Issues from a queer & trans activist perspective

BLOG POST posted on Décembre 19, 2010 by Tami Starlight

A blog and rant by a local queer & trans activist, who semi gratefully resides on unceded coast salish territory. (stolen land) Tsleil-Waututh, Musqueum, and Squamish nations respectively

On a cold and rainy winter evening, I felt compelled to express myself on your/our media coop. As a member of a number of organizations, with a multitude of organizational structures, I feel it is important for me to share about my experience up until this moment.

I do accept and understand on some level that many organizations, community peeps are doing what they feel is the best they can. However, as my motto goes, "the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement". We must encourage and sometimes push organizations and people to change from their anti democratic and oppressive ways.

I have found over the years of being fairly involved with the environmental "movement". That many, (not only in that movement, but many different types of movements), to be quite homo/transphobic, racist, ablieist and generally oppressive. These movements include ALL in the social justice movement spectrum.

This oppressiveness is also occuring in our LGBT2IQ communities. L - Lesbian / G-Gay / B-Bi / 2 spirited / T-Trans / I-Intersex / Q-Queer. I recall sitting in an AGM with Egale Canada in Ottawa and having Maude Barlow over for a visit from "The Council Of Canadians". She spoke of the need to unite as social justice people and organizations. Of course I could not agree more. However, where are we ALL now? I have seen very little change, Perhaps this is a slow "change"? Within Egale Canada, I felt the struggle to identify various oppressions within the organization, but more importantly, within it's own membership. One of the biggest heartbreaks within Egale Canada came when all the semi well off cisgendered gay men and lesbian women left the organization and took their money with them. This, of course, happened after national same sex marriage had become law, along with hate crime provisions enshrined federally to protect sexual orientation a year or so before.

As a fairly "out" trans person of Cree/indigenous decent, I truly felt betrayed. All the time working with Egale Canada, I was told "to wait" and "be patient". The people saying so were white gay cisgendered men who were paid fairly well within Egale Canada. Gilles Marchildron and Laurie Arron. They both resigned from Egale Canada after same sex marriage was legally adopted federally. I am writing totally as a matter of fact.

Now Egale Canada is a shell of it's former self, and from my experience with the following next year or so it seems to have abandoned the in-depth hard work many of us anti oppression activists have accomplished throughout the organization and in our communities respectively.

Hellen Kennedy dissolves the trans issues committee, as well as the intersections committee. (anti oppression) I was the elected chair of the trans issues committee and she had no fucking right to do so. Then she and a few (2 or 3) of her followers "appoint" someone.

I truly believe we can do better. Straight, weird, bent, queer, gay, questioning, non conforming, space aliens, what-ever-the-fuck! Your identification is your business and mine to accept. (except when it oppresses others - then it is my business)

I at times struggle with much of our academic institutions that simply seem to be promoters of much of the bullshit our planet and people currently face. Corporate, very expensive and breeding much of what I have written here. I surely am inspired by some within academia, but really, there are other ways to evolve as a society, than to give these institutions tons of our hard earned cashitos, which simply keeps the whole shit show going.

For me, just being queer & trans is not just a handle, or a way I personally identify, but it is a way of life and one I choose because it is how I have evolved. I personally had to shed much of my own oppressive bullshit in order to be where I am today. I learned it somewhere and certainly did not make most of it up. This change, or evolution, began inside me and worked its way out. Yet, I kind of do not like labels, much. I like choice.

So being who I am. Cree, semi white, semi privileged, mostly anglophone, fairly bent, weird, anti normal, anti oppressive, pro equality & choice, planet loving, environmentally conscious and concerned, non capitalist (but something other & is evolving), attempting daily to be kind to everyone, empathize, live harmoniously with mother earth and all critters on mutha earth and major supporter of horizontal democratic spaces, non profits with anti oppression as their foundation, and of course, horizontal democratic cooperative alternative media. (I do have hope for The Dominion & The Media Coop - I do not believe they are there)

It is all our responsibility. Where "solidarity" no longer is just another word. I for one have had enough of minorites thrown under the social justice bus. Enough of the bullshit tokenism!

Related & important links:

Battle In Seattle: intersectionality in organizing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKtH5LssuT0

You fucking asshole oppressive TERFS/SWERFS, etc want a war? YOU GOT IT! *GO GET EM PEOPLE! Enough of their shit - enough silence!

Can't help but notice and feel a burning desire to call out the fucking dogmatic and very oppressive rad fems/TERFs who are involved in the environmental movements. Zoe blunt being one very open and organizing with unistoten. Deep green (fascists) resistance is a organizing front for these sick ideologies!!! It is my mission to call this sick shit out and bring this info to the general public. We can and must do better!! INFO:
http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2013/05/15/deep-green-transphobia/
http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2013/05/17/deep-green-transphobia-iii-derrick-jensens-hateful-tirade/
http://anarchiststudies.org/2015/08/09/against-deep-green-resistance-by-michelle-renee-matisons-and-alexander-reid-ross/
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/blog/tami-starlight/33002
http://www.decolonizingyoga.com/how-derrick-jensens-deep-green-resistance-supports-transphobia/
http://veganideal.mayfirst.org/content/lierre-keith-case-study-anti-trans-hatred
http://www.autostraddle.com/im-not-a-gender-zombie-and-neither-are-you-rejecting-anti-trans-bigotry-from-rachel-ivey-and-deep-green-resistance-177735/
https://deepgreenburrito.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/why-deep-green-resistance-needs-to-just-die-already/
http://ecology.iww.org/node/353
http://www.radicalwomen.org/transphobia.shtml
=======
ZOE BLUNTS ANTI TRANS / RAD FEM / TERF / FASCIST TUMBLR BLOG.
http://genderiswar.tumblr.com/post/111314634009/in-todays-news-a-leaked-report-from-the-rcmp
http://dgrnewsservice.org/deep-green-resistance/people/zoe-blunt/
https://twitter.com/blunt1

How fucking tragic that the unistoten camp and many others give zoe and fascists like them room for involvement in what they do without question.

more shit.......

Here is how HRC - Human Right Campaign does the same shit in the USA: http://ianharvie.com/trans-people-removed-from-jobs-bill

More: http://transgriot.blogspot.ca/2007/10/why-transgender-community-hates-hrc.html

Even more: http://lgbtpov.frontiersla.com/2011/02/15/autumn-sandeen-enda-an-800-pound-transgender-elephant-with-issues-in-the-room/

http://vancouvertdor.wordpress.com/

http://www.transgenderdor.org/

http://intercontinentalcry.org/

https://theantioppressionnetwork.wordpress.com/

http://indigenoussolidaritynetwork.wordpress.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontalidad

(Certainly  I can think of a ton more - especially democratic cooperative spaces - if you wish to know more about me you can google my full name Tami Starlight - shit disturber)

*DISCLAIMER*  This is a blog from a semi enlightened community member. I am the sole producer of this blog.

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***update as of Aug 2013. (originally posted to Trans Action Canada facebook group and taken from xtra / west during the reading/introduction of Bill C-279)

Conservatives filibuster trans rights bill

FEDERAL POLITICS / Activist worries C-279 will be defeated when it returns to Parliament

Bradley Turcotte / National / Monday, December 10, 2012

*edited for shortness - but to prove the point of how divided we are and how ignorant and hateful even those in the gay and lesbian community are.

An Ottawa trans activist says federal trans rights bill C-279 will likely be defeated after Conservative MPs filibustered committee debate Dec 6...................

..............believe in bringing people together. totally for shame those i named in the blog and you are right Earle. I have recently posted this too: from the facebook group - Trans Action Canada: originally posted on xtra & first paragraph or so is from the original story) "It's like telling Rosa Parks, 'You can get on the bus, but you have to sit in the back,'" she says. "I'm a human being and I want equal treatment. If I can get equal treatment in the province of Ontario and Nova Scotia, I expect the same when I set foot in Ottawa or any type of federal jurisdiction."


Garrison's office says he is not aware of McCreath's site but will comment once he has a chance to examine its content.

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COMMENTS*

Reader Comments

These reader comments are posted directly. No editorial review is made prior to posting. Readers may contact the moderator with any complaints or concerns, and these will be reviewed within two business days.


Good. Let anti-gay trans activists be defeated

In theory, I have absolutely no problem supporting anti-discrimination legislation covering gender identity. In practice, these laws are overly broad, and gender identity is vaguely defined. And trans activists objected to any definition at all. Trans activists are, after religious conservatives, some of the most anti-gay, homophobic people I have ever met. In the US, a number of them urged votes against marriage equality as a kind of "punishment" of gay and lesbian families who had the audacity to focus on gay civil rights. Apparently, we are seen as having an obligation to do whatever trans activists want, even though the vast majority of trans activists are not gay and care nothing for gay people. The best thing that the gay community can do for itself is to abandon the deceptive concept of LGBT. Let's be allies or friends with Ts, assuming they can moderate their homophobia. But the idea that we are one and the same "people" with them is a lie.

Jackie, Vancouver BC

12/10/12 5:35 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.

@Jackie

Jackie please do not generalize what happens with the States with what happens in Canada, I have never heard this story you claimed happened about trans people fighting against marriage equality, but whether it is true or not is not important to this discussion here. This is not about the US, this is about Canadian law and Canadian trans people. As for your comments about the definition being vaguely defined, there is not any definitions for any of the other categories of discrimination. The definitions are flushed out in the courts, so why shouldn't the same be true for this? Trans people just want similar protection to sexual orientation (a protected ground that has no definition and is very vague as well). If you have so much problem with the implementation of this legislation, would you please explain how you would implement it, since you said you have nothing against it in theory.

Jewels, Toronto Ontario

12/10/12 9:20 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Trans bullying/Deliberately vague laws

The homophobia and hostility of trans activists is just as prevalent in Canada as it is in the US. You have only to look at the bizarre attacks by trans activists on Xtra. Go look at the video on Youtube in which Xtra attempted to conduct a panel discussion to assist it in covering the "trans community." Xtra didn't have to do this. It was a courtesy. The panelists, all bizarre trans activists, extended no thanks nor even basic respect to Xtra. Instead, they promptly attacked Xtra for conducting the panel discussion in which they were participating, openly disrespected its staff, and demanded editorial control over the paper. This is typical of the hegemonic, bullying mindset of trans activists. Sexual orientation is, in the many dozens of gay rights laws in the US, defined as homosexuality, bisexuality, or heterosexuality. It really isn't that complicated. Trans activists want to leave gender identity undefined because they can't agree themselves what it means. That and it serves their purpose to terrorize businesses and individuals by leaving the boundaries of the law uncertain. It is unacceptable to pass a law prohibiting certain conduct and imposing penalties on Canadian citizens, and to leave unclear and undefined what the proscribed conduct is. It is absolutely unacceptable to say that the courts will work it out. Canadians have a right to know what the law is *before* they are hauled into court. When trans activists have tried to pull this nonsense of proposing a law without definitions in the US, as they did in Anchorage Alaska this year, the proposed law was quickly shot down. As it should be now in Canada.

Jackie, Vancouver BC

12/10/12 11:20 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


@Jackie and also some brief thoughts

Jackie, My experience with trans activists here in Ontario is that we also support full equal rights for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual people. In fact, there are quite a few trans people who are also Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual after transition. There is some backlash against the LGB portion of the alphabet soup. In large part it stems from a being 'thrown under the bus' by the LGB community over the years. I would also not be surprised to find trans people who are also homophobic, racist etc. Much like I've encountered LGB people who are racist, transphobic, misogynist etc. With regards to the removal of Gender Expression from the bill, it's not gone yet. It's going to be interesting to see how this all plays out.



Talia Johnson, Ottawa Ontario

12/10/12 11:21 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


To clear up any confusion...

... the bill is now proceeding to Third Reading stage without amendments. So gender expression is still included, and there is no reason now not to support Bill C-279. It's an outcome I don't think anyone expected. So for anyone who had any doubt what the bill would be at Third Reading, we now know. I, for one, don't want to cast any aspersions on Mr. Garrison, and believe he's spoken very well for this bill, considering the opposition it has faced. That is appreciated. I do agree, though, that the unamended bill going to Third Reading is the better bill.


Mercedes Allen, High River AB

12/10/12 11:44 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Hope it fails

So sick of those panty-hose fetishists latching onto gay and lesbian political success. The DNA doesn't lie - you cannot change gender.

ron, Vancouver Bc

12/11/12 1:48 AM EST Report this comment to moderator.


@Talia

@Talia Johnson: "There is some backlash against the LGB portion of the alphabet soup. In large part it stems from a being 'thrown under the bus' by the LGB community over the years." That's the problem right there. There is no alphabet soup. There are no buses. Do you understand? Gays and lesbians don't owe you anything. We are not "throwing you under a bus" just because, as gay people, we focus on winning gay civil rights rather than whatever issue you wish we focused on. We are happy to be friends and allies with anyone, but you have to get off of this notion that gays have consented to being absorbed into some kind of Borg alphabet soup collective, a contrived "community" that doesn't exist in the real world. The alphabet soup is a political tool which allows trans activists to issue demands of gay and lesbian people. As allies or friends, they would have to ask for our help. But if they could get gay people to buy into the notion that there exists a singular beast called "LGBT people," then they could simply demand. It was a nice trick and like all well-executed frauds, it had a good run. But there is no such thing as LGBT and never was.

Will, Toronto Ontario

12/11/12 5:03 AM EST Report this comment to moderator.

trans reich called out

Thankfully there is this brief window of freedom here on the Xtra web site where the truth about the Trans Reich and what it has been wreaking over the past decade against gay men and lesbian who are NOT trans. At other sites like bilerico the Trans Police attacked with steak knives anyone who said anything against them to the point of hysterics, harrassment and potential violence. LGBT is a lie. And many gay men and lesbians are sick of the mishmash of fake issues into one lump. Supporting the human rights of everyone including trans people is not the point as it goes without saying, but bowing down in an oppression olympics to a group of people whose public reps seem often deranged or spoiled self-entitled brats is as pathetic as those who espouse this reverse bigotry (like Brad Fraser's libber-al patronizing of trans people as uber-Victims who gays should worship is beyond embarrassing!)This discussion will be moot when the Xtra Thought Police resume patrolling the boundaries for Queer Inclusivity and all trans criticisms will once again be punishable by eye stabs and silencing. ps One more word about Nina Arsenault and Toronto will trans explode from over exposure!

no one any more, Toronto Ontario

12/11/12 8:23 AM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Well, one thing's for sure...

The level of hate and stubborn ignorance in some of these comments makes it easy to see why these legal protections are needed.


Nico, Winnipeg mb

12/11/12 12:17 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


With friends like these,

who needs enemies?

Catherinecc, Kelowna bc

12/11/12 1:37 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


@Jackie

Jackie again you use examples from America when you say "Sexual orientation is, in the many dozens of gay rights laws in the US, defined as homosexuality, bisexuality, or heterosexuality." Again american law is irreverent in Canada. In Canada we have laws protecting sexual orientation WITHOUT a definition, so why aren't you criticizing those protections as being to vague? To date no grounds for discrimination is defined in Canada, trans people are just asking for equal treatment to the other grounds, that is all. Your constant references to the US are irrelevant and meaningless when discussing Canadian law. And if you want to know about the law and what it would prohibit it is simple, judge a person for the content of their character, not any other criteria and you are not discriminating, simple and no problem. Furthermore your claims that trans people are against LBG people because Xtra had a panel after one of their reporters outed a trans persons former name and for refusing to use preferred pronouns is not being anti-LGB. Trans people were upset and although I agree the panel didn't have many people willing to be constructive, I didn't see anyone saying LGB people shouldn't be treated equally or fairly.

Jewels, Toronto Ontario

12/11/12 2:42 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


re: Will

LGBT is a very valid alphabet soup since all in it are sexual minorities whether by their sexual orientation or by their birth sex not matching their gender. If you want to start jettisoning whole groups of people because some members of the group are annoying or bigots where does it stop? Each particular group would also them either become another alphabet soup or it be the end of any sort of organizing to advance anyone's equality since no two people are the same, even if they share a sexual orientation or gender identity by your logic it would be impossible for anyone to work with anyone else on anything. Yes some trans people are anti-LGB bigots and some LGB people are anti-trans bigots, some lesbians anti-gay bigots, some gay men anti-lesbian bigots, some are anti-bi bigots and so on and so on. Then we'd have to divide the various remainders by their bigotry towards Muslims whether cis, trans, hetero, or LGB and bigotry towards Hews, Christians, Hindus, Mexicans, Americans, Africans, Asians and so on and so on. Then split all them again into groups by their bigotry towards people with addiction/mental health problems, or low income, or high income, or office workers, or manual labourers or unemployed and so on and so on. Then again divide those hundreds of groups by many dozens of other types of bigotry and then by preferences and before you know it we'd be having a few hundred thousand Pride parades each consisting of just one person. The whole point is that we're stronger together as a group, together we can accomplish things and achieve equality for all. United we stand divided we fall is a true statement not gibberish. Anyone who claims all members of whatever group are all the same is a bigot and we see that amongst people from each letter on LGBT and that's not okay but its also not a reason to refuse to work with other sexual minorities of whatever sort and allies even if they're different from us.

Rich, Toronto Ontario

12/11/12 6:59 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


typos

Its *Jews* not *Hews*, *of LGBT* not *on LGBT*

Rich, Toronto Ontario

12/11/12 7:03 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Re Talia

I totally agree with most of your assessment of the conflicts between LGB & T segments of the alphabet soup. However when you say things that lump all LGB people together as being the same, such as *There is some backlash against the LGB portion of the alphabet soup. In large part it stems from a being 'thrown under the bus' by the LGB community over the years.* even though in the very next sentence you revert to accurately targeting individuals for their actions instead of blaming entire groups of people. Its this sort of claim that all LGB people are terrible to trans people that causes resentment amongst many LGB people. Of course there are some LGB people who are bigoted towards trans people & vice versa but to blame the entire LGB segment as you do in that part of your comment is bigotry too. I get very tired of being told how horrible I am towards trans people from people who know nothing about me except that I'm a gay man. I've always been a strong supporter of equality for all including trans people as are about 99.99% of LGB people I know. Just because some LGB people have been terrible towards trans people doesn't mean that all or even most are. When I hear that sort of thing I at times think if whomever really thinks I'm an enemy just because I'm gay why should I bother spending any more of my time protesting for trans equality? Why should I spend my time emailing politicians to support this bill or Toby's law or protesting against the anti-trans bigotry of some organizations? After all I've already been judged as having thrown trans people under the bus & labeled an anti-trans bigot. What keeps me going is that the trans people in my life aren't like that at all. They fully realize not all LGB people are the same. I gather from most of your post you realize this too despite the part where you claim that LGB people as a group have thrown trans people under the bus. If that's not what you meant you need to be more careful with your choice of wo

Rich, Toronto Ontario

12/11/12 8:20 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Why I oppose the reactionary concept of LGBT

"LGBT is a very valid alphabet soup since all in it are sexual minorities whether by their sexual orientation or by their birth sex not matching their gender." Rich, I appreciate that you want to show solidarity with others. I have no problem with that. But LGBT goes beyond making Ts our allies. It asserts that they and we are one "people" sharing a common defining identity. That is a lie. Your sentence above demonstrates the illogic of LGBT. Sex and gender are not the same thing. LGBs are sexual minorities. Ts are not. Ts can have any sexual orientation, and most are straight. Ts are a gender minority. (You use the term "birth sex" but you are really referring to gender, not sex.) LGBs are not a gender minority. One's sexual orientation does not put one in conflict with one's gender. Although some bigots do hold that being gay is a gender issue because it makes gays "less of a man" or lesbians "less of a woman" that is a false, prejudiced belief that we need to confront and correct. "LGBT" does the opposite, embracing homophobic assumptions that being gay puts one in conflict with one's gender. LGBT is actually a pretty reactionary, if not homophobic, concept. I would oppose it if it did nothing more than misdescribe reality. The fact that it is homophobic as well really says to me that we have to oppose its use. We can still work with Ts, help them as allies and expect that they will help us. We do the same with many other groups, such as labor and feminists and racial minority groups, and we don't feel the need to "merge" our identities with any of them. It should be no different with Ts.

Will, Toronto Ontario

12/12/12 1:27 AM EST Report this comment to moderator.


break the umbrella

Hi Jackie, not all T folks asked to be a part of this LGBT umbrella in the first place. i know i certainly didn't. strangely, here in newfoundland, i take heat from the LGBs for even suggesting the notion that trans folks disassociate ourselves from them. I am glad to know that at least one LGB folk out there feels the same. sexual orientation and gender identity is a dichotomy, not a community..

Jennifer McCreath, St. John's Newfoundland

12/12/12 6:10 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


As a trans woman,I disagree with 'LGBT' concept

As a trans woman myself, I see no valid point in keeping the 'LGBT' up. Clearly, the LGB are defined by their sexual orientation regardless of their gender identity, and the T are defined by their gender identity regardless of their sexual orientation. And it is clear that sexual orientation and gender identity are fundamentally different concepts. Just take a look at few of the trans activists and role models who have made a real positive impact for the trans community: Janet Mock, Lynn Conway and Julia Serano. The first two are straight and their activities are mainly focused on trans specific issues, while supporting the causes of the LGB community as an ally and not a member. Julia is a lesbian but the same can be said about her activism just as well. The priority of their activism goes to trans specific issues which do not apply to the LGB issues at all. The LGBs and the Ts can be allies but are not and can not be part of the same community either by definition or by historic trend. Even the main news and events sources of our trans issues and community activities are not the main LGB news and media outlets, as they significantly lag behind the trans current events and usually misunderstand and misrepresent them as well. And finally, given all these, trying to force a non existing sense of community between the trans and the LGB communities won't do any good for any of these communities, as we can see examples of this every day. Our priorities and issues are fundamentally different. Doesn't mean that we can't be allies though, as we have been mostly through our history. But given the progress made for the LGB community so far, and the current state of the trans specific issues, it is time to make a clear distinction between these two communities.

Lilly, Toronto Ontario

12/13/12 5:18 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.

I think its always been communities as allies

I agree with Lily that trans and LGB constitute different communities, its why I usually, though not always, refer to LGBT communities instead of LGBT community. But it also goes beyond T and LGB. Cis gay men and lesbian women and bisexual people are also distinct communities. At least for cis folks gay men have more in common with hetero men, lesbians with hetero women and bisexual and trans people I'm not sure, I've heard various things, I've heard some trans women say they identify more as women alone than they do as queer or LGBT. I only know one out bisexual person and we've never discussed such things nor have I read as much about bisexual folks so I have no clue. But even amongst cis gay men there are many communities as well, the leather/fetish/BDSM communities plus the bath house community plus neo-con gays and so on and so on. Its the same with lesbians and I'd imagine bisexual people too not to mention trans people who are in various different communities themselves, after all everyone has multiple identities. It was just before my time but I recall hearing about the "battles" between cis lesbians and cis gay men yet for the overwhelming majority they were able to work together as allies and that's what I think is the most important thing. I think if anything its about time we start ignoring the extremists and the bigots in whatever community and just get on with trying to make things better now for all. I doubt the extremists and bigots of whatever group are doing much of anything to advance equality and individual freedoms for all anyways.

Rich, Toronto Ontario

12/13/12 7:03 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.

For the love of Pete, Rich

…stop calling us “cis.”

Joe Clark, Toronto ON

12/17/12 4:06 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Hey Sis...Don’t call me “Cis” !!!

Hey Sis...Don’t call me “Cis” !!! I didn’t give you permission to label me. The word “Cis” originated from a Latin prefix meaning: “to the near side,” which is antonymous with the Latin-derived prefix “Trans.” This usage can be seen in the Cis-Trans distinction in chemistry.” “The word cisgender has been used on the internet since at least 1994, when it appeared in the alt.transgendered Usenet group in a post by Dana Leland Defosse. Defosse does not define the term and seems to assume that readers are already familiar with it. It may also have been independently coined a year later: Donna Lynn Matthews...attributed the word to Carl Buijs, a transsexual man from the Netherlands, claiming that Buijs coined the word in 1995. In April 1996, Buijs said in a Usenet posting, "As for the origin, I just made it up. ...one day it just hit me: non-trans equals cis. Therefore, cisgendered.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cisgender) Ya wanna call yourself Trans —OK. But don’t call me Cis. I hate the sound of it. I didn’t give you permission to label me.

Joe, TO ON

12/18/12 1:28 AM EST Report this comment to moderator.

the term cis is a form of ethnic cleansing

Joes, you are in a losing battle over "cis". The Trans Reich has pronounced that homosexuals will be force labelled as punishment that trans people are the most oppressed and if homosexuals are truly trans allies then they will take whatever trans tell them, such as their trans-created label.If you are LGBT and Queer you do what trans tell you. If not, you are a hater and probably think you are "normal" and they are trans -- that is their other argument for using cis -- the assumption that anyone who is not trans claims they are "normal" and the others are trans therefore the need for a levelling equity term like cis. Bullshit. Bullying of the oppressed once they get power is always ugly and the arrogance with which trans throw cis in homosexuals face is just one of the nasty realities of the lie which is called LBGT.

not Cloaca Vinepod, Toronto Ontario

12/18/12 8:04 AM EST Report this comment to moderator.

Well...

Well...not an expert here, however Trans "Reich" to me is quite laughable, since it harkens to a more historically well known Reich that had the power to crush whole populations. Since trans folks have nowhere near the same level of power (nor desire) to oppress and slaughter millions of people...I mean, let's get real here...

P.W., Vancouver B.C.

12/18/12 10:17 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.

A note on the term 'cis'

There is no stigma attached to the term 'cis', it is merely a way to differentiate trans people from non-trans people and to open the debate to challenge the dominant cisnormative discourse. Just the same way that the term 'homosexual' is used to differentiate from 'heterosexual'. Take a look here for more info on this: http://juliaserano.livejournal.com/14700.html Cis is not directed towards any specific sexual orientation as a demeaning term, as by definition it doesn't address or refer to sexual orientation. People could be cis or trans just the same way that people could be hetero or homosexual. None of these terms implies being 'normal' or 'abnormal'. There is a fundamental difference between 'normal' and 'common', in fact neither homosexuality nor transsexuality are 'common'; statistically the majority of human population is cis and hetero, neither of which are deviant from 'normal'.


Lilly, Toronto Ontario

12/19/12 6:02 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.

elitist bourgeois woman of leisure

Lilly, as a white middle class bi-hetero leisure class dillettante, how does it feel to be labelled against your will? How does it feel to be labelled without your consent? Trans people are open to chose whatever term they want to call themselves. Their invention and imposition of a contrived new label upon a group who did not ask for it nor accepts it is oppression. Period. Elitist and obnoxious. Are you elitist and obnoxious, Lilly, or do you impose labels on others for some other reason? There is more than a wiff of a Reich about this ethnic cleansing via imposed labelling.


nC, Toronto Ontario

12/19/12 10:23 PM EST Report this comment to moderator.


Wow

That's all I have to say about the amount of venom and hatred I've just read, it really is sad. Wow. @ Nico, for sure it really does.