Referencing The Styleguides On The Terms Transgender And Transsexual

Biological

"An umbrella term that refers to people whose biological and gender identity or expression may not be the same."

I am getting tired of people equating biology with genitalia. It says a lot about our society in general, our science education system in particular, and the fact that people have throughout history taken the two to be synonymous.

We have a lot of educating to do.

Biology may or may not be destiny, but genitals certainly are not.

Thanks again, Autumn, for your fine work.

Dr. Dana

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by: danabeyer @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 14:43:05 PM CST

"Biology is Destiny"

The band Devo used to use the slogan on their fan club membership card (yes, I was a member of the club in the 80's!) of "Biology is Destiny."

I assumed then it was meant to send a message that was exactly the opposite of the slogan -- I took it to be Devo's sarcasticly embraced slogan. Obviously, in their working hard to create an image and a sound, they rose to stardom throught talent and their own efforts. The band itself proved that people could, within the scope of their talents and hard work, shape their own destinies.

We do have a lot of educating to do, Dana. Those of us who are trans very much know that biology, if only looked at in terms of genitalia, isn't destiny. There is so much more to gender identity and gender expression than our genitalia. The kind of sad thing is that a number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight people believe that gender identity and expression are, or should be, tied to the shape of one's genitalia.


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~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 15:08:04 PM CST

[ Parent ]

"I am getting tired of people equating biology with genitalia"

I understand the sentiment of your comment, but I really think it is about working out the language to fit the situation.

It is a major step forward for our society and culture to recognize that a person's sex organs can differ from a person's self-concept, and now with surgery, that the current configuration can be different from the configuration at birth. Gender identity doesn't necessarily  match clothing, affect, or other attributes of public presentation.

The language gets all balled up.

I'm old enough to remember the days when the argument was about whether or not a group, or individual gets to choose the words used. At one time, "Negro" was the word used and using "black" or "African-American" was considered to be cowtowing to a political agenda.

We still have that with right-wingers who use "homosexual" instead of "gay", which they want to reclaim for "normal" people.

So, let's not underestimate the strides that have been made

• All three of the stylebooks suggest that if you don't know what pronouns to use, ask the subject for their preference.
• The stylebooks demonstrate an increasing understanding of the issues and an increased respect for the people described  by the words.

Here's some info compiled from the GLAAD website which shows the evolution of this terminology over the years.

AP STYLE BOOK

GAY

The AP's entry for the term gay has undergone several revisions and updates since its first appearance in the 1977 Associated Press Stylebook. In 2000, following meetings with GLAAD and GenderPAC, a gender rights organization, the AP amended the gay entry so that it specifically discouraged references to a "gay lifestyle".

The 2006 definition builds upon the changes made during the 1990s, keeping the advances that were made in these years while adding language that positions gay as the preferred term over homosexual, an outdated word with a clinical history that has, over the years, taken on pejorative connotations.

   1977 (first appearance)

       gay Do not use as a noun meaning a homosexual unless it appears in the formal name of an organization or in quoted matter.

       In a story about homosexuals, gay may be used as an adjective meaning homosexual.

   * 1988-1990 (entry updated)

       gay Acceptable as a popular synonym for homosexuals (n. and adj.).

   1999 (entry updated)

       gay Acceptable as popular synonym for both male and female homosexuals (n. and adj.), although it is generally associated with males, while lesbian is the more common term for female homosexuals.

   2000 (entry updated)

       gay Acceptable as popular synonym for both male and female homosexuals (n. and adj.), although it is generally associated with males, while lesbian is the more common term for female homosexuals. Avoid references to gay, homosexual or alternative "lifestyle".

   2006 (entry updated)

       gay Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity.

       Include sexual orientation only when it pertinent to a story, avoid references to "sexual preference" or to a gay or alternative "lifestyle".

LESBIAN, LESBIANISM

This entry remained unchanged from its appearance in the first AP Stylebook in 1977 through 2005, by which time the outdated term "lesbianism" had long since taken on pejorative connotations. The current edition deletes that word and the entry itself, with the gay entry spelling out the usage guideline for lesbian.

   1977 (first appearance)

       lesbian, lesbianism Lowercase in references to homosexual women, except in names of organizations.

   2006 (entry deleted, see gay for usage guideline)

SEX CHANGES

Sex changes was included in the original 1977 edition of the Associated Press Stylebook, featuring a lengthy definition and example to clarify pronoun usage. It advised journalists to use new gender pronouns only after an individual had "a sex-change operation." That definition remained the same except for one minor word change between 1993 and 1994.

In 2000, following meetings with GLAAD and GenderPAC, a gender rights organization, the sex changes entry began a steady evolution spanning the 2000 and 2003 editions. The 2000 entry directed journalists to use pronouns "preferred by individuals who had acquired the physical characteristics (by hormone therapy, body modification, or surgery) of the opposite sex and presented themselves in a way that did not correspond with their sex at birth, or consistent with the way the individuals lived publicly." In 2003, the phrase "by hormone therapy, body modification, or surgery" was removed from the sex changes definition, establishing that respect for transgender people's identities is not predicated on whether one has had sex-reassignment surgery.

The 2006 edition relocates the sex changes entry to the more accurate and inclusive term transgender but keeps the same definition.

   1977 (first appearance)

       sex changes Follow these guidelines in using proper names or personal pronouns when referring to an individual who has had a sex-change operation:

       - If the reference is to an action before the operation, use the proper name and gender of the individual at that time.

       - If the reference is to an action after the operation, use the new proper name and gender.

       For example:

       Dr. Richard Raskind was a first-rate amateur tennis player. He won several tournaments. Ten years later, when Dr. Renee Richards applied to play in tournaments, many women players objected on the ground that she was the former Richard Raskind, who had undergone a sex-change operation. Miss Richards said she was entitled to compete as a woman.

   * 1993-1994 (entry updated)

       sex changes Follow these guidelines in using proper names or personal pronouns when referring to an individual who has had a sex-change operation:

       - If the reference is to an action before the operation, use the proper name and sex of the individual at that time.

       - If the reference is to an action after the operation, use the new proper name and sex.

       For example:

       Dr. Richard Raskind was a first-rate amateur tennis player. He won several tournaments. Ten years later, when Dr. Renee Richards applied to play in tournaments, many women players objected on the ground that she was the former Richard Raskind, who had undergone a sex-change operation. Miss Richards said she was entitled to compete as a woman.

   2000 (entry updated)

       sex changes Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics (by hormone therapy, body modification, or surgery) of the opposite sex and present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

       If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

   2003 (entry updated)

       sex changes Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex and present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

       If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

   2006 (entry updated)

       sex changes see transgender entry.

TRANSGENDER

Transgender first appeared as an independent entry in the Associated Press Stylebook in 2005, reflecting a more comprehensive understanding of gender identity and gender expression. The original definition asked readers to refer to the sex changes entry.

The 2006 edition will more accurately reflect proper transgender-specific terminology. Specifically, the sex changes and transsexual entries will now be used to direct readers to the transgender entry.

   2005 (first appearance)

       transgender See sex changes

   2006 (entry updated)

       transgender Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth.

       If there preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individuals live publicly.

TRANSSEXUALS

Transsexuals first appeared in the 1977 Associated Press Stylebook, referring the reader to the sex changes entry. While this reference has remained consistent over the years, the sex changes definition has evolved substantially.

In 2006, to reflect a more inclusive use of this terminology, transsexuals now refers the reader to the transgender entry.

   1977 (first appearance)

       transsexuals see sex changes

   2006 (entry updated)

       transsexuals see transgender

NEW YORK TIMES (2005)

   admitted homosexual. Avoid this term, which suggests criminality or shame. Make it acknowledged or declared homosexual, openly gay or openly lesbian if a modifier is indeed necessary. (Also see gay; lesbian; sexual orientation.)

   bisexual. Do not use the slang shorthand bi.

   gay (adj.) is preferred to homosexual in references to social or cultural identity and political or legal issues: gay literature. Use homosexual in specific references to sexual activity and to psychological or clinical orientation. Gay may refer to homosexual men or more generally to homosexual men and women. In specific references to women, lesbian is preferred. When the distinction is useful, write gay men and lesbians. Do not use gay as a singular noun. Gays, a plural noun, may be used only as a last resort, ordinarily in a hard-to-fit headline. Also see sexual orientation.

   gay rights. Advocates for gay issues are concerned that the term may invite resentment by implying "special rights" that are denied other citizens; the advocates prefer phrases like equal rights or civil rights for gay people. But the shorter phrase is in wide use and often indispensable for confined headlines. When it occurs, define the issues precisely.

   homosexuality. See admitted homosexual; bisexual; gay; lesbian; sexual orientation.

   lesbian (adj. and n.). Lowercase except in the names of organizations. Lesbian women is redundant. See sexual orientation.

   sex changes. See transgender.

   sexual orientation. Never sexual preference, which carries the disputed implication that sexuality is a matter of choice. Cite a person's sexual orientation only when it is pertinent and its pertinence is clear to the reader. Also see bisexual; gay; lesbian; straight.

   sexual preference. Use sexual orientation instead.

   straight, meaning heterosexual, is classed as slang by some dictionaries and standard by others. Avoid any use that conveys an in-group flavor. But use the term freely (adj. only) in phrases drawing a contrast with gay: The film attracted gay and straight audiences alike.

   transgender (adj.) is an overall term for people whose current identity differs from their sex at birth, whether or not they have changed their biological characteristics. Cite a person's transgender status only when it is pertinent and its pertinence is clear to the reader. Unless a former name is newsworthy or pertinent, use the name and pronouns (he, his, she, her, hers) preferred by the transgender person. If no preference is known, use the pronouns consistent with the way the subject lives publicly.

WASHINGTON POST (2006)

   gay A person's sexual orientation should not be mentioned unless relevant to the story. When it is necessary to mention it, gay may be used as an adjective but not as a noun, except as a plural: gay man, gay woman, gay people, gays. Not a gay. A gay woman may be referred to as a lesbian. Do not use gays and lesbians, since the first includes the second. Rather, to emphasize the inclusion of both sexes, use gay men and lesbians. Use gay rights activist, not gay activist. Not everyone espousing gay rights causes is homosexual. When identifying an individual as gay or homosexual, be cautious about invading the privacy of someone who may not wish his or her sexual orientation known. Do not use terms such as avowed or admitted.

   Often, simply reporting the facts obviates the need for labels. Describing a slaying, for instance, should suffice without referring to it as a homosexual slaying. Ask yourself if you would use the term heterosexual slaying. In a recent story, a man "charged" that his former wife "was a lesbian" as if it were a slur, when simply alleging an affair between the ex-wife and the other woman would suffice.

   Gay is generally preferred to homosexual. Homosexual should be reserved for a clinical or biological context. Be wary of using homosexual as a noun. In certain contexts, it can be seen as a slur.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 23:19:45 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I like the term "trans people" which seems easiest and safest, maybe with MTF or FTM for specifics

I have gotten on the wrong side of some transgender posters, and for awhile it was easier just to avoid the threads on the subject
I'm not known for "coloring within the lines," but it's good to learn the rules, then if occasionally you improvise, or just relax and leave the PC stuff off the agenda for a night, it's not a big deal.
For me the gay slurs (reclaimed or not) said within the community, without malice, I just let go of them, (unless they are the seriously ugly old racist or misogynist cr*p.)

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 14:44:17 PM CST

Excellent post

Writing about trangender issues is something I am not comfortable with at all- not because of the topics, but because I am not yet conversant in the language.

Hell, I'm barely conversant in English to start with! ;)

Thanks Autumn; you are a love.

Click HERE and sign up: Campaign For Military Partners

Click here for DADT photobook

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by: Louise @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 15:04:13 PM CST

Don't feel bad

Louise, don't feel bad about being uncomfortable writing about trans issues.  I'm a trans person who writes professionally about trans issues and it is still a minefield for me.  Between folks who are overly sensitive, the various divisions, and the everchanging nature of the umbrella term, it is difficult to keep up and/or not step on toes.  I'm generally satisfied as long as folks don't say he-she, it, mutilated man or woman, gender bender or other obviously offensive term.  

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by: arsenalchick @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 16:37:03 PM CST

[ Parent ]

AWWWW come on....y'are too.

Thanks Autumn...very well written, and you can see that this, like many of life's challenges, is fluid.

We all know that the TalibanRight will use whatever hatefull phrase they can...

that is where GLAAD comes in and has been doing a good job. 

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 16:37:37 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Like that TALIBANRight...

LIke in square dancing, you know. 'allemand right' and a 'doseedo'.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 16:39:13 PM CST

[ Parent ]

No I haven't started drinking.....yet.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 16:39:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Please folks, do see the post above on CHAIN GANGS.

..and at least go sign the petition.  Here want a pic.

 

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 16:45:52 PM CST

Thank you Autumn

Thank you for the care and thought put into this post. Whats interesting is that the style guides recommendations aren't complicated at all. It's not like learning Mandarin.

Am I correct to assume that these guidelines cover conversation as well as writing? Even here in San Francisco I have corrected people from using "tranny" in conversation. Sadly it's not a very infrequent occurrence.

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by: slobeck @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 18:37:43 PM CST

gendered, transgendered

I'm entirely with you, Autumn, in supporting a mainstream, or new-media, journalistic style guide to help establish consistency for readers.  Like the other poster in this thread, I just see a grammatical problem with tossing out transgendered.  We speak easily about gender as a noun and gendered as an adjective: gendered language, gendered dress, and so on.  We can, and do, speak of gendering (present participle) spaces, dress, language, etc.  But we don't use gender as an adjective unless we're talking about studying Gender Studies or something like that.  

As such, the best parallel for me is transgender studies or transgendered people (or the opposite, cisgendered people).

Trans as a word by itself is a little like using "bi" alone -- it's just a prefix meaning to cross, or transit, and without a root, it's kind of fluid, which is both its strength and its weakness.  "Trans" conflates the gender and the sex crossing into a prefix that strips out the diversity of individual experience.  I know a very nice old lady in my support group who has taken to using "trans" as a noun -- she used to say "trans people," but now simply says something like, "You would like her -- she's a trans," and that grates on me just a little bit.

Thanks for your posts and your thoughtful attention to language, Autumn.  

Joyce


jmcl.wordpress.com

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by: Joyce @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 11:48:53 AM CST

[ Parent ]

The problem with "she's a trans"

is not the clipped (abbreviated) form, but using an adjective as a noun. It's as bad as saying "she's a black."

The "­ed" in "transgendered" is similar to the "ed" in "full-blooded." It isn't taken to imply that the person had blood thrown on them or something. It's just an attribute. Although that usage of "ed" seems to be falling too, if J.K. Rowling's "Half-Blood Prince" is any indication.

Regardless, I follow prevailing style and I never add "ed" to transgender, though I don't get bent out of shape if someone else does. I just think the word looks better without it.

Here's what I find about compromise--
don't do it if it hurts inside,
'cause either way you're screwed,
eventually you'll find
you may as well feel good;
you may as well have some pride

--Indigo Girls

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by: Hypatia @ Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 21:58:25 PM CST

[ Parent ]

You know, it is interesing

In simply saying the words in my mind, some sound correct and some sound odd. I don't know why, but here's what sounds correct and incorrect to me.

Gays, gay people, gay men, lesbians, and bi-sexuals all ring correctly in my ear.

Lesbian people rings odd, lesbian women is redundant, and gay women rings odd, as well.

I think I would use gays informally and use gay men and lesbians in a more formal setting.

Transgenders sounds odd, transgender people sounds OK, but transgendered people sounds OK as well.

Transexuals sounds fine, as does transexual people.

Even though transgendered seems to work, I can't imagine transexualed being used.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 22:10:59 PM CST

I'd like term parity.

Could you imagine anyone being gayed, lesbianed, or bisexualed?

I guess that's one of my issues with transgendered.

Another is an -ed ending is how to take a verb to a past tense. It seems to me that implying that there is a past tense to transgender isn't very rooted in reality, in the same vein as how the concept of ex-gay and former homosexual aren't very rooted in reality.

-----
~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Sat Feb 14, 2009 at 23:59:33 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I didn't think of "transgendered" as a past tense verb

I thought of it more like "dappled" - The horse is dappled, The dappled are the most valuable.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 00:17:31 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Yeah... I dunno

Not to disagree with the style guides or anything, but I'm not sure I'd make the specific comparison you're making. "Gendered" is by itself a word. "Sexualed" is not. And where "gendered" is a word it seems to clearly be one by way of modifying a noun, not a verb...

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by: mcc @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 04:14:54 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Depends on context, I suppose

You could say everyone has gender, everyone is gendered, when alive, they were gendered, or had gender, etc.

I find the issue fascinating, so I want to make several points.

• The styleguides are designed for the clearest possible communication and to avoid inadvertent insult. For example, the Washington Post styleguide says, " Gay is generally preferred to homosexual. Homosexual should be reserved for a clinical or biological context. Be wary of using homosexual as a noun. In certain contexts, it can be seen as a slur." (See my comment on the history of these words in the styleguides elsewhere in this thread.)
• The language is rapidly evolving to reflect changing attitudes. The styleguides reflect this evolution based on popular and clinical or technical usage to provide the clearest communication with the least amount of explanation. In other words, when there's a correct word, using it avoids writing an explanation of an action, concept, or entity.
• As with other words in English, this will resolve itself over time as popular usage dictates. The end result might follow the rules of English verb tense, noun singular and plural, etc. - or, it might not.
• The fact that we are having this discussion demonstrates that the terminology is evolving

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 11:30:57 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Right. I'm giving my reasons.

Again, my personal preference would be to see the term transgender take on the same grammatical rules as gay, lesbian, and bisexual. Either use all of the LGBT terms as adjectives, or use all of the LGBT terms as nouns. Having three nouns and an adjective to describe the LGBT community creates some problems for me when I write.

And as for not liking the -ed on transgender, I of course have to admit that the past tense argument is my weakest. I went through through a kind of reparative therapy in the late '70's, so the past tense argument is a personal take on what the -ed in transgendered communicates to me. However, you're absolutely correct in pointing out it's not a very grammatically cogent argument point.

-----
~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 11:53:15 AM CST

[ Parent ]

I should've said this

I thought it and didn't write it:

The purpose of the styleguides is to provide clarity without offense for readers who do not necessarily aware of the issues and sensitivities involved.

Pam's House Blend is the perfect place to use the language as it sounds and seems correct to you. If you want to influence the evolution of the terminology, then you should do what you are doing: Use the language which seems correct to you.

So, if you think that's the way "transgender" should be used, use it that way when writing for an audience that will understand what you intend to convey and use the more "correct" styleguides when writing for publications with a broader audience.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 12:49:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I just identify as WOMAN

Trans isn't an identity for me. It's the bridge I crossed over-- but having crossed over, I'm not going to camp out on it. I've moved on. Like the Sufi saying attributed to Jesus: "The world is a bridge: Pass over it, don't build houses on it."

The whole point of all the trouble I went to is to be simply a woman, not to be trans.

Asking people how they want to be identified is the only correct way. Thanks for getting this key point across. Someday if we make enough progress it will be common knowledge and won't need to be stressed.

Here's what I find about compromise--
don't do it if it hurts inside,
'cause either way you're screwed,
eventually you'll find
you may as well feel good;
you may as well have some pride

--Indigo Girls

---

by: Hypatia @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 06:36:40 AM CST

Great Post Hypatia! I wonder how they decide on terms?

Not intending to wade into a discussion of trans-issues, which is best left to the trans commmunity, but the women of operative history that I know simply prefer the term "woman."

Also, I am curious as to how and by whom the terms in the style guides were decided.

I don't remember any poll of Lesbians asking us.....

I tell you Chica that no greater abomination exists than women denying their spirit of sisterhood and instead becoming the oppressor. -Rebeca, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

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by: MauraHennessey @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 08:53:57 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Right

Yes, Hypatia, many of us feel the way you do.  It's being captured by a term we despise that's the issue.

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by: EnoughNonSense @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 22:42:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's about human dignity

Thank you Autumn for posting this discussion. When I first objected to the Dallas Voice and the Dallas Voice's official blog "Instant Tea" I specifically articulated that the frequency and context of the two publications usage of "tranny" was what I objected to.
In my opinion the Dallas Voice tried to make the conversation one dimensional and bait me into anger by enlisting a self identified cisgender man who is  professional female impersonator who repeatedly claimed transgender people should "Reclaim Tranny". Next a cisgender man who is producing a feature in Dallas titled "Ticked Off Tyranny's With Knifes" claimed where he was it was fine to use defamatory language. The Voice by association to it's blog which published language describing people in a defamatory manner to remain unedited perpetuated the concept that transgender people are "Trash". See the Voices story about "Drag Queens and Trashy Tuesday", and yet the Editors wrote me and protested being publicly identified as anything but beneficial to transgender people. The last card was turned when the Boston Edge which subquently published a story recalling a instance GLAAD was quieted by bringing people of color into the conversation who disagreed with with GLAAD over it's objection to racial defamatory language and equating it with it's current objection to the other words listed as Defamatory by GLAAD. If anything this was another 2 of clubs and not a ace in the hole.
It is my opinion that the Dallas Voice and it's official blog "Instant Tea" thought they could run the conversation and planetransgender was T bump in the road. Thinking it would dictate and quickly shout down any objections turned into  something completely unanticipated.
It did help to rekindle our struggle for our own identity and destiny.
Where and when you good people are challenged by oppression, any oppersion stand up and say NO. We are not your "Trash". We are HUMAN beings fully deserving of ALL GOOD.

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by: kellib @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 09:44:43 AM CST

Right.

It's not that the Dallas Voice used the term tranny that also personally upset me, it's how they used the term that was upsetting. Publicly, they apparently still don't get the nuances of how to use the term, but I imagine your sparking the discussion on how tranny is used at the Dallas Voice is going to have a lasting impact on how the term is used by the rest of LGBT legacy and new media.

Yeah, the Dallas Voice definitely didn't run the discussion as they apparently expected they would, and they apparently didn't expect the discussion to go national within the blogosphere.

I know my respect for the Dallas Voice has gone way down. I just don't look at the publication as a fully credible member of LGBT media any more. They have good writing for the most part, but being tone deaf with regards to gender identity and expression related terminology makes me look at the publication as being too old school gay-centric.

Basically, I like reading publications that embrace the diversity of the LGBT community in a more inclusive way, and for me, the Dallas Voice just doesn't seem to embrace the public T subcommunity as a fully equal part of the LGBT community at this point.

-----
~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 12:22:42 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Tyranny?

Talk about slurs! When did we tyrannize anyone?

Here's what I find about compromise--
don't do it if it hurts inside,
'cause either way you're screwed,
eventually you'll find
you may as well feel good;
you may as well have some pride

--Indigo Girls

---

by: Hypatia @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 14:08:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

It's an identity, not a process

My objection to "transgendered" is that it uses "transgender" as a verb, not an adjective, and, thus, implies that "transgendering" is a process that trans women and men go through or that we somehow become "transgendered," instead of simply being transgender. "Transgender" is an adjective that refers to an identity or state of being, not a process.  Instead, "transition" is the process that we go through in order to live authentically as our affirmed genders.  Therefore, referring to "transgendered" people is both grammatically and logically incorrect.  I transitioned because I am transgender; I didn't transgender to live as the woman I am.

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by: Abby @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 14:01:52 PM CST

Good point

and well stated...

although personally for me it's a medical condition, not an identity.

shrug Why not just let everyone be who they understand themselves to be? The world is diverse and complex... why do humans always try to oversimplify human reality? If we just develop new habits of cognition that allow for complex diversity... maybe chaos theory would help here.

Here's what I find about compromise--
don't do it if it hurts inside,
'cause either way you're screwed,
eventually you'll find
you may as well feel good;
you may as well have some pride

--Indigo Girls

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by: Hypatia @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 14:16:53 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I understand the need for glossaries and stylebooks though.

We can let everyone be who they are, and we can let people self-identify.

But, we also need common language. When we use the words transgender, transsexual, tranny, or any other LGBT term for that matter, we need a somewhat common basis to understand the use of the terms -- by definitions and by grammatical usage (noun, verb, adjective, pejorative, non-pejorative, neutral, etc.).

And this is why for when identifying groups of people who could fall under the transgender umbrella, I'm for the most part going to stick to the styleguides. When it comes to individuals' self-identifications, for the most part I'm going to stick to how the individuals identify themselves.

And, while saying this I believe there are self-identification terms I don't believe are rooted in reality but that I'll respect the self-identifications by using the terms (and, I'll identify those terms). And at the same time, I believe there are also self-identification terms that are so egregiously not rooted in reality that I'm not going to honor the users of those self-identifications by using the terms seriously (and, I'll identify those too). That's the next post on the subject of gender identity and expression terminology...

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~~Autumn~~

As if there were safety in stupidity alone.
--Henry David Thoreau

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by: Autumn Sandeen @ Sun Feb 15, 2009 at 16:39:00 PM CST

[ Parent ]