Commentary: Trans Progressive

by Autumn Sandeen

Being an ally vs. just telling others how to be an ally

Posted by LGBT Weekly in Latest Issue, Trans Progressive on Thursday,
July 5th, 2012

Most folk who aren’t part of the T of the LGBT community aren’t aware
of the divides between some of those who identify as transsexual, but
not as transgender, and those who identify as both transsexual and
transgender. To me, the divide seems to be about whether or not one
embraces diversity as a value or not.

And, this divide couldn’t be more visible than in model Isis King’s
recent participation in American Apparel’s Legalize Gay advertising
campaign – fifteen percent of all proceeds from the sale of the
T-shirts benefit GLAAD’s work to share stories that build support for
equality.

For those who don’t know, Isis King was a past participant in the
reality show America’s Top Model. She didn’t win in the year she was
on the show, but participation in that show arguably left her as
America’s best-known transgender model.

And transgender she is: Isis identifies as both transsexual and transgender.

Isis was recently approached by GLAAD and American Apparel to be this
year’s face for the Legalize Gay advertising campaign. Isis described
how she became involved with American Apparel’s ad campaign in an
interview with Fashionista.com.

“I got involved through GLAAD. We have worked together on quite a few
things now – including the I AM: Trans People Speak video campaign,
which aims to lift the voices of a diverse range of trans people – and
they thought of me for this amazing opportunity. They told me what it
was for and I knew this campaign would be a tremendous step forward
for everyone, including fashion, American Apparel and trans women with
a dream!”

Well, Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Transsexual &
Transgender People (MAGNET) has attempted to organize a boycott of
American Apparel and GLAAD over the advertising campaign. As MAGNET’s
Ashley Love explains,

“GLAAD and American Apparel are partnering on a Pride month campaign
with Isis King (Tyra Bank’s America’s Next Top Model’s first
contestant born with transsexualism) modeling T-shirts that read
“Legalize Gay;” however, Isis is a heterosexual woman, not a “gay”
man. Gender identity or a transsexual medical condition is not the
same thing as sexual orientation. The word “gay” is not
interchangeable with the word transsexual. The advertisements, perhaps
unintentionally, send misleading and nonaffirming messaging about
transsexual and transgender realities.”

MAGNET’s Ashley Love has told people she’s labeled as “Gay Inc.” that
they need to learn to be “true allies” of transsexual people and
engage in coalition building. In contrast, Isis King is a trans woman
who’s building coalitions at community intersections: Isis
demonstrated her support of her gay peers in the LGBT community by
wearing pro-gay T-shirts in a pro-LGBT advertising campaign. To me,
it’s the difference between being an ally versus just telling others
how to be an ally to you.

I’m going to stand with those who are taking action to build intra-
and extra-LGBT community coalitions; count me as standing with Isis
King in her efforts toward embracing diversity and community building.

© 2012 LGBT Weekly. All Rights Reserved.

http://lgbtweekly.com/2012/07/05/being-an-ally-vs-just-telling-others...