I’ve seriously tried to stay away from the fracas that has developed around RuPaul’s use of the word “Tranny” (and a couple of other terms which I think are both denigrating and offensive to transitioning transsexuals that I will not repeat here because they are straight out of the fantasy
Continue readingTag: transgender
The Cracked Crystal Ball II: What David Reimer’s Story Really Demonstrates
Over at LifeSite, we find one of their editorial staff grossly misunderstanding the tragic story of David Reimer. His tragic death emphasized the total failure of one of the most famous gender alteration cases in modern medicine.…David Reimer’s traumatic life and horrific death testify that no matter what elaborate
Continue readingknitnut.net: Gender Failure: Highly readable, highly recommended
I got an advance copy of Gender Failure, by Ivan E. Coyote and Rae Spoon. It’s not quite available in the stores yet, but it’s coming soon and I urge you to get yourself a copy. It’s an extraordinary book. I loved the show Gender Failure so I knew before
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: “Protective” Custody
The way that trans people are housed in detention and correctional settings has come to attention recently, after British comedian Avery Edison was detained by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) for having previously overstayed her visa — and then she was initially sent to a mens’ prison while the
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: “Protective” Custody
The way that trans people are housed in detention and correctional settings has come to attention recently, after British comedian Avery Edison was detained by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) for having previously overstayed her visa — and then she was initially sent to a mens’ prison while the
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: An Act Of Aggression Is Still Wrong
I’m angry beyond words at this: Transgender Woman’s Jail Treatment Prompts Complaints Baxter said Griffith was concerned about her safety and asked to be put into protective custody. Guards moved her to the protective custody section and placed her in a cell with two accused male sex offenders, Baxter said.
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: On the Detention of Trans People
“… in a way that is not inconsistent with one’s gender identity.” Remember that phrase. It’s going to simplify something that might otherwise seem like a complicated issue. So this British comedian walks into Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. Some of you have heard this one before… The treatment of trans
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Trans kids, washrooms and the new harassment
On October 13th, a story appeared at the Christian Broadcasting Network about girls being harassed by a trans youth in the washroom of a Colorado-area school. Soon afterward, the story was picked up by the Daily Mail, the Examiner, FOX News, and several webmedia outlets. One even embellished it with
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Trans kids, washrooms and the new harassment
On October 13th, a story appeared at the Christian Broadcasting Network about girls being harassed by a trans youth in the washroom of a Colorado-area school. Soon afterward, the story was picked up by the Daily Mail, the Examiner, FOX News, and several webmedia outlets. One even embellished it with
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Reblog: A Statement of Trans-Inclusive Feminism and Womanism
This is how you decolonize activism. A wide swath of people have demonstrated how to decolonize activism: not with negativity, but with constructivity. The following is being reblogged from Feminists Fighting Transphobia, and you will need to follow the link to see the ever-increasing number of signatories who have signed
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: “Sex by deception” and the shades of yes
A series of recent rulings (and the media circuses that have accompanied them) in the UK has raised questions about what is being termed “sex by deception” — that is, instances where people who are possibly trans are said to lie about their gender, in order to seduce another person. In
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Facts about trans youth
(Previously published in March 2012, and archived here for when it might be needed as reference) Several in the Canadian media and the general public have become interested in trans youth. It’s probably inevitable that many opinions and emotions have circulated as a result. I’m concerned that some of the
Continue readingknitnut.net: This is not a post about being sick, although I am
I’ve been sick for 10 days now. I’m tempted to go on and on about my symptoms, but you can only get away with that if you blog regularly about interesting things, and blog only occasionally about being sick. Since I haven’t been blogging much lately, I don’t think I
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Right-Wing Group Claims Trans Human Rights are a Plot to Normalize Pedophilia.
It has long been a practice of American far-right spokespeople and organizations that when sensationalistic rhetoric starts to fail, rather than try to polish it up and make it look more convincing, they often switch to something more sensationalistic and absurd, as a way of getting attention and scaring folks.
Continue readingknitnut.net: Human rights all round
Ever have one of those days when all the good stuff is happening at the same time but you can’t be everywhere at once? Last night was like that for me. I had to decide between going to my writing class, going to Irene’s Pub for the Chopper McKinnon tribute,
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: A Real Bathroom Bill.
The Bathroom Bill was supposed to be voted on today. No, I’m not talking about the human rights bill that opponents have tried to tag with that nickname — C-279, which proposes to clarify and enunciate legal protections for most transsexual and transgender Canadians (although the removal of the class
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: Intersex Conditions within the Transsexual Brain / Why “Born This Way” Is Not the Point
A bit of point and counterpoint here, to provoke some thought. I thought this portion of a lecture given by Robert Sapolsky at Stanford University, given in 2010, would be worth posting for folks who found this blog recently, and/or aren’t familiar with some of the medical discoveriess since the
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: C-279 amendments made, in afternoon of impassioned speeches.
Update / Correction: The amendments were given a voice vote, but not actually passed. Because there was visible opposition, it’s subject to recorded division, and the amendments will be voted on, on March 20th. More twists and turns than a mangled slinky. It’s official, the amendments to drop gender expression
Continue readingDented Blue Mercedes: C-279: To amend or not to amend?
… aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we still don’t know what Bill C-279 is going to be when it’s voted on at Third Reading. The bill, which proposes to add trans people to human rights legislation, had an hour of debate at report stage. Randall Garrison requested that amendments be added to the bill,
Continue readingknitnut.net: A day in the life
This is what my day looks like so far: 9:00-12:00 – all-staff meeting at work to do a SWOT analysis of the organization (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) 2:00-3:30 – Conference Call 3:30 – meeting with funder 5:30-6:30 – House of Commons to watch Bill C-279 being debated. That’s the
Continue reading