I can't help myself from reading something with "Empire Strikes Back" in the title first. I freaking love Star Wars. So, without further adieu...
The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto
Why was James Morris freaking out so much about becoming Jan Morris? He made it seem like a terrifying, scary, mortifying experience. The entire walk up to the room seemed like a march to his death. It was like he didn't want to become who she is now.
I had to double take and go back and reread the intro to the first paragraph of the medical clinics report on their "study". What the hell? I was honestly expecting something professional, but then it seemed to rapidly and immediately decline into insulting "results". It may be true that the participants had psychological diagnoses but saying that they were "immature, narcissistic, egocentric, and potentially explosive...demanding, manipulative, controlling, coercive, and paranoid" is a little bs. Maybe I'm reading it wrong and that part is talking about the researchers, because if it isn't, it should be.
Rape is not someone fitting into their bodies comfortably. There's no discomfort or violent action made. Them having their bodies transformed into what they know to be themselves is not an attack on women or a "rape". If tumblr saw this, they'd explode. It isn't even close to rape. If you don't like transsexual women, too bad.
I'm surprised that Jan enjoys the vulnerability of being a woman. Sure it means that she's successfully fitting into the demands of being a woman in a shitty society, but I wouldn't necessarily enjoy it. Just feeling it would ... I don't know. I don't really get why you would like it.
"Germ glands." Yep, this is second grade all right. His wiener and peepee got changed.
Um, wait a sec. Gender dysphoria clinics were refusing to perform surgeries and insult the idea of transexuals by calling them "sociopaths"? That's like a pediatrician refusing to work with kids because they're childish, immature, and young. I was surprised that nonacademic gdc's were performing surgery on demand, but I can understand why some would be careful due to legal reasons. Standford's acting like a charm school and assessing their patients wasn't the best thing either, but at least they were more open. I can see why they would want to only complete the most potentially successful transitions, and I find it interesting that they used ability to behave the gender as a measure. But it's nice that they offered the whole "charm school" thing. And now wait, did they have to jerk it as a test to see if they could become a woman or not? Hey, fap and if you get off on it, then you can't be a woman. Enjoy. That's not cool.
Reconstructing history is an expensive price for trans individuals, but if they truly want to live their new life, they have to make the sacrifice and it could be more than worth it to them. It can be a drastic tale or one just like the life you lived, just swapping the gender as a child. I guess I'm just thinking in terms of young transgenders. Since this paper focuses a little more on older (30's and 40's) people, I guess I should speak in more consideration of them. Yeah, in that case it's a lot more editing of the past. The older you are, the harder it is to transition depending on your life story, I suppose.
Anyway, that essay was definitely not what I was expecting, but hey, it works.
>Letter<
Damnnn. That's a very stern, well-written, and well-rounded letter. You don't see those much nowadays. It was very to the point and just overall impressed me. The people who wrote it made very good points and I liked the format. It mentioned that not having a standard procedure would be dangerous for all of the women attending the festival; was this for any reason other than the injustice of being excluded? I hope the letter went through and was read, because I honestly feel like no organization reads letters if they're critiques or complaints. I'm happy that the Lesbians for Justice were addressing the issue, because they aren't even the excluded group from the festival. They're standing up for someone other than themselves (that isn't meant to bash on them at all, I mean it in a positive light). If they weren't women writing, they probably would have been ignored, so it helps. Anyway, I really liked this particular reading quite a bit.
>Eden Built By Eves<
I'm pretty sure I read this in Professor Morris's class. The music festival sounded cooler before we learned about the exclusion stuff. When Jean Fineberg said "Imagine a city where women and children feel free to walk anywhere," I remembered that children under 5 were the only ones allowed to be free about. Otherwise they were thrown into some daycare up to the age of 12. Doesn't sound like children so much as toddlers to me. I initially thought when I read this last quarter that the idea sounded cool. The festival would be fun, but it's not something I would fanatically rush to and become a part of, inside and out. If I went, it would be to check it out as a tourist-type attraction rather than as an extreme feminist. We both know there's super over the top extreme feminists there as well as women who want to have the fun, unique experience. But anyway, I was more caught on seeing how well a society could function with just purely females. It was interesting to see how well they reported it to function. It isn't perfect, even though they treat it a bit that way. It's got to have downs, but it seems to do pretty good. This isn't some sexism talking so much as a belief that in a community, there will always be conflict, regardless of sex, but just because of human nature and such.
Excuse me about the age earlier, apparently it's 3. That's a little bs. I also only breezed over the transgendered restrictions when I read it the first time and hardly processed it. One little sentence there can spark so much discussion, just as in class. Saying that they're free from rape at Michigan is also stupid, because women can commit rape just as readily as a man can. Women of anything outside of the standard (white and older) would still feel societal pressures and not absolute freedom because they're still in a society where the higher-ups get the say; and those higher ups aren't the same as the other women. But anyway, it still sounds better than our current society at times.
I still remembered the part about everyone taking a shift. I don't see what's wrong with that and those ladies need to get over it; it's part of the experience of being in a non-male world. You have to be a strong independent woman who can hold her own :) I like volunteering, so I would be more than glad to work a shift, if not multiple. As for the boobies, why not? Throw some sunscreen on and show off if you're comfortable. Personally, I like the support of certain clothes, but I would try it out a little if I was there just for the hell of it. I'm sure there's still pressure as so if someone's boobs were big enough or or good looking enough to fit in, but at least there wasn't the fear of men judging you; just women (which can still be as bad).
It took me a double take and the read from Morris's class to notice the "Cuntree Store". Howdy, there. Wouldn't more women find this offensive than funny or empowering? Whatever floats your boat, but I was not expecting that. I found it slightly humorous, but it's not something I'd praise.
Since the entire piece seemed like a practical advertisement for the Womyn's Music Festival, I was surprised to see that it ended with, "'And so, really, Michigan is more like a benign dictatorship.'" It kind of is, but that's probably not the place to end, academically.
>Skirt Chasers<
I don't really watch TV or movies very often, so I don't really see transgender individuals in them. I've seen Ace Ventura, but I don't think I ever finished it. It does suck for transwomen who face physical limitations from appearing petitely feminine, and I'm not sure I should be liking the woman who punched out a guy for calling her a faggot. I kind of do, but I'm guessing it's really counterproductive and the exact point being made by this: poking fun at transgenders. We talked about this in class today- the whole "deception" and media thing. Challenging male masculinity definitely is a factor of why men feel so "deceived" and are so against dating a transwoman, despite their woman-ness. If you're demisexual, does it matter? It really shouldn't. Even if you're heterosexual, they're a woman and you shouldn't challenge it. Be open to a "whole new world". You might like it.
I feel like the author of this is over-analyzing Bree. From the description I read, I don't see a flashing Vegas sign blaring "fake" over her. It's more of a depiction of her life...? Stumbling in heels and such could be taken that way, but applying makeup is an intro to a crap ton of movies with women. It's not too much different. Anne Hathaway movies like the Devil Wears Prada I believe start out this way; getting dressed, putting on makeup, and failing to be perfectly super feminine. Why? Because it doesn't exist. Everything that I would have to say was already stated: stereotypical femininity is forced by society as complete bullshit, and wanting to see transwomen apply femininity standards just like other women is a result of this sexist crap. I don't wear makeup. I dress nicely when I want to. I don't need to look nice for anyone other than myself and perhaps my boyfriend. I don't ask myself in the mirror, "What would society accept?", I ask myself, "What do I want to wear and does this match my own code of acceptance?". I'd rather not show off my cleavage and wear tight, revealing clothes. It should be the same for any woman. If a transwoman wants to doll up, they can. If they feel like it helps them pass more, then that's fine. But they shouldn't be called out on it. The statement, both sadly true and persistent, " women have no worth beyond the extent to which they can be sexualized" hit me a little. I never thought of it that way.
I can't lie and say I haven't wondered about before and afters. I look through facebook pictures, cosplay photos, ect. A Youtuber I actively watched from 2005-2008, then came back to in 2010 was now Luke. I wasn't sure if I had the right channel or not, and I couldn't remember if Luke was Luke all along, but I remembered after looking at older videos. I don't really feel guilty for it, but I will admit that I do it. I don't ask people for pics though. If they're openly available and they don't mind sharing that aspect of their life, then that isn't so much of a problem, I think, because I still respect them as the man or woman that they are.
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