Friday, April 30, 2010

Another Gender Fascist, Another Bad Joke

I have mentioned the person who calls himself "Dyssonance" before.  One of his silly little posts was brought to my attention when a well known kook, "Willow" Arune, quoted it on Suzan Cooke's transgender web site.  I left a comment there, but as is typical for those sort of sites, any dissent is avoided.

So, let's look at what this gender fascist has to say:
Imagine the term Transgender used as an insult.
Well, it is an insult if it is being forced on you.  I do not identify as transgender, and consider it an insult to be referred to as such.
Well, that’s what’s going on with a small group of trans people. And make no mistake, they are absolutely trans people. But they do not consider themselves trans people.
Now, isn't this interesting...  Mr. Dyssonance doesn't care how we identify.  He will tell us what we are.  It appears that he is the one using "transgender" or in this case, "trans" as an insult.
The particular group involved here is a break-away sect from the slightly larger US “TS-SI” sect, which is itelf (sic) a break away group from the “HBS” sect of Trans people.
Now, notice how he tosses out terms like "sect" and "break-away."  Neither is appropriate, but hey, truth is not an issue for gender fascists.
These people are surgical supremacists, to start with, and the fastest way to discern one is that they decide that some people are and some people aren’t transsexual based on puerile and utterly subjective personal opinions.
Mr. Dyssonance is really laying it on here.  Or perhaps I should say, he is really shoveling it.  I guess in his mind those who disagree with him are childish.  And apparently he has no idea what the term subjective means.  Those who identify as "classic transsexuals," or HBS, tend to have objective views.  For example, we reject the oxymoron "non-op transsexual."  This is why, increasingly, men who have no desire to lose their penis have started claiming to be "pre-op" but they never seem to have any real intentions of having surgery.  Just excuses.  We also look at other, very objective factors.  So no, our rejection of many is not at all subjective.
The splinter group in this case calls themselves “Classic Transsexuals”. They are seeking to gain ownership of the term transsexual. To them, a transsexual is only such if they happen to “vibe” right to them, and if they happen to have an acceptable “narrative” (personal history), and if they happen to hold acceptable views similar to them. The requirements for which change according to how they feel about the individual. 
So, now "classic transsexual" is a splinter group.  Actually, it is probably the more common term.  And I hate to break it to Mr. Dyssonance, but words do have meanings.  Actually, he, and his ilk, are the ones trying to gain ownership of the term "transsexual."  And no, it is not just about vibing.  Yes, one's personal history is a factor in deciding if one is a transsexual.  Especially if the person making the decision is a licensed professional.  As to "acceptable views," there are a lot of people I would consider to be transsexual who I strongly disagree with.  There might be some who don't consider those who disagree with them on some social or political view to be "transsexual," but such an approach is absurd, and such a claim is bogus.  It is just a bit of smoke and mirrors to avoid the truth.

And no, the requirements don't change.  Being a transsexual is not about holding any political or social views. It is about having a brain that is sexually differentiated differently from the body.  Period.

Now, I am not going to bother with the rest of the article.  It can be summed up simply as a typical attack on the idea that transsexualism is inherent, and not simply something one chooses.  Clearly, Mr. Dyssonance is one of those who knows, deep down, that he is pretending to be a woman.  So, he attacks those who have a history that indicates a biological basis.

I will note that he does make up one fact.  He claims that no "mainline scientist" supports the idea that transsexuals are "neurologically intersex."  While he might be able to maintain such a claim by insisting on using that specific term, in the broader sense, his claims is totally untrue.  It is true that the term "intersex" tends to have a very specific meaning, and is generally limited to conditions involving the genitalia and internal sex organs, the idea that transsexuals are, to use an older term, "psychic hermaphrodites" is not a new one, and has been a widely held one since Harry Benjamin first suggested it.

Or to put it more succinctly, Mr. Dyssonance simply makes stuff up as he goes.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

A Travesty in Washington

Last week, transgender activist "Autumn" Sandeen was arrested as one of the so-called "White House Six," six protesters who chained themselves to the White House fence in protest of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  Along with the others, who were all gay or lesbian, Mr. Sandeen was arrested.  Now he is whining about how he was treated in jail.

Now, Mr. Sandeen, who is a retired member of the United States Navy was wearing a female naval uniform, even though his entire service in the Navy was served as a man.  Mr. Sandeen is one of those people who decided rather late in life, after a successful career as a man, that he really wants to be a woman.

There was apparently some confusion on the part of the White House police as to Mr. Sandeen's sex.  He informed them that he was transgender, and that he had "female breasts and male genitalia."  Apparently the police first misclassified him as female.  Then, when they realized their mistake, they change his ID bracelet to one that correctly said "M."  Of course, Mr. Sandeen, who is of the mind that simply claiming to be a woman makes one fully, and completely female, was terribly upset.

Now this brings us to the two problems central to this whole issue.

First off, transgender people simply do not have a place in the military.  I see no problems with a post-op transsexual, who is otherwise qualified, being allowed to enlist in the military.  But I am sorry, there is no place for someone who is pre-op, non-op, etc.  They are simply not going to fit into the military's purposes.  They will be disruptive, period.  I mean, there are limits. 

Second, Mr. Sandeen, in spite of all his protests and whining is still, physically a male.  He has no right to expect to be placed in a female section of the jail.  At best, if he is in a jurisdiction that allows for such, he might be placed in a special section with other transgender people who are still physically male.  Possibly he might be placed in isolation.  But he has no basis to expect to be incarcerated with females.

This is the absurdity of the transgender movement.  They expect society to completely suspend reality with regards to their situation.  There is rarely much, if any privacy in a jail or prison.  In holding areas, prisoners are forced to share a single toilet, with no privacy at all.  If one is there long enough to be required to take a shower, nudity is inevitable.  Mr. Sandeen might well expect the women who would be forced to tolerate his presence to ignore his penis, but that is unreasonable.

And Mr. Sandeen will simply have to face the simple fact that many, especially veterans, might well be displeased with his wearing a female uniform.  At the very least, he should show some regard for the feelings of others, but no, that is not going to happen either.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Game Over

Once again, Suzan Cooke just doesn't get it.  In the post "Game Changer" Cooke says:
When “Classic Transsexuals/HBSers” started calling me names because I refused to continue playing the trashing people with transgenderism game since people with transsexualism are supposed to be superior and not just another oppressed group, I started seeing this as part of how the right wing has kept everyone down.
The disagreements people have with Cooke is not because we think we are superior.  It is simply because we know we have nothing in common with those who are transgender, and we don't want any part of that movement.  To suggest we are superior, is to suggest that we are comparable.  We simply are not, and don't care for the suggestion that we are.

Transgender is about being something is one is not.  Transsexual is about being what one really is.  Those who are transgender have a seemingly overwhelming need to cling to their past, and even their present, as their birth sex.  Transsexuals want to correct things, and move forward.

Cooke's post is based on an article by the transgender kook "Antonia D'orsay" who posts under the name Dyssonance.  In his article, he says:
What if the game changed, though? What if all those transsexuals could get surgery without a problem — it was taken care of with the same dispassionate efficiency of treating the flu.

“ok, we’re going to do your surgery next Tuesday at 10. Your copay is 150, sign here.”
Well, setting aside that fact that "Dyssonance" seems to be suggesting surgery on demand, which would result in a vast number of regrets and which would probably end the possiblity of surgery for everyone, the simple answer is, "It wouldn't change a thing."

How do I know?  Just over four years ago, that was pretty much my experience.  My co-pay was $250, but yes, like an increasing number of employers, mine provides coverage for SRS.  I was the first MTF to take advantage of the option.  I know of one other who did.  The simple fact is, there were, at the very least, six other people who were "potential candidates."  None, as far as I am aware, have taken advantage.  That is, six people, all MTFs, who were "transgender" who could have had their surgery for $250 or so, who didn't bother.

People have SRS because they need it badly enough to do what it takes to get it.  In my case, I worked at a job that was half-time, and which paid me considerably less that I could have made elsewhere.  Since having my surgery, I have become full time, and make considerably more money.  But in order to get my surgery, I put up with a lot.

The idea that if it were less expensive, more would have surgery is simply not true.  This has been shown, time after time, when transgender types, including some very well known activists, have spent money that could have paid for a trip to an excellent doctor in Thailand on something they wanted more, like a fancy car, or a new house.  Of course, they continue to whine about how, if only their insurance would pay for it....

It wouldn't change a thing.