Gnat Gagging, and Camel Swallowing....

One of the classic characteristics of the transgender extremist is a tendency to focus on silly things while ignoring bigger issues.  I have encountered two examples of that this week.
The first comes from Gwen Smith, who writes a column for the Bay Area Reporter, an LGBT paper produced in San Francisco.  Smith's latest column is a rant about a Newsweek article on Brazilian model Lea T.   Smith is complaining because the Newsweek article contains the line:

As the bleachers erupt in wolf whistles, who’d have figured that the hottest new face from Brazil is not a she at all?

Lea is getting ready to undergo sex reassignment surgery, but has been very public about being transgender.  If fact, this has been a major part of Lea's appeal.  Apparently, "gender bending" is something of a fad in the fashion industry of late.  Another quote from the article:

...and that was her again on Oprah, in February, when she detailed how to flaunt the scantiest women’s gear without spilling secrets.

And yet, Smith is upset that Newsweek simply points out a fact.  Lea T. has a penis, and therefore to say, "...is not a she at all," is not a completely inaccurate statement.  For a pre-op transsexual, especially one who is flaunting being physically male, using "proper" pronouns is a courtesy, not a requirement carved in stone and handed by by the Almighty.

Is it possibly offensive?  Yes, but in the context is to make a point, which the article does in a lot more explicit language.  I mean really, I find it a bit odd that someone who has a female gender would be comfortable going on Oprah to talk about how to hide one's penis.

Truth be told, this person seems to be transgender identified, not truly female.  Again, from Newsweek:

“I want to send a message that transsexuals do not have to be prostitutes or hide their identities to be part of society,” she says. “The day I am no longer identified as a transsexual is the day my career is over.”

In another words, being a woman is not really that important to Lea T.  But don't you dare refer to Lea as "not a she," or Gwen Smith will get very upset.


The second example comes from Bilerico.  

Dr. Jillian T. Weiss is upset that Jeff Lewis, the openly gay host of Bravo's "Flipping Out" TV series is quoted in an article on Curbed that refers to a "transgender crack addict:"

Normally when you buy a house, the house is delivered vacant. I thought it was delivered vacant, but when I started the demo I realized there was this basement that I didn’t see during the inspection, and there was a transgender crack addict. A lot of times when you buy a house you inherit a feral cat or a raccoon or something, but in this particular case I inherited a crack addict—no joke! It took me a couple of weeks to get rid of he/she. But I didn’t even know he/she was living there. It was pretty crazy—I didn’t know until demo day!

Weiss is upset that the term "transgender" is attached to "crack addict." Apparently, Weiss would like to keep the fact that some people who identify as transgender, or who might be identified as transgender, actually use crack. I mean, this is the height of politically correct silliness. In the bizarre mindset of the transgender extremists, it is encouraged that people shove being transgender in everyone's face, but it is wrong for someone to use this term as a description of someone else if that use might make transgender people look bad. I have news for Weiss, some transgender people use drugs. They break into people's basements and take up residence. They also commit other crimes. They are not all paragons of virtue, above reproach.