Kate Bornstein on voice

Political activist for transgender persons.

Transphobia runs deep

What's so weird about a pregnant man? Maybe you guys should get out more

By Jesse Thiessen, 4.15.2008


If one thing is evident from all the hoopla over Thomas Beatie, the transgender pregnant man from Bend, it's that transphobia is very much alive and tolerated, even in our progressive city that was called "a mecca for transsexuals" by Lori Sirotsky of the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition.

Beatie and his wife's situation (his wife is sterile, hence the decision for him to carry the child) has been dissected and judged every which way since the national LGBT magazine The Advocate published an account of their struggle, penned by Beatie himself. He later went on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where a seemingly-flustered Oprah tried to grapple with the issue at hand, probing him about the state of his genitals as well as asking the rather ignorant question: "Why not just be a lesbian?"

Oprah and company seem to mean well, but blatantly offensive statements are almost falling out of the mouths of some. Take Susan Nielsen, columnist for the Oregonian. The Sunday after the Oprah interview, she published a rather refreshing piece questioning her own knee-jerk intolerance towards Beatie's situation, making statements such as, "If you support gay rights but draw the line at pregnant men on Oprah, it's worth asking why."

She goes on to say, "I'm not ready for this story. But still, I can't stop thinking about Beatie's doctor and neighbors in Bend, who appeared on TV to express their support. They managed to wrap their minds around the idea of their expectant transgender neighbor. They shamed me into thinking twice." A thoughtful self-examination. . . .Read More

SHOW SOME BLOODY RESPECT

by Maxi Shield

4.17.2008

Heels for you, sir? Are you Arthur, Martha or maybe both? As usual I was swishing down Oxford St last Saturday night. I had just finished Curry-Oake at the Tandoori Palace and was heading down to perform at the Midnight Shift. To say I stuck out would be an understatement. Sequined dress and huge boa, all in white, I seemed to be a beacon for all to see. I was met with the usual hoots and cheers from those who were comfortable seeing a drag queen on Oxford St. But I was surprised to hear numerous “ya fucking tranny” lines which really rocked my apple cart. I have heard the names “faggot” or “poofter” so many times, but this increased negative use of the word “tranny” really upset me. . . .Read More

200 trans rights advocates lobby Congress

Visitors from 29 states ask lawmakers to oppose gay-only ENDA

By LOU CHIBBARO JR., Washington Blade | Apr 16, 2008


Nearly 200 transgender rights activists and their supporters descended on Washington from 29 states this week to urge Congress to support legislation aimed at ending discrimination and violence.

Participants in a March 14 lobby day organized by the Washington-based National Center for Transgender Equality said they hoped to put aside the sharp disagreements that surfaced last year over a decision by House Democratic leaders to remove transgender protections from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

“Our lobbying will educate lawmakers about our lives, who we are and why we are working hard to end discrimination against all people but especially people who face from discrimination because of their gender identity,” said Mara Keisling, the Center’s executive director. . . .Read More

POV, Critique, Opinion: Pregnant man rebuts transgender arguments

April 17, 2008

Jeffrey Winslow


It has been pretty apparent that The Telegraph has been trying to do a major public relations job pushing the transgender agenda into the spotlight.

The transgender community wants you to believe that they were born the wrong sex. By using the media to show how happy they are when they are allowed to alter their bodies to the opposite sex, we are supposed to see that this is how they were meant to be.

We must ignore the fact that their biological body does not support their theory in any way. And if you don't, you don't appreciate diversity.

But their physical bodies show the facts. It has always been more likely that they suffer from a compulsion or obsession to be the opposite sex, rather than that their body is built wrong. . . .Read More

Tianjin transsexual gets new Chinese ID card as a woman

www.chinaview.cn 2008-04-16

Editor: Jiang Yuxia


BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Ying Ning, the 33-year-old Tianjin man who became a woman through transsexual operations, got a new Chinese ID card as a female on Tuesday.

"I am so excited to receive it after a month-long wait," said Ying, who is believed to be the first transsexual person in China to go public with the media under a new gender.

"The ID card has a special meaning for me, that I have been accepted by society. It will be the beginning of my new life," Ying told a reporter with the Tianjin-based newspaper Daily News. . . .Read More