4. Week of 10-24

Posted on Symbols count in article: 3.6k Reading time ≈ 3 mins.

Reading!

TW6 // Transphobia1 // Hate Crimes

Chapter 1

This week I focused more on reading rather than coding. Currently, I'm reading Transgender History by Susan Stryker. Something that I had learned from the terms and definitions section located in chapter 1 is that using MtF2 and FtM3 tends to be dehumanizing. It's better to rather refer to transgender and non-genderconformative people as trans*4, trans-women, trans-men, etc. I love being able to learn new terms as not only does it allow me to explore my gender identity but respect others. The difference between gender and sex is a huge misconception. Sex in most cases refers towards the biological identity of a person, while gender is more cultural and based on how the person wants to identify. It is very important to respect anyone's gender identity. Though only cis-gender5 people seem to get respect towards their gender identity. One of the biggest takeaways I had just from chapter 1 was that the confusion between sex and gender is what most often leads to transphobia.

Chapter 2

After reading chapter 2 other than learning the history portion of what they talked about I found this particular section about Prince from 1961 interesting.

She pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and avoided serving prison time by accepting five years of probation, during which time she agreed to refrain from public cross-dressing and from using the mail for indecent purposes.

I find this to be outrageous. This is crazy to me for two main reasons. For one to stop cross-dressing in 1961 was not that common and was more widely accepted. Two, the reason the probation includes “…and from using mail for indecent purposes.” is because Prince ran an erotic magazine called Transvestia. But this shows the level of transphobia because playboy magazines started in 1953 yet they got no bans from the mailing service.

Chapter 3

TW6 // Sexual Abuse // Sexual Assault // Police Brutality

There is way way way too much in this chapter just to cover in 1 summary but something that struck me was this quote.

The police could be especially vicious to "street queens," whom they considered bottom-of-the-barrel sex workers and who were the least able to complain about mistreatment. Transgender women working the streets were often arrested on suspicion of prostitution even if they were just going to the corner store or talking with friends; they might be driven around in squad cars for hours, forced to perform oral sex, strip-search, or, after arriving at the jail, humiliated in front of other prisoners. Transgender women in jail often would have their heads forcibly shaved or, if they resisted, be placed in solitary confinement in "the hole." And because they were legally men (with male genitalia in spite of their social lives as women, and often in spite of having breasts and no facial hair) they would be placed in the men's jail, where their femininity made them especially vulnerable to sexual assault, rape, and murder.

I honestly just find this to be absolutely horrifying as a person who cross-dresses in the sense of painting my nails. This type of treatment towards "street queens" only made them louder surprisingly. I hate how not only men in the prison but police officers who are supposed to protect people harassed trans* just for being and showing who they are. I just wish that the trans* people were treated with the same respect that cisgender people get.

Blog update! Node.JS

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