Feminism? For whom, exactly?

[attack_laurel]

This is a very good take-down of what I was talking about at the beginning of October on the rampant and annoying feminist transphobia of Trans women (MtF; including pre- and post-op transsexuality).

Well, I should say annoying and embarrassing for me; for trans women, it can be lethal. If all the women fighting for women's rights are pointing at

Comments

[raving_liberal]

Trans people are at risk for a lot of preventable or easily illnesses of the reproductive organs due to inadequate and biased health services. Trans men who have ovaries and uteri die from ovarian and cervical cancers at a significantly higher rate than women do, because they can't (or can't comfortably) receive preventive care or early screening at gynecologist. Bigotry doesn't just hurt and inconvenience.

[attack_laurel]

It is so true - many Trans people report deplorably sub-standard care or outright refusal of care from doctors who say they "don't know how to treat" them. A good doctor will take the time to learn, and welcome the challenge.

It's really horrible, too, how insurance companies and dr's offices will out an individual - sending letters to their workplace or home addressed to their old name, and such. It's callous disregard, and a blatant trangression of patient-doctor privilege (not to mention the Hippocratic oath).

[raving_liberal]

I'm glad that I at least live in a city where at least one set of care providers is addressing that need. My friend (and former boss) works at the Feminist Women's Health Center, which provides the full range of gyn services to trans and intersexed people. They do accept donations for the clinic, btw, if you or any of your other readers are looking to support something like that.

[hugh_mannity]

Where would you like your gift-wrapped internets delivered?

Thank you so very much for speaking eo calmly, eloquently and with lots of delicious logic on this topic.

I wish that the people who simply don't understand much about Trans issues would push through their fears and actually read the blogs and essays of out Trans people, both male and female
Hmmmm... Now you're making me feel guilty. Perhaps I should be more out, so people can see what boring lives some of us Transfolk lead. :D

[attack_laurel]

Hee! I'm glad you like my writing. I'm sure I have lots of readers going "I wish she'd get off this bummer serious kick and go back to the silly".

I will - I do - but sometimes, I feel the need to bridge the two internet worlds I live in and bring some of these issues across.

The dirty little secret is that we all lead boring lives. :)

[attack_laurel]

That might be a post! "How I got enlightened and stopped reading SomethingAwful.com". :)

You can peruse some of it from my links bar - I really recommend Shakesville, if you don't read it already.

[tattooofhername]

Thank you. It has always been so difficult to talk about my own gender issues, simply because people don't understand and in what seems to be the vast majority of cases don't even want to try.

[attack_laurel]

I'm glad you liked the piece. One can argue that people are products of their culture, but that does not in the least excuse the unwillingness to learn different ways of seeing the world.

One of the reasons I have started to want to write about this is because the oppressive culture has a system of automatically discounting anything a member of the oppressed group says, using silencing tactics like "too angry", "too close to the problem", "not objective enough".

As a member of the oppressive class (though of the lesser half *eye*roll*), I have a slightly better chance of being listened to as "objective".

The system makes me want to puke, but I'll take advantage of what I can, dammit.

[ornerie]

people forget that "normal" is a bell shaped curve. that means that sure, most people sort out in the middle but the folks on either end of that curve are still within the realm of "normal" too. thats why its called a "normal distribution curve"!

I really do think its part of our basic animal nature to abhor That Which Is Different. Like sorts to like, and our first instinct is to shun that which does not sort to our tribe.

fortunately there are some that step out of the animal brain and manage to rise above the baser instincts (the same baser instincts that tell us to take what we want and strongest survive at all costs, etc) and take advantage of the aspects of a more evolved brain. Empathy, sympathy, a moral compass. the needs of the community over personal gain.

I say some. its not as universal as we'd like, alas....

[raventhourne]

Well, said and and wow, stuff I hadn't ever thought about.

Oh, not that it is completely on par with todays topic of information but it is on the feminist front...today's Bunny Comic is very apropos. Sorry, can't link properly cause he doesn't allow it.

[attack_laurel]

Really? I link all the time. It was a funny one. :)

[raventhourne]

okay...maybe I'm just dumb, yup..I grabbed the wrong things when I tried to link. Le sigh...its been that day.

What Girls are Not For

[attack_laurel]

Hee. :)