Crossing The Border!

To A T: Gender Journeys is found the most incredible writings.

Involving, Insightful and passionate. Enjoy!

"Crossing The Border, Coming Home to One’s Self
By Radha"

"She sat in the compartment alone, stared from the window as the train flew through villages scattered across the Franconian hillsides like jacks tossed into a circle prior to the game. Grey stone walls, red-tiled roofs and always the spire of the town-church above everything else, cross shining across the fields and the roads where the occasional car wended its way between here and there."

"Her breath made fog on the glass as she leaned almost into the window, better able to see out or wishing in some way to melt through glass and become part of the landscape she passed through."

Draw a breath with Radha in Crossing The Border, Coming Home to One’s Self!

Understanding "FAGGOT" and "TRANNY" are Hate Words

Mutual respect begins with self respect or lack of therein is why many transgender people hate and distrust gays people. (ref to the transgender people's comments on Instant Tea)

Understanding that both words FAGGOT and TRANNY are hate inspiring slur is a no brainer for most of the good intentioned, highly intelligent and literate LGBT community. Allies within the LGBT community would not consider using these words in a antagonistic manner or even suggest that one or the others group be accepting of ether of these hate words.

I responded reluctantly, after may years of trying to keep this embarrassing situation "IN HOUSE" by emailing and talking with staff at the Dallas Voice and with local independent movie producer Israel Luna. Finally unable to turn another cheek I responded to this intolerable situation with a planetransgender blog post DEMAND the Dallas Voice stops using "TRANNY" . . In the first paragraph of this post is this article I acknowledged the diversity of our community with....

"....unless we are a entertainer with published articles which we identify ourselves individually as a "Drag Queen or Tranny" please do not call us by these names."

I Fully expected the Editorial Staff of the Dallas Voice and it's "Official Blog Instant Tea" to comprehend the indignities wrought by the context and frequency of their usage of the word "Tranny" Googled on 2/3/09 139,000 (resulted in) for "Dallas voice Tranny" and to implement a policy enabling good will between gay people and transgender people.

The transgender community was flabbergasted when the Dallas Voice Official Blog "Instant Tea" responded by attempting to justify using defamatory language by how many times transgender people have been humiliated, degraded and marginalized in other media sources. They went on to ignore the paragraph above and instead made the conversation two dimensional. Then they enlisted a well known self identified female impersonator as their spokes man. Then HE, a cisgender man in woman clothing who takes these clothes off after a night of paid drag work and dons men's clothing attempted to be a authority on being transgender. RuPaul is a female impersonator. This is his personal space. Finding ones identity is what we are all about.

Rupaul is NOT TRANSGENDER by his own definition. He capitalizes monetarily on his ability to entertain while personifying a very funny comical almost cartoon like caricature of womanhood. This Capitalization is added by commercialization and RuPual is thrilled to be once again the center of controversy.

The Boasting Edge brought it's full editorial might to remind GLAAD that it's previous efforts in maintaining civility resulted in people shouting so many slurs as to obscure the original transgression.

"Years ago, RuPaul was roped into another controversy because she’s been very supportive of Shirley Q. Liquor, a drag comedian and former Texan, who was condemned by GLAAD for promoting "ugly racial stereotypes." Not that Shirley defamed gays. GLAAD caved to pressure because "Grey’s Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington (a black dude) was being spanked for saying "faggot." In short, GLAAD agreed to a prisoner exchange."

"....unless we are a entertainer with published articles which we identify ourselves individually as a "Drag Queen or Tranny" please do not call us by these names."

Rupaul is comfortable with "owning Tranny". You are a "Tranny" Rupaul. You "own Tranny" by definition.

Transgender people who responded to this outrage clearly define ourselves in our lives as transgender.

The next insult was provided by Israel Luna who produces segment video for the Dallas Voice on DVTV, began promoting his new movie "TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES" on the same Dallas Voice Instant Teas article that responded on the transgender and allies communities objection to the indiscriminate usage of "Tranny" by the Dallas Voice and the Dallas Voice's Blog "Instant Tea


So recapping so far. 3 men who wear male clothing and one who wears women's clothing after 6 hours of preparation for paid drag work, use hateful and degrading language in an antagonistic fashion over and over and over on the Dallas Voice's "Official Blog".

None are transgender. Some are closely connected to the "Gay and Lesbian" paper the Dallas Voice.

One is a drag queen spokesman who chooses to be identified as a "Tranny" and feels Transgender people should too.

This why I have used restraint for so many years and worked diligently as an ally threw thick and thin, hoping that my influence on gay transphobia would somehow make gay people just a little less hateful.


Tammye Nash Editor of the Dallas Voice stated she in a comment on the Instant Tea Blog post;

"I have my own personal opinion about using the word “tranny” to describe transgender men and women. I don’t like it. I find it, at the very least, a distasteful word."

And yet the Dallas Voice's Official Blog "Instant Tea" continues to defame transgender people. What is your responsibility Tammy as an editor? Do you take credit for your "official blog"? I'm not being sarcastic, just curious. What does a newspaper editor do?

What became of earlier responses of outrage by Tammye Nash and John Wright of the Dallas Voice when I suggested that your usage of the word "Tranny" is responsible for the perception that transgender people are less valuable?

In an earlier conversation Nash communicated to me that she was happy I am an transgender advocate because there had not been any for so long in the DFW. In a latter communication she hoped I would not hate her. That was curious to me. What could Nash do to make me hate her? I do not hate you Tammye.

To respond to Tammye's observation that there was a lack of transgender activists in the DFW. None any that you are aware of Tammye, in that context, and none to be sure lately that have attempted to have an respectful intelligent conversation with gay people about the abusiveness of the Dallas Voice.(Wondering why sarcastically)

But we are doing wonders avoiding you and your staff on any subject homosexual people would use as weapons against us by working with youth, religions, homeless, police, hospitals, city and state government actively making the lives of the entire GLBT community fulfilling and rewarding by enabling good will within a productive society.

A thankless task when your reward from gay people is hate, hate and hate.

Mutual respect begins with self respect, and lack of their in is why many transgender people hate and distrust gay people.

Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

Glaad Publications and resources free download for the
GLAAD Media Reference Guide, 7th Edition defines,

"fag," "faggot," "dyke," "homo," "sodomite," "queen," "she-male," "he-she," "it," "tranny" and similar epithets.
The criteria for using these derogatory terms should be the same as those applied to hate words for other groups: they should not be used except in a direct quote that reveals the bias of the person quoted. So that such words are not given credibility in the media, it is preferred that reporters say, "The person used a derogatory word for a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender person."

I can not hate all peoples who loves their own sex. That makes no sense to me.
Personally I am a pansexual so gay people and I have a lot in common from the sexual orentation standpoint. Odd Bedfellows to be sure.

Mutual respect begins with self respect, and lack of their-in is why many transgender people hate and distrust gay people.

Kelli Busey
February 3, 2009
planetransgender