Is it all bad?
people making outrageous statements aimed at the trans community as a whole. Some of these statements imply that 'all trans' people are a risk to society, which I find not only offensive but quite frightening. When I read that an all female swimming club balloted it's members as to wether it should allow a trans woman to join the club and that the result was in favour, it seemed like a positive report, only to find that once the result had been announced, one female member stood on a chair and denounced the members that had voted in favour going on to say they would all be attacked and raped in the changing rooms.
This sort of thing has to stop, but that will never happen while there is a constant feed of claims and comments demonising trans people. It does not help that certain parts of the media and some politicians seem to jump on the band waggon to advance their own agenda. Some of this comment, coming from prominent people is based on fact, so therefore can not be disputed, but as there is a complete lack of research in this field there is very little we can use to put these comments into context. Yes some trans people have been found guilty of heinous crimes, there are bad people in all areas of society, but as there is no definitive data available it is very difficult to see what percentage these crimes are and how they relate to the population as a whole.
I have to say the trans community in some respects has not exactly excelled itself in this affair, at a recent pro trans march there was a confrontation with anti trans protesters. The insults from both sides as reported in the media, showed a complete lack of respect for other's opinions and beliefs. Some of the reported comments and insults aimed at the anti trans people were in my mind unhelpful at best, but in all honesty I found them quite frankly abusive. I do want to stand up for trans people - like me - but I want to distance myself from this cycle of hurling abuse at each other. It does neither side any good and degenerates the important discussions, that need to be taking place into a farce.
No war was ever won by force alone, in the end there will need to be meaningful discussion, with give and take on BOTH sides. The attacks on trans people in social media stirs up hatred and fear amongst those that are easily led. But in the end reason has to win out, we will only get there if the government's around the world bother to do the necessary research and find out how many trans people actually exist and how best to serve their needs and the needs of the wider community. There needs to be a discussion, a sensible discussion, dealing with all the pro and anti fears and expectations, no one will be a winner, there will need to be comprises. But in a modern world surly we can manage to live together......... In the meantime i will continue to respect others opinions (wether I agree with them or not) and act with elegance and decorum, as any lady would.........
There is a lot of negativity in the world at the moment, but in my next post you will see everything is not as dark as it sometimes seems......
Hmm.... 🤔
ReplyDeleteI think we can both agree that it's not great right now. At least in terms of how vilified the trans community is in certain aspects of the media and politics.
I do feel that the above groups - media/politics, not trans people - are misreporting or giving a "view A and view B' stance. With the latter, I feel that has shades of the Climate Change 'debate'. Yes, air quotes given scientific consensus is it's human factors.... and then there's crackpot nonsense, polluter misinformation, and opinion.
Likewise, with the debate around trans rights, I feel it's similar to racism and the civil rights protests of the mid 20th century. I have to be careful here because I do not know what it is to be a person of colour nor do I know what racism feels like.
I do, however, feel that there's a parallel between anti trans folk and folk who were anti multiculturalist back then. Segregation, the rhetoric of fear, Othering, and on occasion, portraying People of Colour as criminals, thugs, and sexual predators.
To look at history of the above, I feel when a set of people have been bullied and abused by an oppressive group, that can push people into violence. I feel that when a set of people feel so squeezed that their right to exist seems under threat, that that pressure will push them into extreme action.
Likewise with the Section 28 protests and Gay Rights work. You had a set of conservatives trying to legislate against 'homosexual propaganda' (WTAF?) and the usual nonsense of 'oh they like them young' which is untrue and horribly offensive.
What to do about it? There is a longer question.
Thank you for your comment Lynn.
DeleteIt seems in this country at least, society insists on going through a cycle of vilification and opposition before eventually realising that actually these people are not so bad after all. I remember the Gay debate and the way gay men were treated and talked about, mostly by people that had never actually knowingly met one. There was a fear of gay men, completely unfounded, but it existed, that fear I think, is based on the human natural reaction to fear what they don't understand. The 'Anti's' use this fear to bolster their argument and feed it with untruths and scare stories. Unfortunately the press seem to opt for sensationalist reporting based more on selling newspapers (or advertising these days) than proper unbiased reporting.
I don't know what to do about it, perhaps I should borrow a magic wand from Harry Potter? No second thoughts better not it might back fire........