Bigotry aimed at our enemies only hurts our friends...

[AlienGirl]

Transphobic comments are not an innocuous way to blow off some steam venting about certain vicious right-wing windbags. Transphobia hurts all transgendered people in exactly the same way that racism hurts black people, anti-semitism hurts Jewish people, and homophobia hurts gay people. And it hurts the friends and families of transgendered people. Which includes me, which is why I take this very seriously.

There are PLENTY of things to say about nasty right-wing personalities without stooping to bigotry, and I know we DUers are creative enough and resourceful enough, and most importantly, ACCEPTING enough and KIND enough, to find ways to poke at right-wing jerks without accidentally poking our friends in the eye at the same time.

Tucker

[readmoreoften]

1. good luck

i've been trying to fight the 'man coulter' threads since i've been on DU. i've seen at least one transwoman stop coming around because of them, too. Gender jokes are so completely trite and boring, too. What a loss.

[AlienGirl]

4. I had posted this in GD, and it was a very good thread there

I figured it might need wider exposure. :-)

I think a lot of people just don't know that it hurts people. It hurts DUers who are transgendered, and it hurts the friends and family of trans people, which includes me, so I take it a little bit personally.

Tucker

[bertha katzenengel]

2. I agree. Unfortunately, as readmoreoften has said, this won't

go too far. DUers are human beings, and some of them are just as unsophisticated as their counterparts on the right -- meaning they don't care who they hurt in order either to deride others or to get a point across.

[AlienGirl]

5. My hope is that DUers will not consciously choose to be hurtful

My hope is that once DUers are conscious of this, they will understand what they are doing and choose not to do it any more. I have faith in my fellow DUers...

Tucker

[Betsy Ross]

3. Thank you

It is up to all of us to voice objection whenever we see any xenophobia.

[PBass]

8. I don't like it either. Criticize people because they have bad ideas, or

because they say or do things that deserve to be ripped into... not because of what they look like.

Otherwise, we lower ourselves to the same level as the dopes who said stupid crap like "I'm not voting for John Kerry because he has a horsey face" or "Janet Reno looks like a man".

Lets stick to the issues.

[MadMaddie]

6. Perhaps coming up with an agreed upon and accepted term for..

Ann Coulter might help....

I agree with you I don't use the terminology in a derogatory tone. :hi:

[AlienGirl]

7. AnnThrax works pretty well, if ya ask me

[LisaLynne]

11. AnnThrax! That's perfect.

:)

[MadMaddie]

15. I like that too...

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

18. One more (belated!) vote for AnnThrax!!!

:hug: :loveya:

[UncleSepp]

9. Thank you again, AlienGirl

I trust in DUers also. The core values here are those of acceptance and inclusion, and I trust that once people here see how the "tranny" jokes are creating an atmosphere of rejection and exclusion, they'll stop.

[AlienGirl]

14. You're welcome again, Sepp

;-) :hug:

[Vickers]

10. I've been guilty of this.

I'm hardly perfect. I never really realized how hateful and stupid and divisive it was until it was pointed out to me. I think even since then I've fucked up and done it.

But I wish you could see how bad I used to be.

Seriously.

:(

[AlienGirl]

13. Thank you for owning up!

:hug: It takes guts to admit stuff like this. :hug:

Tucker

[DarkmoonIkonoklast]

16. the fact that you now own it, and feel enough to feel remorse..

MM... speaks to the growth of spirit...
MM... more powerfully for its source and seed!

[neoblues]

12. True, it's insensitive, inconsiderate and harmful...

to use such remarks that demean any group to attempt to demean Republicans/Right-Wingers/Conservatives. What's more, it generally doesn't reflect any felt dislike for the reference group and is actually hypocritical on our part since under other circumstances we seek to support them.

Alas, since we understand how extremely strong and emotionally charged is the intolerance held by those who are Reupbican/Right-Wing/Conservative... and how deeply--and easily--they are offended by any insinuation that they are members of or share characteristics with members of the trans-gender/homosexual community... in a moment of weakness, it's not surprising to see people--even those who really have no ill-will towards these people--resort to or momentarily appear to "buy into" the Republican "frame of reference" in which these people are despised--even though it cannot help but to continue/reinforce the existence of such bigotry by any who hear/read such remarks who also don't understand the fact that the person so misusing the bigotted remark doesn't intend the secondary insult being cast on the apparently reviled group. Oh dear, that was truly a run-on sentence.

Perhaps, if we just can't resist misusing this group in our anti-right slurs... we must include a disclaimer that we really didn't intend to besmirch the reputation of the group of innocent people identified as being transgender/ed and/or homosexually oriented by comparing them to Republicans (right-wingers, religious right'ers, conservative and such-like). That is, while offense is given, none is intended and what's more, any insult is actually to those to whom the Repugs have been compared. That's not honestly avoiding causing harm to innocents, but it would help--and would even add effectiveness to any anti-repug slur.

Nope, it's no solution. The solution is to avoid such careless remarks. It's just a shame to waste such a powerful weapon that leaves Repugs stewing in their own hate. Can we rephrase it? That is, rather than calling a Rethug 'gay' or some such, say "for you it would be a real improvement if you were 'gay'". Nah, doesn't work... for just by "identifying" a group in association with a remark intended to insult, you're doing damage.

Guess we'll just have to insult them by comparing them to groups of people who truly deserve rebuke--preferrably a 'group' that doesn't exist (much) anymore... such as Nazi's. Then again, the worst insult I can think of is to call someone a Republican. So... if I ever identify someone as Republican, it's an intended insult--even if nobody knows it (not a very effective insult, though).

Ahhh, we've wasted too much time trying to insult others anyway--it's just that, a waste of time--time better spent doing something else to undermine their cause or promote ours. The Golden Rule isn't such a bad idea--even when dealing with the lowest form of life: Rethugs et alii...

[Neil Lisst]

17. I agree with you, AlienGirl.

When I see the threads talking about Ann Coulter and speculating on her being transgendered, I think about you and this thread.

Thanks for reminding us to be sensitive.

[Blue_Tires]

19. ttt n/t