[Blog/Commentary] [USA] Blake Lively and Transphobia at Elle
Stephanie Stevens
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Blake Lively and Transphobia at Elle
TransGriot Note: I had my say about Blake Lively's latest use of the
t-slur, now it's Renee of Womanist Musings
<http://www.womanist-musings.com/> turn
I am starting to believe that Elle simply courts controversy in the
hopes of selling magazines. It engages in actions that are so clearly
problematic, that I don't believe for one moment that they are not
aware of what they are doing.
This month, Blake Lively appears on the cover of the magazine.
Included with her cover, is of course a the obligatory cover article.
I would like to focus on a snippet of what Lively had to say regarding
motherhood.
"I hope to have a few girls one day. If not girls, they better be
trannies. Because I have some amazing shoes and bags and stories that
need to be appreciated." (source
<http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2012/02/blake-lively-hopes-her-sons-are-trannies.html>
)
Where to even begin with this hot mess? I suppose the obvious place to
start would be her callous use of a trans slur. Blake joins Neil
Patrick Harris <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2069686/Neil-Patrick-Harris-apologises-using-word-tranny-live-television.html>
and Lance Bass <http://www.towleroad.com/2011/12/bass.html> as
celebrities who have recently very publicly used this slur. There is
never a reason or situation in which it is acceptable to use a slur.
The T word is not obscure, and trans* communities have been very vocal
in making sure that cisgender people are aware that this term
constitutes a slur and causes harm. To use this word is to
purposefully attack and degrade trans* people. In the case of Bass,
he made a point of saying that his trans friends who use this term,
and that he therefore felt that he had the right to. This very much
reminds me of when White people decide that it's okay for them to say
nigger or nigga, because some Black people do. The basic rule of
thumb should be that if a slur does not apply to you, and it cannot
specifically debase your humanity, then you have no right using it, or
commenting on how the effected community chooses to negotiate it. If
that were not enough, Bass went on to say that he did not get the
memo, which reflects his cis privilege. It is not an excuse to say
that one did not know that the T word constitutes a slur, when
trans*people have been saying so loudly for a very longtime. If he
didn't know it's because he actively chosen not to listen.
I am the mother of two sons, and have made no secret of the fact that
when I got pregnant that I wanted girls. I have since dedicated
myself to raising womanist sons and could not love and respect my boys
more. I do not understand Lively's claim to want to have trans
children, if they are not born cisgender girls for the purposes of
having an accessory. This is not positive, nor does it deal with the
issues of rejection that defenseless trans children face everyday.
You don't wish for a trans* child so that you can have a pet, or a
captive audience. To carry this idea one step further, I also feel
the need to point out that this yet another example of Adult
privilege. Lively's comments show a complete disrespect for children
and their ability to teach us, even as we help to guide them on their
journey to adulthood. It is also worth noting that if the only reason
you want a girl is to teach or how to dress up pretty, then a lot of
work needs to be done understanding the nature of patriarchy.
I truly hope that when this woman does eventually have a child, that
the child is cisgender, because her comments prove that she is the
last person who should be interacting with a trans* child, let alone
be responsible for raising and guiding one. There are precious few
images of trans* people in the media to counteract the negative
messages that she would impart. If anything, I believe that she would
simply base her ideas on a reductive stereotype of what it is to be
trans* and then expect the child to play out that role on a whim to
suit her fancy.
Even with a cisgender child, Lively's attitude shows that she will
pass on cissexist ideas, because she clearly has not even begun to
process of decolonizing her mind. As a cis mother, I can tell you
that even when one has begun the journey to decolonize one's mind, it
is a constant battle to challenge cis privilege, and to have your
children see you do it. There is a constant battle to mother in a
manner that supports the equality of all, because all of the agents of
socialization are determined to send your children the exact opposite
message. The fact that Lively's problematic assertion appeared in
Elle is just one example of the medias investment in the diminishing
historically marginalized people.
When I came across this story, one of the things I feared is that it
would lead to yet another round of discussion, as to whether or not
the T word constituted a slur. Unfortunately, as expected, there are
a few suggesting that trans* people need to simmer down, as well as
the suggestion that no harm was done. To be clear, each and every
time you use a slur, harm is done. Trans* people don't have to be nice
reacting to slur, and in fact, any anger they express should be
validated and expected. If you are not in the group being targeted,
you don't get to debate how someone should respond, or whether or not
the word is a slur. The determination of harm needs to be made by the
community the word is directed at.
I sometimes wonder how long we are going to continue to have these 101
conversations? I also wonder how many marginalized people think that
it's fine to diminish transphobia or their cis privilege? As a Black
disabled woman, all I have to do is think about how angry I would be
if a slur was aimed at me to identify with the rage felt by the trans*
community when something like this happens. Instead of spending so
much time trying to embrace our various privileges, in the hope of
moving to the top of the social pyramid, I think we would all be
better off trying to align ourselves with historically marginalized
people outside of the groups that we belong to. The real strength is
in numbers, not in the ability to oppress others at will. I know it's
cliche, but walking a mile in someone else's shoes, is sometimes the
best way to understand how we are oppressed and how we at the same
time oppress.
Posted by Monica Roberts at 12:00 PM
Labels: Guest blogger, slur words, transphobia
http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2012/02/blake-lively-and-transphobia-at-elle.html