introduction

WHO AM I

Maëlys

Content warning

today we'll be talking about transmysoginy

which (SPoiler alert) is pretty awful

we have vibe minders here to help out

and there'll be a debrief after in your groups

this workshop contains GIFS from transphobic movies

and quotes from people being terrible

if ever you're not feeling okay, you don't have to stick around

listen to yourself

and take care of you

territorial acknowledgement

This event is taking place on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg people.

Let's talk about that privilege

Privilege is having only settler perspectives represented in history textbooks

THAt leads to headlines like this

for context let's talk about sir john a macdonald

He was the first prime minister of canada

He was also the architect of an effort to destroy indigenous cultures, religions, and languages

This was achieved with the indian act

under the indian act, traditional ceremonies were made illegal until 1951

“The third clause provides that celebrating the “Potlatch” is a misdemeanour. This Indian festival is debauchery of the worst kind, and the departmental officers and all clergymen unite in affirming that it is absolutely necessary to put this practice down.”

- Sir John A MacDonald

it was illegal for first nations people to hire a lawyer to address land issues

while the government looked to deny them their land

"Sir, We are looking anxiously for your report ... as to the best means of extinguishing the Indian titles in the valley of Saskatchewan. ... We should take immediate steps to extinguish the Indian titles somewhere in the Fertile Belt in the valley of Saskatchewan, and open it for settlement."

- Sir John A MacDonald

children were forcibly separated from their parents and put in residential schools

where they were beaten for speaking their first language

“When ... the child lives with its parents, who are savages, and though he may learn to read and write, his habits and training mode of thought are Indian. ... Indian children should be withdrawn as much as possible from the parental influence ... put them in central training industrial schools where they will acquire the habits and modes of thought of white men."

- Sir John A MacDonald

The last residential school did not close until 1996

Privilege is not having any of that history acknowledged AND REVERE SIR JOHN A MACDONALD

which is what we do when we put statues without context

under colonialization, we have made the settler perspective the DEFAULT PERSPECTIVE

that's privilege, to have the experiences of one group treated as universal

and it's that same privilege that permits other perspectives to actively be denied

we need greater understanding, not less

so if you're a settler like me, it is INCUMBENT upon you to become aware of how we participate in invisibilizing others

because we do participate, even when we do nothing

and think about the ways you could use that privilege to elevate indigenous voices

transmisogyny

how many of you are aware of transphobia?

have you ever noticed how trans women and trans women of colour in particular get the worst of it?

From entertainment

to politics

Hamilton

Houston

to murder stats

source: http://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/A_Time_To_Act_2017_REV3.pdf

and race matters

source: http://assets2.hrc.org/files/assets/resources/A_Time_To_Act_2017_REV3.pdf

http://transpulseproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Racism-E-Bulletin-5-vFinal-English.pdf

source:

Kalkidan Assefa (kalkidan-assefa.com)

artist:

that extra bias trans women experience is transmisogyny

and for people of colour it gets woven with racism and colonalism

three factors

we'LL look at three factors to help understand what transmisogyny is and how it develops

this is by no means a comprehensive list of influences

but it's useful as a learning tool

the factors

We attribute way more to gender than has to do with gender

One

we police ADHERENCE to gender norms

two

we feel compelled to box people by gender

Three

example

Let's look at someone growing up

and be mindful of those factors

even before they're born

people make a deal about revealing gender

and they assign interests accordingly

and the world loses its collective shit if a single family doesn't find out

once they're born

we assign gender roles

as determined by GENITALIA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phall-O-Meter

source:

And if the GENITALIA doesn't fit neatly in one category or another

we surgically alter it even though it's not medically necessary

we message gender roles through toys

boys are encouraged to build, lead, take risks

girls are encouraged to take care of others, cook, clean, and MIND their appearance

can you name ways boys and girls are treated differently?

parents also reinforce this distinction

with boys being especially punished for being feminine

this creates views not only on boys and girls

but masculinity and femininity

the child grows up into a teen

and the messaging continues

men overwhelmingly lead action movies

cleaning commercials overwhelmingly feature women

it's the same messaging

men build, lead, take risks

women take care of others, cook, clean, and MIND their appearance

can you name other ways teens receive messages around gender?

we prize these things we have labeled masculine

and look down on the perceived feminine

teens become aware of the messaging that says to identify perceiveD men being feminine

and the messaging says to mock them

and that has ramifications

73%

of trans ontarians have been made fun of for being trans

http://transpulseproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Transphobia-E-Bulletin-6-vFinal-English.pdf

source:

trans women bear the brunt of this

so are we surprised then at stats like these

74%

of trans ontarians have tried to pass as non-trans

http://transpulseproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Transphobia-E-Bulletin-6-vFinal-English.pdf

source:

so when we see this vitriol directed at trans women

it's a mix of sexism

a mix of genital obsession due to importance on gender norms

and a mix of idea that masculinity is superior to femininity

which brings us to...

definition

julia serano came up with the word transmisogyny in her book whipping girl 

"While all people who fall under the transgender umbrella potentially face social stigma for transgressing gender norms, those on the male-to-female (MTF) or trans female/feminine (TF) spectrum generally receive the overwhelming majority of societal  fascination, consternation and demonization."

https://www.juliaserano.com/av/TransmisogynyPrimer-Serano.pdf

source:

"This disparity in attention suggests that individuals on the trans female/feminine spectrum are culturally marked, not for failing to conform to gender norms per se, but because of the specific direction of their gender transgression—that is, because of their feminine gender expression and/or their female gender identities. Thus, the marginalization of trans female/feminine spectrum people is not merely a result of transphobia, but is better described as trans-misogyny."

- julia serano

https://www.juliaserano.com/av/TransmisogynyPrimer-Serano.pdf

source:

deep breath

we just covered a lot of intense stuff!

let's all take five deep breaths together

while looking at this dog

discussion

transmisogyny affects not only transfeminine individuals

but constricts everyone to arbitrary norms around gender

so i have some questions for you

what ways have you felt your gender policed?

what are ways to reduce this policing?