Say Watt?????

cuntofdoom:

ihatethismess:

taniada:

“1.  Ask EVERYONE which pronouns they use, and actually commit yourself to using them.  Please please please stop only asking people who look “gender-variant” enough about their pronouns.  First of all, we (shockingly) don’t like always being singled out in groups for our gender presentation.  Secondly, you can’t tell people’s gender identities by looking at them.  We should be building a radical culture where everyone can have their identities respected, and making questions about pronouns a habit for everyone makes it much easier for that to take shape, rather than trans and genderqueer people having to feel the pressure of constantly outing themselves every time they meet a new persyn.
 
2.  Stop saying “male-bodied” and “female-bodied.”  Seriously though, I don’t know how this became standard protocol for radicals, but it’s incredibly problematic.  Firstly, what do these terms even mean?  What parts does a body need to be male, and what parts does it need to be female?  Simply put, there’s no way of defining what a male or female body is, since both sex and gender are social constructs.  And there are plenty of others who see themselves as having neither a “male” nor a “female” body.  So when you use these terms, you’re identifying people based on their bodies and body parts you may assume them to have and assume that said body parts are at all related to their sex or gender.

3.  Stop saying “male-identified” and “female-identified.”  Well if you’re not supposed to judge people based on their bodies, then you should probably ask people how they identify.  However, people often fall into the trap of then referring to trans/genderqueer people they know as “male-identified” and “female-identified,” rather than “man” and “woman.”  Such language implies that cis people are “men” and “women,” but trans people are somehow less authentically gendered, and are only “male-identified” and “female-identified.”  In somewhat the same vein, I’ve heard radicals say things like “He/She identifies are genderqueer,” a pronoun failure which in context signifies the same thing that “male-identified” and “female-identifies” often do: you may identify as a certain gender, but that doesn’t mean I have to treat you like that gender.  So please, use “man,” “woman,” and “genderqueer persyn” rather than adding “-identified,” it’s already implied!

4.  Stop “third-gendering” trans people.  Trying to be trans-inclusive and say “men, women, and transgender people”?  Please, stop.  A lot of trans people identify as men and women.  When you make a gendered list like that, it makes it seems like all trans people belong some “third gender” category and cannot then, be “authentic” men and women.  Now, it would be nice for you to include genderqueer/gender non-conforming people in this list (“men, women, and genderqueer people”), but that is a more specific subset the trans community and we need to have that specific language so we don’t reduce all trans people’s experiences as uniform.

5.  ”Trans” is an adjective; consequently it requires a space between itself and the word it’s modifying.  This is in reference to numerous people writing things that include words like “transfolk,” “transwoman,” and “transman.”  This goes back to the discussion of “third-gendering” as well.  Connecting “trans” to the word it’s modifying makes a “transperson” something distinct from a regular “person” You probably wouldn’t say “whiteman” or “wealthywoman,” so don’t use “transfolk,” “transwoman,” or any variant thereof.”

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I’m guilty of several of all of these, at one point or another.

1) Sometimes it’s not practical to ask everyone you meet what pronouns they use. Oftentimes, I try to wait for a hint as to what pronoun they prefer. I fall into the trap of just assuming that if the person is gender variant, they will drop a hint as to what pronoun I should use, which is a terrible habit of mine. I also worry about outing them, if I’m in a group of people and I don’t know the person very well. I know I should try to commit myself to asking everyone their pronoun, because it would help to increase trans visibility on a small scale, at the very least. I guess I get shy about asking. :|

2. I do this. I can see why I shouldn’t, unless someone explicitly identifies themself that way. Saying “male-bodied” and “female-bodied”, although convenient shorthand, really reinforces the penis/vagina binary.

3. I do this, too, and again, I can see why I shouldn’t, unless someone explicitly identifies themself that way.

4. THIS THIS THIS.

5. I never thought about this before reading this article, and: point taken.

Thoughts?

mohandasgandhi:

Parts one and two if you haven’t read.

During my many trips to Afghanistan, I had done things that were not considered “Lady like” in their standards. I climbed trees, got on the roof in high heels to watch the Kites, hit kids with snowballs, built forts and one time I made coats for the…

“During my many trips to Afghanistan, I had done things that were not considered “Lady like” in their standards. I climbed trees, got on the roof in high heels to watch the Kites, hit kids with snowballs, built forts and one time I made coats for the chickens during winter time because I felt bad for them.  Bibi Naz said “God gave them coats already.” And I replied “But I see them shivering so he didn’t do a very good job.””

You guys have no idea how much I love this girl…no, sorry… WOMAN.  What a beautiful and completely inspirational individual.

I love everything you said in this piece.  Every.  Single.  Thing.  I especially love how you describe your struggle as if it was some great learning experience because I think some of our darkest moments are necessary parts of life to go through.  It engages us in learning about a part of life many are fortunate enough to never have to experience.  If we use our time of adversity wisely, we can grow as a person and use our struggles to an advantage.  I’m not sorry about any of the terrible things that have happened to me in the least.  I wouldn’t be the person I am today, with the new skillset I have, ready and able to handle the next task.

I think it takes a bit of adversity to really appreciate all that’s good in life because so many really take so much for granted.  It also sometimes takes a lot of personal pain in order to appreciate the despair in others and we can come out of hardship with some new enlightenment on empathy.  I don’t know that someone who has never gone through truly difficult experiences can ever understand or be able to help the world in the same way those who have.

Thank you so much for so beautifully sharing your story with us.  You are quite a rarity and your kindness and worldly perspectives are wonderfully remarkable. 

 Yes to the above. For real.

abcsoupdot:

kateoplis:

I’m afraid this is going to get uglier before it gets better. You should read evangotlib’s comment and take a stand.

lipstick-feminists:

““Wouldn’t you agree that every terrorist, past and present, has come out of a mosque?” asked one woman who stood up Wednesday night”

This whole this is angers me to know end. Freedom of religion, you hear? Let’s talk about all the awful things people have done in the name of Christianity. There are still churches everywhere. 

Once again, thanks is due to my hermanita <3

 To that woman, ‘Timothy Mcveigh and Terry Nichols’. (argument over, I win!!!)