Comments on: Language Wars: Whats in a name?

By: Battybattybats

Battybattybats — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 11:25:43 +0000

Thanks for this great post.

The constant attempts to define groups in ways to exclude some people or other only harms our community.

Instead finding commonality as well as embracing our diversity is essential.

And this post is a great example of whats needed.

By: AbbeyJane

AbbeyJane — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 07:33:11 +0000

I guess you see why it can be confusing for people… with somany ways to be known as it is very difficult to remember it all. I see that you don’t mind many labels etc whereas I prefer just the one and an infraction out of that is a hurt as I struggle for recognition considering I have yet to complete my transition and present much of the time as still male. I think there is also an assertion hassle, people expect you to buckle under to the conformity thang, when I don’t actually see why I need nor should I conform to your expectations! I mean, I don’t get all distressed if individual people wanna be know as male or female, but please, I ask of them… Try to not push that upon me. I think its a form of respect I want from them, I don’t classify you so don’t classify me is what I’m asking for, and we will all get along fine! Yeah, maybe my haed is in the Skycity of Utopia, but its my need and its just as important as the next person’s need!
I think it comes down to R E S P E C T! And the varying degrees there-of.
We have got to get out there and help people, starting in schools and inthe homes etc to learn to respect people and show that. I don’t reckon its a difficult concept.
I think too that the advertising industry could do with a slight wake-up call and start to think very carefully about the messages it gives when it starts to and does cross the boundaries as it insinuates. It is very powerful and yet can be very dangerous. So perhaps we could have a round of training aimed at the advertising industry and they can help us with the messages? Just food for thought when it comes to changing the language and insinuations! What does anybody else think to this?

By: radicalyffe

radicalyffe — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:20:05 +0000

I totally agree Abbey.
I think that its very important for us to communicate at a level that our audiences understand. For example, when I’m at work, the information I give about my identity is that I am a transsexual man, and to be referred to with respect, and correct male pronouns.
However, when I hang out with my queer friends, who I expect to have a greater understanding of gender, I am upfront about how I am genderqueer, bigendered a trans boi, but not a man, and don’t mind if people use gender neutral pronouns, instead of male ones.

Tailoring ones communication to the audience is very important, because we can’t expect people to understand us unless we speak a language they understand.

By: AbbeyJane

AbbeyJane — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 01:19:29 +0000

Labels, that’s what the world loves to have and use, the world is overly descriptive of things, and the government is good at it too. See all those names for Departments of this and that, what did we have in Australia for a while, DOPIE, depart of primary industry and energy, yeah right, a whole department full of DOPES, very funny somebody!!!

Seriously though, we all find it difficult to evade the labels and categories, its about having or giving identity. BUT its the way they are applied that can be the most damaging.

Trans is a good place to have everybody under the one umbrella…. and yes I still think there is a level of better than thou even in the Trans community.

Sometimes you have to label yourself to get respect and to display a form of assertion towards the str8 community who within their own limited capacities understand nothing but their own lives via their own experiences.
Simply, use the word TRANS to describe yourself, and really that’s all you need to do. Tack on other bits if you wish, gender/sexual Man/ Woman/ Child etc, but remember that when it comes to the general populace, they are un-educated about it all and its not all their fault either. So try to not expect them to rush about and embrace it all overnight. Trans acceptance goes multi-way, us and them if you want to give it the bi-nary term. Education is important to the community and if the community doesn’t know, how can we expect them to accept if they have no or ill-informed knowledge to start with. Think about it!!!!

By: Ryan, Sociological Images, and Trans Narratives « genderkid

Ryan, Sociological Images, and Trans Narratives « genderkid — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 16:02:23 +0000

[...] his new personal one, and the one he keeps for A Gender Agenda. I love his post called Language Wars, about “…what it feels like to have our names and identities be a very bad [...]

By: radicalyffe

radicalyffe — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 22:03:34 +0000

Thanks Genderkid!

I think that historically transgender was an umbrella term invented to try to reunite the sex and gender diverse community when the transsexuals and crossdressers split. However, these days the two words are practically identical in definition, although people get terribly offended if you call them the wrong one.

Its all very silly really, but I can understand why people only want the ‘correct’ swear word applied to their person. :)

By: genderkid

genderkid — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 14:48:59 +0000

AWESOME post! There’s a lot of important points in there. I should pass on the first paragraphs to straight, cisgender people; you were great at explaining how it feels to have an insulting identity.

I’m finishing a Trans 101 pamphlet for my fellow students; the only part that’s giving me trouble is trying to explain why there are two terms (transgender and transsexual). I think I’ll just say that there’s no clear distinction.