Jul
29
2011What Passes for Inclusiveness
We have a little gay magazine here called “In” – as in “inclusive,” I presume.
It sure pretends to be.
Have a look at their cover picture. See if you can spot the realistic representative of our community…
Actually, there are two trans people in this photo; there’s also an FTM transsexual.
To be fair, that’s pretty darn inclusive of the trans community… 2 out of 9, and both MTF and FTM.
But, why are MTF crossdressers or t-girls always portrayed this way? Even the most inclusive publications don’t seem to take us the least bit seriously.
At least that’s the impression I get.
trish1700
From star studded feature films to cartoons, MTFs are always shown as being “comic”. Something to be laughed at.
In the animal world, except for “queen bees” males are depicted as the “dominate/desired sex”. Aspiring to be strong/manly is seen as a virtue, even for women. Even in the gay world, gay men want to be seen as being VERAY masculine, not sissies wearing a dress.
Wearing as dress is seen as a weakness, along with things such as “throws like a girl”, “cries like a girl”. etc.. In reality, behind closed doors, many men enjoy being “feminine” and admire/desire the company of attractive MTF. We are even envied by many for doing what they would love to try themselves.
BUT, MTF is so “taboo”, society, even “gay”, feels the need to make fun of us to hide their insecurity with MTF “gender bending”.
T.D.
shantown
I don’t think it is just your impression. It’s a fact! I presume that when you say “take US the least bit seriously”, you are referring to that part of our community that is represented by… well… you and me….girls that just want to live everyday lives, seamlessly blending in to society…or something like that.
This sorta goes back to our conversation about the Pride parade, and the various “personalities” there.. The quick and easy way to “represent” any faction of society is to show the extremes. That way people know what they are looking at. Make no mistake, that’s a guy, acting foolishly, in a dress, on the back left. /the problem is, that leaves out people in the middle, far from those extremes, with a completely different focus and personality.
What if that were you, or even me (wishful thinking), on the back left. People might not get the point that you’re a trans girl…maybe even think “that’s a lesbian”.Suddenly, you are misrepresented yourself, and the community as a whole is left out.
Then again, maybe it’s a comfort zone thing. People can look at characitures like this, maybe laugh, and dismiss them….but they are not sure how to handle the more serious-sided of our community. They may even be scared of that side. It is human nature to make fun of that which we don’t understand….
…
People go for the easy fix. Again, no mistaking the character on the back left. The problem is that people conclude that that represents the whole community.
I still think that people need to be educated that there is no ONE representation for the trans community….probably the mose diverse one there is. The characitures have been around way too long. It’s just going to take a while to get past that..
shantown
Okay, after I got off of my soapbox, I looked at the picture again. To be fair to everybody, practically the whole picture is a farce….over the top figures that seem to purposely poke fun at themselves…. purposely trying to stand out. I love the guy on the front in the bow tie, shorts, and dark socks! Now that is style!!
Miz Know It All
Uhhh… why is the “community” represented this way!
Maybe because it’s accurate?
I mean before you get upset you might want to ask the unasked elephant in the room question…Who really is this “community?” The image so many would like to have the world believe is the “trans-community” are the Kim Petras’s and Janet Mock’s when they comprise less that 1% at best. The reality is and always has been that 90 – 95% of the “community” are cross-dressers with a few drag queens thrown in for good measure! Both of which create a parody of what a woman is! Ergo, The man in a dress image is an accurate one… Yet the “transgendered” wonder why transsexuals want out from under the umbrella?
Funny that!
shantown
I agree, Miz. Much of that 90-95 percent you mention stand out simply because they want to stand out. So they get the most attention, and therefore, are the better draw financially, as far as sales for magazines, whatever. I mean, who is going to pay attention to a march of everyday men and women. Nobody would look close enough to notice that they are, in fact, a group of trans persons.
It is sorta ironic in a way, that members of that one percent may complain about being misrepresented, when the truth is they really don’t want to be represented at all, preferring to simply blend in to society. Speaking from experience here….
Trish
Building on Shan’s comment … I think the extremes tend to get attention because most crossdressers aren’t willing to speak out publicly. They’re deeply closeted and worried about discovery, so most of the depictions of crossdressers are negative or focus on stereotypes. To some extent, I’m the same way, though I’m speaking up more and more and gradually coming out.
Remember, depictions of gay men and women in the 1960s and ’70s were also almost universally negative until they started speaking up for themselves. No one will speak up for the trans* community until we start speaking up for ourselves.