Transgenders in Relation to the Community of Gays and Lesbians
by Erika Cantrell
After exploring extraterrestrial gender-morphing in last month's "Not for Transgenders Only", I thought it was time to bring things back to earth and return to some real life issues. In our first two columns in Kolours I shared some fairly intimate thoughts and personal experiences relating to gender and sexual orientation. . . taking advantage of your "willingness" to let me bare my soul. In this month's column, I'd like to talk with you in a less personal and more serious way about a broader issue of growing concern to me. First, I need to ask you to bear with me as I touch on some background info. The good stuff will follow!
When I first began stepping out of the transgender closet a couple years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find that several national, as well as many local, gay/lesbian organizations were inclusive of transgendered people. Although our inclusion was sometimes in name only, it gave much needed validation and appeared to provide A platform for advancing transgender issues. So, I've been disappointed to find that the inclusion of transgendered people has become a subjectof renewed and sometimes heated discussion elsewhere in the country among some members ofthe GLB community.
Two recent examples include the deletion of "transgendered" from the letterhead and other organizational materials of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association (GLMA), and earlier efforts by the leadership of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to specifically exclude transgenders fromthe Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). In both cases it was argued that sexual minorities have little in common with transgendered people, and that transgender inclusion might compromise the chances of these organizations achieving their political goals. In the case of the HRC action, educational campaigns mounted by trans-supporters and transgender activists resulted in a change in policy to support inclusion of transgenders. However, as new groups organize, as leadership changes, and as the social climate becomes more intolerant of diversity, itseems likely that transgender inclusion will continue to present a source of intermittent controversy.
In retrospect, the actions of GLMA and HRC should not have been surprising to me given that transgenders represent a such a small fraction of the GLBT community. Many in the community still have not even met a transgendered person and have little understanding about what it means to be transgendered. It also cannot be denied that cross gender behavior is offensive to many members of our society, and that cross dressing is an attractively visible target for the religious right. Transgendered people pose a particular threat to individuals, some of whom are in positions of political power, who are insecure in their own gender or sexual orientation. Perhaps inclusions of transgenders is simply too risky for the GLB community given our increasingly intolerant social climate.
So then, why should transgendered people be included in a community whose common concern relates to issues of sexual orientation? As we've discussed in previous columns, concepts of masculinity and femininity, passivity and dominance, and sexual attractiveness are linked in very complicated ways. The complex interrelationship of sex and gender are clearly demonstrated by our tendency to confuse the terms male and female, and masculine and feminine. Clearly some males are more feminine than many females, and some females are more masculine than many males. In gay and lesbian relationships one partner often shows more distinctly feminine or masculine characteristics. You only have to spend a few minutes in a gay or lesbian club to recognize how gender (or perceptions of gender) define ourrange of potential sexual partners and declare our sexual role to others. From my biased vantage point, crossgender behaviors, gender-blending, and the use of gender stereotypes are pervasive inthe gay/lesbian culture, and are some of the most visible manifestations of it. In much the sameway as drag queens and female impersonators defined the front line at Stonewall, transgendered people, whether they like it or not, may eventually define the front line in our society's battle with itself . . . over issues of gender and sexuality and what it really means to be a man or woman.
Why do transgenders need the support of the GLB community? First of all, many members of the transgender community are gay, lesbian, or bisexual. For example, as many as half of male-to-female transsexuals see themselves as lesbian, and some studies have suggested that as many as a quarter of "heterosexual" cross dressers are homo- or bisexual. A much higher proportion would identify themselves as gay or lesbian friendly.
Second, transgenders represent one of the smallest and least well understood minorities in asociety of minorities. There is currently no protection for transgenders under the law in terms of housing or employment, even where such protection has been extended to members of the GLB community. In some cases, legal decisions have even tended to single out transgenders as a non-protected or specifically-excluded class.
Third, transsexuals who are openly transgendered, or have physical characteristics that permit easy detection, are especially vulnerable to stigmatization or victimization - usually as homosexuals. The perpetrators of hate crimes against transgendered people often identify the victims as fags or dykes etc., regardless of the victim's sex or sexual orientation. Cross gender behavior is visible, and therefore, inherently confrontational or provocative. There is no possibility of "don't ask, don't tell" when one's appearance screams to everyone that you are different. Social advances, which promote tolerance of gender diversity, can't help but impact positively on the community as a whole.
At this point it would be appropriate to ask, why aren't transgendered people more actively involved in the community? I guess the simplest answer, is that there are comparatively so few ofus. Furthermore, only a small fraction of any group are politically or socially active. Of the 20,000 plus who attended last year's Pride celebration, only a few hundred might be considered politically active, and comparatively small numbers regularly participate in the local social scene. Given that there are probably no more than several dozen transsexuals (the most likely pool ofactivists) in the Metropolitan area, a low level of participation can be expected. This doesn'tmean that there is no need or no interest in the issues. What it does say is that out for a transgendered person is very out indeed!
I feel very fortunate to live in St. Louis, a place where so many in the GLB community have welcomed us with open arms. I hope that we'll continue to work together in pursuit of our common goals. We're the " T " in " GLBT " you're the " GLB "!
Edited 12/6/96.