women who because of the genetic luck of the draw are the average height of a WNBA point guard, have short hair, don't look like supermodels, or are deemed 'not feminine enough' by the Gender Police for specious reasons are getting caught in World War T crossfire.

I'm increasingly hearing stories from my cis sisters about having anti-trans slurs ignorantly hurled at them. I'm  not liking hearing how people with non standard gender presentations are starting to get insults hurled at them in public restrooms.  

And i'm not happy that many of my cis sisters are starting to experience what we trans women have for years and are having their femininity disrespectfully questioned by the Gender Gestapo.

But this is something I expected would happen when the GOP ramped up the anti-trans hate, and this is also what happens when anti-trans hatred goes unchecked or people are silent about what is going on   because they don't think it affects them.

I have to ask this question for those of you who erroneously think you are the arbiters of all things feminine and who is and isn't worthy of it.  Who the hell deputized y'all as the Femininity Police?

I'll say it again.  Trans women are women. trans men are men.  What needs to happen right now is that cis and trans women need to collaboratively work together with the goal of eradicating the misogyny that affects both groups.  We also need our cis sisters to more frequently and forcefully call out the bathroom trans predator lie that is feeding the anti-trans hatred that is now negatively affecting them.

Cis women are the ones best positioned to shut down the anti-trans lies from conservative white men and calling them on it while we do the same from the trans feminine perspective..

But the sooner we get started doing so, the better because the gender policing BS needs to stop before someone gets hurt or killed..

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