To answer all the commenters who don’t understand why Dan Savage was targeted
Criticism vs Attack — The first thing to realize is that glitter bombing as a statement of discontent is not solely reserved for our worst enemies. It’s okay for someone to have redeeming qualities and still find their other actions unacceptable. The goal of an action like this is never to end his career or take away his readership, but to bring attention to the things that Dan needs to change. Honestly, if a student had simply asked him not to be transhpobic in the Q&A, I wouldn’t have posted about it, and neither would Queerty, Joemygod, or the Huffington Post.
Just Talk to Him — Why would you assume people haven’t talked with him about this? People have talked with him. Dozens of people. For over a decade. He commonly interprets criticism as an attack and then fires back. It
Infighting - First of all, infighting is a concept that describes conflicts between groups of people who face the same oppression. But Dan does not face transphobia. This was not an “LGBT on LGBT” glitter bombing, but a trans queer on cis queer glitter bombing — and it wasn’t the first (if you recall the glitter bombing of the HRC building).
Transphobic History — Even Dan admits that he was transphobic 15 years ago, but some of his most transphobic statements happened only one year ago. Regardless, it’s not enough to simply let time pass without making additional public transphobic comments. Apologies are in order and Dan needs to take positive action to show that his support, not just his silence.
Shocking Words — Please read more closely, it’s not just his words but what he says with them. He consistently treats trans women as not real women. (And mentions having a trans man as a friend, but no trans women.) The words are salt in the wound, but don’t let that distract you from the wound itself.
“cis centricism”
bwhahahahahahahaha
I’m missing the humour?
Sorry. Snarky note to myself about a discussion happening elsewhere. Probably shouldn’t have posted it. I’m a n00b. Already lost a follower in one day! I’m already making friends :)
honestly, it baffles me that trans men would apply to and remain at womens’ colleges.
i’m sure of them were pressured into applying by family members, but considering schools like smith and bryn mawr aren’t cheap, it’s easy to make the choice to go somewhere else, where you’ll actually be an appropriate part of the community.
seriously, trans men, you have no place going to colleges for women. you’re not women. that’s kind of the point, right?
you know, when these issues quiet down, i always start being willing to understand the gray areas and recognize that 18-23 is a big time in someone’s life and a lot of things like understanding oneself as trans come unexpectedly, and that a lot of trans people are dealing with a lot of shit from their families that would make transferring even rockier than usual.
but then they start talking. and their talking doesn’t only reflect male privilege, but a fucking assload of class entitlement too. HELLO? MOST trans people who transitioned before we had an established career (and many of those who transitioned later, too) are downwardly mobile because we’re trans. i almost didn’t graduate at all from my crappy state college who still doesn’t have gender identity in its non-discrimination clause. and i’m supposed to fucking feel sorry for a guy having something denied to him at a WOMEN’s college that has thus far gone out of its way to kiss his ass for existing? MOST trans people have to deal with being trans in a “not so friendly” environment. it’s called LIFE OUTSIDE OF GATED COMMUNITIES AND COZY SEVEN SISTERS COLLEGES.
Yeah, I cry a million tears that dudes at Ivy League Esque elite women’s colleges aren’t getting their every whim catered to. This is disgusting—has this really been going on for ten years?
this guy totally hits the nail on the head as far as talking about trans man douchebaggery and male privilege denying.
“i think that’s the reason so many people who start off as grown women all the sudden become boys instead of men after hormonal and surgical intervention. boys, after all, are not men, therefore not as threatening—certainly cannot be expected to be as responsible. either way, it seems people want the romantic and sexual allure of man but not the legacy of men; to have a boy’s life without a man’s responsibility”
it’s golden. really.
I was searching like hell for this on youtube the other day—I’ve heard this was a much longer piece but I guess this is all we get of it now.
TRIGGERS: sexual assault and some serious rape apologism
I have an announcement to make. Actually, we should all be in the habit of talking about this every few months at least until a day comes when he is finally accountable, and until our communities do…
it’s probably messed up that when i hear someone use the term “transmisandry,” i think, “yes!” it’s not even that i hate trans guys, i love myself and i love a lot of other trans guys. but it’s that i get really irritated with anyone who talks about trans guys in this weird place like we can do no…
I started a[nother] tumblr just because I found this funny and wanted to reblog it. Look at me, reblogging.
