Before we get into the nitty gritty, I want to start out this week's discussion by thanking you all for participating in the group reading thus far. I have been trying get this off the ground for a while and it's nice to finally see it take off and more specifically see it be used for educational purposes following a community-wide struggle session on trans issues. I never would have anticipated such immense pushback from the community on such a minor issue; I saw a lot of misconceptions, hate, and outright refusal to listen to and understand those affected by the matter.

Seeing it all unfold in real-time was very surreal and alienating and I suspect a lot of other trans people here felt that way too. But like your stereotypical Christian who turns to the Bible in times of confliction and confusion, I looked to comrade Leslie Feinberg for guidance and found a few little passages that really stood out to me on the matter of the struggle sessions:

  1. "Together, I believe we can forge a coalition that can fight on behalf of your oppression as well as mine. Together, we can raise each other's grievances and win the kind of significant change we all long for. But the foundation of unity is understanding." (pg. 6)
  2. "Misconceptions have been a barrier between our communities. In order to have any real dialogue, it means we must all listen carefully to each other." (pg. 22)
  3. "None of us can ever be free while others are still in chains. That's the truth underlying the need for solidarity. Trans liberation is inextricably linked to other movements for equality and justice." (pg. 48)
  4. "Revealing the need for solidarity takes patient education." (pg. 50)

While the response was alienating, seeing cis folks participating has been very reassuring that there are people here willing to listen to the struggles of trans people, challenge their own misconceptions on trans issues, and strive to be better allies to help fight on our behalf. And I'm grateful for the trans folks who are willing to participate in this and have a dialogue with anyone who is seeking to better understand our lived experiences. I truly appreciate everyone involved with this educational session. You're all based as fuck. O7

Now that all the mushy gushy shit is outta the way, drop as many quotes, thoughts, comments, concerns, ah-ha moments as you like in the comments and shoot to be actively commenting on other people's notes throughout the day as well.

This thread will be featured for 24 hours then will remain pinned in !transenby_liberation for the remainder of the week until next Saturday. Rinse and repeat.

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  • Staines [he/him, they/them]9•4 years ago

    Fundamentally people are drawn to our sphere of thought for a couple of reasons. Either.

    • One is subjected to marginalization, which lays bare the truth of things.
    • One possesses a quality that makes them want to understand that truth.

    Let me preface this by saying... I don't know what I identify as. Enby, if I'm truly honest with myself, I think.

    The struggle sessions of this month upset me a little. A few times on the internet in the past decade I've seen a repeat pattern, and it's always sat uncomfortably with me. Leslie Feinberg hammers a few points home for why I feel uncomfortable with the trans response to trans issues.

    Trans people, rightfully, feel under siege. They are harassed, they are shunned, they are targeted, and they experience denial from some ignorant quarters about the validity of their existence. Under these conditions, it is my (EXTERNAL, and possibly inaccurate) observation that trans people partially cloister themselves away into dedicated trans spaces. To me, these spaces radicalize trans people into (again, rightfully) into a particular kind of solidarity against the forces of darkness. When they emerge from these trans spaces they are often ready to fight against anyone that denies the truth of their existence - and while I agree that such aggressive solidarity is the natural response and indeed the right of any person when facing the legions of ignorance...

    ... I don't think it's the right approach for all situations.

    When trans people come into a space like this, which again is full of;

    • People suffering forms of marginalization that lays bare the truth of how things are.
    • People who may not be suffering marginalization but want to understand that truth.

    And trans people come in swinging super aggressive with full on bravado - followed by trying to practically character assassinate anyone who either is legitimately just struggling to connect the dots and understand the trans aspects of marginalization, or is simply upset that someone is being perhaps from their perspective overly aggressive in what should be an arena for legitimate understanding and solidarity for all struggles of marginalization... it just causes unnecessary friction. -- I understand why trans people do it, they are under siege, and aggression is natural.

    But we're among friends here.

    MY POINT IS. Trans Liberation, beyond pink or blue has lessons for the chapo trans sphere. Only patience and earnest conversation will create real solidarity and understanding.

    Being unnecessarily coarse with people who simply want to listen is like slapping hundreds of people across the face in one epic, indiscriminate arc, and then being happy you scored like 10 hits on legitimate asshole fuckwits while everyone rubs their cheeks and grimaces.

    I really do understand the aggression from trans folks in general. But imagine if every marginalized group felt that was how to communicate all the time?

    We empathize. We understand. We think. I think that's the left's thing.