#Justise4All No. 16

⟦ On Trans Lives and the Criminalization of Gender Non-Conformity ⟧


Recently, some of you may have seen the following video posted by Media Matters for America:



This video was created to address and debunk the mythicized "threat" of Transgender US Citizens and their use of public restrooms, a so-called "serious issue" being pushed by Conservative Christian lobbyists and transphobic political bigots via State legislation which relegates Gender Non-Conforming citizens to utilizing bathrooms pertaining to their genitalia, as opposed to their gender identity. Outside of the inanity of this new crop of discriminatory lawmaking on the part of ignorant Supremacists, the very nature of the law is arguably in direct violation of basic Constitutional statute. Having seen the video, similar bigots have created their own "promotional" anti-Trans propaganda on YouTube to try and highlight the "dangers" of Gender Non-Conforming predators, thus somehow justifying the aforementioned policies in places like North Carolina.

So as not to give that video any more subsequent internet support via views by clicking her link, I have downloaded the media and reposted it through my blog's server so you can view it here:

Having watched this and being as angry at its false narrative as I know you probably are, the following remarks were first posted on Facebook and the original YouTube stream of the video in response to this asinine creation. They have been edited for grammar and syntax, but I wanted my Non-Cisgender/Heterosexual Communities to know that I will not stand for any kind of bigotry levied at marginalized citizens in this country, and I will certainly not be silent when I have the opportunity to speak out against it:

"PSA to Jane Williams:

This entire video is a logical fallacy of epic proportions. There are so many layers to the BS you've concocted, it’s actually difficult to name and appropriately address them all. However, I’ll oblige some of it:

1.) You are suggesting that because these criminals had either transvestite habits or transsexual tendencies, their mentally deranged state of mind was a byproduct of that behavior. What is fairly obvious here is that these individuals, regardless of their gender ID or personal preferences, were more than likely predisposed to committing these crimes against humanity based on psychological illness far more attributed to factors outside of said ID/Preference. In other words, dressing up as women or ID’ing as a gender opposite of their genitalia was, in most of these cases, neither the cause, nor the result of their crimes.

2.) Speaking specifically to crimes where crossdressing was involved, with only scant details about any of the incidents mentioned due to the low-information gathering of the original ignorant YouTube user, it’s pretty clear that a good handful of the incidents stated here are most likely a case of Cisgender males disguising themselves as women to participate in criminal voyeurism to heighten their heterosexual - although deviant - pleasure. This has absolutely nothing to do with transgenderism, and everything to do with sick, twisted men trying to get off in a bathroom without getting caught.

3.) Considering that what people are boycotting now is legislation regarding nonviolent, transgender US citizens and their access to public restrooms for personal use, it must be noted that several of the incidents mentioned here have nothing to do with that issue, being that the crimes were committed nowhere near a bathroom and had nothing to do with bathroom usage. Further, using crimes of passion, regardless of the Non-Gender Conformity of the criminal, to indicate some sort of widespread mentally deranged state of an entire group of marginalized people is the height of bigotry and xenophobia, not to mention stereotypical White Supremacy. To say nothing of its factual inaccuracy in the history of American Criminal Justice.

Lastly, by conflating multiple kinds of crimes involving sexual assault and violence committed by men of different races coming from multiple socioeconomic backgrounds, whose only common thread is a completely random array of Non-Gender Conformity, and using this as a means of showing support for a piece of State legislation that is in direct opposition to the Constitutional liberties and human rights of US citizens - as well as the fact that other portions of the law involve egregiously unfair labor standards having little to do with this issue, which indicates that this entire process is a backhanded attempt at typical American underhanded politics - this video proves in spades just how ridiculous our Supremacist system can really be when it comes to maintaining its stronghold of both its people and its resources. To call you and your supporters fools would be a credit to your intelligence, and my choosing to even take time out of my life to explain just how asinine you sound should be something for which I should be compensated. Sadly, you will probably skim this and automatically dismiss most of what I’ve had to say.

Having said that, consider the article below before you continue down that road on your high horse, because unlike the stupidity you’ve comfortably chosen to post here, real, targeted violence against Trans Women of Color is something that State legislation SHOULD be working to address, combat, and prevent. Because the last time I checked, violence is violence, so if we’re going to try and stop it from happening, we should try and stop ALL of it from happening - not just discriminate against people who scare you because your Government told you so.

Go be a sheep somewhere else, and have a nice day."

http://www.dailydot.com/politics/trans-women-of-color-murdered/

#Justise4All No. 15 [Instagram Redux]

⟦On Marginalized US Citizens in Politics⟧


Reality Check:

Black Americans still do not hold a majority [or an equal number] of representatives the in the House.

First Nations [Native Americans] still do not hold a majority [or an equal number] of representatives in the Senate.

Latin America, though an ever increasing and prosperous demographic, still does not hold a majority [or an equal number] of representatives in an overall review of local, municipal, and State governments.

And Asians, while being a centuries-old mainstay in our country's history and current political climate, still do not hold a majority [or an equal number] of representatives in any of these fields.

This is not by accident or coincidence. And it's certainly NOT because the so-called "minorities" mentioned aren't hardworking people with dreams and goals to accomplish such as political inclusion. I find it insulting and disingenuous for White Americans to utilize their privilege as the "majority" in the United States to keep fronting this sickeningly asinine concept of a "post-racial society," when we still can't see Community faces at the forefront of this allegedly "impartial" system of governance, and when we do, they're often times reporting a false sense of security on behalf of their communities and pandering to the revisionist Supremacist dialogue. All of this while members of those same Communities are being vilified by the Press, objectified by White Supremacist politicians, and antagonized by inherently racist, classist institutions like law enforcement and criminal justice. To say nothing of the ongoing xenophobic violence being committed by White ingrates against these people. I don't expect this to get much better, and I won't be surprised if it gets worse. I remain dissatisfied and unimpressed by this time in our history, and I will do what I can to combat the worst of its destructive habits.



⟦On Community Violence⟧


Echoing some sentiments I expressed with my friend, who was grief-stricken over [recent] violent incidents [in marginalized communities] and asked for my input: we are a culture that glorifies rampant violence, in addition to treating its citizens like trash. So you have young people with a chip on their shoulders and nothing productive to do. Add to that a society that sees Black and Brown kids as perpetual potential threats to that society, regardless of whether or not they actually are, combined with a Government unwilling to work with them and families of those kids that are in crisis due to economic hardship and limited access to the benefits of postmodern US privilege, as well as personal hurdles which are further compounded due to the aforementioned issues. It is a recipe for disaster and self-destruction that we keep saying can be fixed with political bandaids and trusting the System. What will it take for everyone to finally see that this System is working perfectly? And if so, what are we willing to sacrifice to create something better? If at all?