transphobia
DESCRIPTION
Transphobia. Talia Mae Bettcher , Ph.D. Some Preliminary Data. approximately 50% report history of unwanted or forced sex approximately 50% report history of physical violence NCAVP reports average of 215 anti-trans hate crimes per year - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Some Preliminary Data• approximately 50% report history
of unwanted or forced sex• approximately 50% report history
of physical violence• NCAVP reports average of 215
anti-trans hate crimes per year• Remembering our Dead has
tracked 350 trans people who were murdered
specificity
• QUESTION: Is a trans woman who presents and lives as a woman “gender-bending”, or is she following gender norms?
• QUESTION: Who decides?
The idea that trans people transgress gender norms can constitute a transphobic the
identities of soinvalidation of me trans people.
Types of Transphobia
• different forms of transphobia apply to different groups of trans people
• different forms of transphobia occur in different forms of discourse and social context
I. Identity EnforcementYou say I’m a man… I say I’m a womanYou say I’m a woman… I say I’m a manI say I’m neither – or both… you say I
have to choose.
• enforcement of the meaning of words
• enforcement of the meaning of bodies
Basic Denial of Authenticity
II. Appearance/Reality Contrast• really a so-and-so disguised as a
such-and-such• living as a woman although
“biologically male”• discovered to be “anatomically”
such-and-such• “I never would have known you’re
transgender…”
Basic Denial of Authenticity
III. Genital Verification
• Extreme cases: – inappropriate touching– Forced exposure
• Sneaky cases:– “have you had ‘the surgery’ yet?”– “are you a man or a woman?”– “discovered to be transgender”
Basic Denial of Authenticity
IV. Double Bind
• hallmark of oppression:
DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON’T
• evil deceivers vs. make-believers
Basic Denial of Authenticity
V. Sexual violence as punishment
• rape
• other forms of sexual humiliation
Basic Denial of Authenticity
VI. Blaming the victim
• “He (or she) tricked me”
• moral invalidation; accusations of wrong-doing
• equation of “sexual deception” with rape
Basic Denial of Authenticity
A Philosophical Story
• gender presentation is taken to communicate genital status
• gender is a mandatory system of sexual violence
• trans people resist this system.
Larger Oppressive Context
• BDA occurs within a larger system of sexist oppression and sexual violence against women
• BDA occurs within a larger system racial oppression and racialized sexual violence
Concerns• trans people may uptake harmful
behavior to “prove” their reality
• external pressure to “pass”: quadruple-binds
• transphobia within trans community: “real-er than thou”