und auch

[adrienmundi]

I always assumed the use of 'trans' meant 'transgender', based on the larger, more inclusive aspect of that term than the more specific (and, in my opinion, essentialist) 'transsexual'. And yet, every time 'trans issues' comes up, it seems like the only ones being discussed are 'transmen' and 'transwomen'. Is it just me? Did I miss a memo or something?

Comments

[srl.livejournal.com]

No, it's just that the people who are the loudest and numerically predominant don't spend a lot of time on the nuances of language.

I've surprised a few trans-clued people lately by telling them that I identify myself as genderqueer, not transsexual.

[scottopic.livejournal.com]

See, lots of this does seem to be a matter of educating, however painfully inconvenient. Even ol' open-minded me would still have most of the imagery and theory horribly based in Hollywood and Charlie Brown's Cabaret were it not the discussions, arguments and points brought up by prosphoros here.

I will agree that including 'trans' but insisting on binary seems really damn internally inconsistent. Being a code wonk, I could kinda push for the use of '*' ;)

[adrienmundi]

Yah, I do tend to write/thing 'mt*/ft*'; when speaking, it's usually 'mtx/ftx", since * seems to be a visual marker.

[scottopic.livejournal.com]

I suppose it'd be too fabulous of me to insist that it be called 'star'? :o

[adrienmundi]

I've tried that, and it only rings meaningful to those already in the know, sadly.

[adrienmundi]

See, it's my experience that it's not always the cretins (apologies to Crete) who make those linguistical inaccuracies. piny, zB, is generally on the ball, but almost always goes 'trans=transmen/transwomen". There will be the occasionally Feinbergian "and others" (which feels dismissive, most of the time) but that's rare enough that it always seems like an afterthought. I almost wish that transsexual would decouple (hah) from transgender, so I won't have this expectation that people who talk about trans issues might actually, you know, not be fucking clueless or indifferent to how they affect people like me.

(I've issues with genderqueer too, alas; aren't I just a touchy bundle of joy lately?)