4 thoughts on “Please Stop Saying That Trans Women Were “Born Boys” | Autostraddle”
Ya know, this is such a hard one. We expect the media to get it right when telling us about things that readers might be unfamiliar with. Many times, people think they “get it” when they only get the surface of it. And then there’s each individual person’s comfort level. I asked Kris if it bothered him if I referred to him as she in the part of his life when he lived as a girl. He said it’s okay because for all intent and purpose he was living his life as a girl even though he was a boy. If I refer to the circumstances of his birth, I usually say “I thought I had a daughter at the time but it turns out I had a son and didn’t know it.” If he was to say- no, don’t say that- I would respect that immediately and adapt.
My point in all of my rambling is that I think most media people, while wanting to have an understanding, don’t get that deeper connection to the subject that is needed to be aware of what they are saying and how it impacts transgender people. The ones that really look and see, those are the ones who will try harder to accurately represent the trans person, This is also representative of many friends/family/acquaintances.
As with anything, I think that until you are touched by something/someone/some cause, there is a different level of consciousness. Education, of course, is paramount, but there also needs to be a willingness to turn that new found knowledge into heart awareness and soul action. Until that happens, deeper connection is lost.
EXACTLY! Dani, I was telling J the other day that this journey has been DOUBLE worth it, if only for the consciousness raising I have been thru and will continue to go thru…to know my true ancestors and heart sisters…to discover the horror of power and privilege…to share in the sufferings of all who have been raped by the patriarchy…to know now what I should always have known about “the least of these”.
Charissa's Grace Notes 
Ya know, this is such a hard one. We expect the media to get it right when telling us about things that readers might be unfamiliar with. Many times, people think they “get it” when they only get the surface of it. And then there’s each individual person’s comfort level. I asked Kris if it bothered him if I referred to him as she in the part of his life when he lived as a girl. He said it’s okay because for all intent and purpose he was living his life as a girl even though he was a boy. If I refer to the circumstances of his birth, I usually say “I thought I had a daughter at the time but it turns out I had a son and didn’t know it.” If he was to say- no, don’t say that- I would respect that immediately and adapt.
My point in all of my rambling is that I think most media people, while wanting to have an understanding, don’t get that deeper connection to the subject that is needed to be aware of what they are saying and how it impacts transgender people. The ones that really look and see, those are the ones who will try harder to accurately represent the trans person, This is also representative of many friends/family/acquaintances.
As with anything, I think that until you are touched by something/someone/some cause, there is a different level of consciousness. Education, of course, is paramount, but there also needs to be a willingness to turn that new found knowledge into heart awareness and soul action. Until that happens, deeper connection is lost.
EXACTLY! Dani, I was telling J the other day that this journey has been DOUBLE worth it, if only for the consciousness raising I have been thru and will continue to go thru…to know my true ancestors and heart sisters…to discover the horror of power and privilege…to share in the sufferings of all who have been raped by the patriarchy…to know now what I should always have known about “the least of these”.
These are gifts that are of eternal worth.
❤
“…to know now what I should always have known about “the least of these”.” ❤