TransGriot Note: In addition to being the founder and head diva of Transsistahs-Transbrothas, I'm on a few other Yahoo Internet discussion lists. We got into a discussion on Black Transsexual Love about the 'shemale' term. A few peeps made their feelings known about it. This commentary had its genesis from my original post to the list.
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I'm BEYOND sick of the 'shemale' label. To me it's a step below the n-word.
That shemale term was created by one of the transgender community's biggest enemies during the 70's and beyond, radical feminist professor Janice Raymond. It was picked up unfortunately by the adult film industry.
Janice Raymond is largely responsible for transpeople being excluded from Medicaid and Medicare and much of the insurance industry exclusions for SRS as the author of a not well publicized early 1980s paper. The paper was part of a study commissioned by the federal government on the topic of federal aid for transsexual people seeking rehabilitation and health services. It effectively eliminated federal and some states aid for indigent and imprisoned transsexuals.
The private health insurance companies then followed the federal government’s lead in disallowing services to transsexual patients for any treatment remotely related to being transsexual, including breast cancer or genital cancer, as that was deemed to be a consequence of treatment for transsexuality.
So why would ANYONE define themselves by a term created by their oppressor? Sadly, too many younger transpeople and some in my generation who should know better but who don't know the history behind the 'shemale' label do.
I'm an African-American transwoman and proud of it. I'm tired of the image of me and my sistahs being defined by my enemies, escort sites and adult films. There is a gross imbalance of negative images that need to be corrected immediately with positive ones. I'm beyond ready to forge the links with other positive transwomen, transbrothas and allies to do just that.
We are much more. Yes, we are beautiful. We come in all shapes, sizes, skin tones, hairstyles and genital configurations. We are intelligent. We eagerly embrace our African-American womanhood and are respectful of the history and sense of mission that comes with it. We are proud of our African heritage and are ready to do our part to uplift not only the transgender community but the African-American one we belong to as well.
I'm gratified to see that I'm not the only transwoman concerned about what kind of legacy we will leave behind to the transkids who are now in elementary school.