Transgender Day of Remembrance

[sqbr]

I don't believe in fate, but enough "random" things have happened to point me to posting about trans* issues that I'm going to give in to destiny :)

It's the transgender day of remembrance, a day made necessary by the horrible numbers of trans* people killed just for not being cisgendered. See also this list of participating webcomics.

Also, to (afaict unrelated, though one led me to the other) articles about trans* issues I read in the last few days: Describing the "always was" gender-swap fics, on "gender-swap" fanfic which fetishes trans* issues in a shallow and exploitative way, and Rethinking Sexism: How Trans Women Challenge Feminism, on the various attitudes to trans* people in the feminist movement, from "Gender is a social construct, you're just a guy in a dress", to "It's cool when people transgress gender boundaries. So why are you wearing a dress? Be all cool and ambiguous!" etc. Some lovely examples of these attitudes can be seen in the comments :/

Thinking about it, I guess (as is so often the case with prejudice) the issue in a lot of cases is that trans people are not seen as people. Their feelings and experiences are not considered or understood, they're instead punished or praised based on whether or not they fit a given person's ideology. (Sorry, that wasn't very deep, I'm pretty sleepy. But if I wait until tomorrow it won't be the right day!)

Comments

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

I've got many female friends that hate dresses and skirts. They wear pants and shorts.

Unfortunately there is only 1 male friend of mine that wears skirts as a matter of normal everyday attire.

It amuses me seeing people's strange reactions to it.

On other dress code fun. Females can wear short skirts when it's hot almost regardless. Males are usually still restricted to long pants.

[alias_sqbr]

Yes, dress codes are one of those things which are restrictive and sexist in different ways for each gender (the restrictions on women are more subtle than the fairly rigid ones on men). I and Cam hit this all the time: I hate the cold, and he hates the heat, but for formal situations he's expected to wear a jacket and I'm expected to wear a flimsy dress :)

[firvulag.livejournal.com]

I've got many female friends that hate dresses and skirts. They wear pants and shorts.

Unfortunately there is only 1 male friend of mine that wears skirts as a matter of normal everyday attire.

It amuses me seeing people's strange reactions to it.

On other dress code fun. Females can wear short skirts when it's hot almost regardless. Males are usually still restricted to long pants.

[alias_sqbr]

Yes, dress codes are one of those things which are restrictive and sexist in different ways for each gender (the restrictions on women are more subtle than the fairly rigid ones on men). I and Cam hit this all the time: I hate the cold, and he hates the heat, but for formal situations he's expected to wear a jacket and I'm expected to wear a flimsy dress :)