8 GAY PEOPLE'S CHRONICLE JULY 17, 1998
COMMUNITY GROUPS
Transphobia, like homophobia, is fear of the unknown
by Jackie Woldering Transphobia, like homophobia, xenophobia, or any of the other plethora of phobias in the psychiatrist's manual, is about fear; fear of what cannot be easily understood, fear of what cannot be predicted, fear of the unknown.
As with many cases, the key to overcoming fear may be found in making an effort to understand its basis and get past the initial prejudices that prevent one from getting close to the object of that trepidation.
In order to explain transphobia, we must first ask, what does trans mean? The term trans refers to the crossing of boundaries, as
a transvestite who crosses the clothing barrier, the transsexual who crosses into another sex, and the transgender who crosses the gender line.
The basic "Transgender 101" lecture says that there are four areas of sex, gender and sexuality that are present in various combinations in all people.
Physical sex can be male or female, and refers to what's between one's legs. Gender identity is the man or woman we suppose ourselves to be, and lies between one's ears. Societal sex roles are displayed by the ways in which we interact with other people. Sexual orientation is who we love.
Each of these four areas can be thought of
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as a continuum, perhaps with "female" or "woman" at one end, and "male" or "man" at the other. Being that each of us can position ourselves on these four scales at various places, and that these positions may change from moment to moment, an almost infinite rainbow of diversity is created.
If you look at these scales, the bulk of society is crowded at the ends. Most people are either male or female, man or woman, and choose to partner with people at the opposite end of the physical sex scale. There is often a large gap between the ends of these scales, sometimes sparsely populated, as by the intersexed on the physical scale, or more densely packed, as with bisexuals on the sexual orientation continuum.
Homophobia results when one person moves to the opposite
end of the sexual orientation grid, and another inflicts a stigma on that person for that perceived transgression. When lines of societal sex roles, gender identity or physical sex are crossed, either visibly or in another's mind, the negative result is transphobia.
would shun a person who exhibited transgenderism visibly.
Some difficulties unique to the trans condition exist because of the tenacious belief by a majority of people in the bipolar sex and gender myth. That is, most people believe that there are only two sexes and two genders (most don't make a distinction; to them male equals man, female equals woman), and that a person of one sex should be attracted to one of the "opposite” sex.
This leaves no room in their minds for those who may be physically one sex, but socially interacting in a gender role not usually associated with that sex, or one who has undergone genital surgery to more closely conform to the physicality of their sexual identity, or even those who may possess physical characteristics of both sexes,
T
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Transphobic and homophobic reactions are often similar to reactions to foreigners and people of different class, religion, or color in years past. The "stranger" mentality prevails, and xenophobic ideas that the unenlightened pass to one another suggest that the outsider be shunned, denied position or privilege, or otherwise marginalized for the sake of polite society.
What this reaction really masks, however, is the laziness or unwillingness of the prejudiced person to really learn about the despised class' members. It is much easier to say that a group is sick or immoral or worse, than to take the time necessary to educate one's self about the origins, culture, beliefs, and needs of the individuals who comprise that group.
Transpeople face many difficulties in everyday living that are common to other groups. Like people of color, transpeople are visibly different from the majority. While only a few boorish individuals would dare taunt another based on their color today, many more feel no qualm about questioning the sexual identity of a transperson in a very loud and uncomfortable manner.
Like those who observe a minority faith, trans may be perceived as another way of thinking. But few religious beliefs are called on for justification as frequently as transpeople åre expected to explain their behaviors. Like those with a physical disability, transpeople may be looked upon as having been born with this condition. However, the number of church elders who would turn away a parishioner with a missing limb is certainly much smaller than those who
The resulting rules and regulations created by belief in the bipolar sex and gender myth are the cause of many headaches for transpeople, including the separation of men and women in bathrooms and locker rooms, prisons, and the military, the designation of sex on driver's licenses, Social Security, and passports, the different clothing choices for men and women, the laws relating to marriage, adoption, and families, and any situation you can think of where men and women are treated differently.
The solutions to transphobia are not simple, but are the same as with any other phobia. Awareness, education, action, and time are the weapons that will win the battle against ignorance and prejudice.
By awareness, it is made known that transpeople exist, and have a right to choose where they wish to be on the sex and gender continuum, and may change those parameters as the needs of the transperson evolve.
Education is reaching out to others, not to complain, but to further inform them of the subtleties of sex, gender and sexuality that they may be better enabled to understand the transperson's ways of being.
Where action is needed, it should be taken, such as organizing with other transpeople to change the law that makes it impossible to change one's sex on a birth certificate in Ohio.
Time is necessary, simply to give people a period in which to assimilate the education and to acclimate themselves to the basic changes in their ways of thinking that are necessary in order for homosexuals, transpeople, and any other people who differ from the mainstream to be embraced and flourish in everyday society.
♡
Jackie Woldering is a member of Trans Family Cleveland, an organization of transgender people, their families, friends and allies.
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