#intersectional issues

[pennpayper]

Jade is here spilling tea and I am for it. Truth all the way! The segregation in the LGBTQ community is straight up ridiculous. And the excuse that you never noticed it is inexcusable!

[gwsjb]

Post 7: Intersectionality

Transgender Violence does not only happen because of transphobia. Transgender has also to do with race and masculinity. In many of the articles I’ve read they talk about how transgender violence, especially against trans-women, has to do with threatening men’s masculinity. It can be seen as gay when men have sex with women who were former men. Even the thought of finding a transwomen can be seen as a gay action. These ideas can stem from one’s race and the idea of manliness. Culturally, many Black and Latino cultures say that men should be mainly, tough, strong, and many other things. So the idea that having sex or finding a former man attractive threatens this idea of manliness. This also relates to the fact that there are some cultures, like Hawaiian culture which we learned in class, have transgender or a third gender as a part of their culture. These cultures are threatened by the Western ideal that transgender or gender fluent people are unnatural, which can lead to hate crimes against them.

[delgrey]

Disclaimer: I'm not trying to invalidate any other's personal identity-I'm just trying to explore my thoughts on gender and how intersectional it really is

The idea of certain traits exclusively belonging to specific genders has made it so that we turn personal attributes into gender identities because that's the easiest way to solidify our affiliation with others who are like us.

And also because hetero normative society and socialization makes it nearly impossible to express attributes outside of our socially recognized gender.

Gender is a social constraint, it's imaginary. It's a stupid thing that tries to connect the way we feel-the things we like, who we wanna fuck, the way we act and want to look like to what's between our legs and the size of our chest.

I think it's fine if people want to change their sex. But I think ideally it wouldn't be so necessary to some people if we got rid of gender.  

I also believe that gender is a product of socialization to a degree. And I don't support trans individuals participating in damaging gender stereotypes and engaging in gender socialization in order to be recognized as the gender they identify with. I do however understand that in our current society they wouldn't be recognized without acting in such a way at best and that either way they're in constant danger of the gender gate keepers.

Despite that I think we (queer individuals, members of the lgbtqia,) have a responsibility to carry forth the movement to advance the place in society of lgbtqia individuals. I also think being a feminist lgbtqia individual is essential since many of the problems the lgbtqia suffer from originate from patriarchal society, toxic masculinity, and the constructed idea that anything associated with the female gender is inferior.   

I also understand that not everyone is willing to be a martyr or can afford to be an activist. (I myself am so far in the closet with my family I'm practically begging the White Witch for more Turkish delight).

And then of course you must take into account culture and race and colorism and disability and classim and religion, things that dictate our place in society and layer it over everything else.

Basically take your feminist lgbtqia and make damn sure it's intersectional without voiding the voices of those who are experiencing such things first hand while encouraging the letting go of the toxicity in old practices, traditions within a culture. (Example: Being a proud Mexican man and denouncing machista culture) 

I think that's the hardest part-taking away an essential yet damaging part of a culture. It's like how women cling to traditional femininity to get back at sexist exclusion. Are we making a space for ourselves? Or clinging to the chains that bind us?

How else can we be progressive AND enjoy what we like without awareness.    

[asexualadvice]

A lovely follower just sent this in:

Since you’re still getting anons about privilege, etc. I thought this speaker Michael Kimmel did a pretty good job of summing it up for people:http://youtu.be/JgaOK74HqiA I hope this helps/you guys find it useful.

Please please please go watch this link. It is wonderful.

-Kiowa

[upsetatrocks-blog]

Marriage equality has already been a thing in my entire country for years, and trust me, it does NOT

stop people from using "gay", "queer", "f*g", "tr*nny", ect as insults

change any other laws discriminating against queer people (like, you know, firing people just for being queer... thankfully that's not a thing here, but if it was, it still wouldn't change just because there was marriage equality)

educate all straight cis people on queer issues

change the "assume straight until stated queer" thing

change other heteronormative things

destroy gender roles

somehow magically destroy other patriarchal nonsense

stop queer people from being bullied

Marriage equality is important.

like, SUPER IMPORTANT.

But let's not think that us GSM people, people of gender and sexuality minorities, can or should ever just be satisfied with that. ALL discrimination must end before we can call something equality, and that doesn't stop with the ability to walk legally down an aisle. We deserve more than that, so much more than that.

[cuteandgayyy]

When I came out as trans*, however, no one in my real life ever treated me the same again. So shut the fuck up about how it's "just the same" as being queer, or not following gender roles as a queer cis person. It's fucking not. Oh and, try having to deal with both at the same time. I'm not saying your half-struggle isn't hard, but the trans* aspect of this, especially when it's both at once, is so much harder than the gender role aspect, you wouldn't believe.

[cuteandgayyy]

I've seen how you post some great things related to social issues and I wanted to ask someone about this. I am an ally, and I see this as a positive thing. It's just wanting equality right? But, I constantly see posts on tumblr complaining about allies,and yes I understand how some people are just trying to be attention seekers etc, but as a whole, why is it being discouraged? If members of the LGBT* community feel this way, what am I doing wrong?

Hi nonnie!! uwu <3

Well, I agree that being an ally is not a bad thing. I don’t think I’m the best person to talk about this as this isn’t an issue I’ve looked into a great deal, but I’ll give it a shot:

I couldn’t possibly tell you what you’re doing wrong, but the general problem with a lot of allies, that people have, is that they tend to feel they deserve to call themselves members of the community, or they tend to care more about displaying their ally-hood than actual GSM (gender and sexuality minority) issues.

I don’t think anyone are against the concept of allies, but the fact that they get so much attention and celebration for passing the absolute bare minimum of human decency, while actual queer people are generally shoved aside and not shown so much love and attention, is a problem. Allies are not oppressed for their sexuality or being cis. They don’t deserve a special week for their own celebration, because every other week tends to revolve around straight cis people, too.

Basically, some allies are great, and recognize that the “A” in LGBTQIA stands for asexual/aromantic, not ally, while others feel that they deserve some kind of prize or recognizion for wanting equality. The latter is usually the kind of allies people have issues with.

To use a quote; “Being a decent human being shouldn’t be something to be proud of or something to be celebrated. It should be the default setting.”