2010: The Year of Condescending, Cisgender Fashion Douchebags

BIG NEWS! The New York Times Fashion section has deemed 2010 (TRIUMPHANT TRUMPET FANFARE) The Year of the Transsexual*!  Hooray!On December 9, 2010 NYT published an article, Bold Crossings of the Gender Line (Van Meter), that asks and answers the question: Transsexuals are Edging Into the Mainstream - Is 2010 the Year of the Transsexual?  Well, as THE year is almost over, let us reminisce:

• Violent attacks on transgender people across the country and around the world continue on a consistent basis.
• There's still a lack of federal hate-crime or anti-discrimination protections for transgender people.
• Freely flows the stream of anti-trans rhetoric blaming transgender people as the reason why pro-Gay legislation doesn't pass.
• Transgender people get arrested for going to the bathroom.
• A transgender woman modeled for Givenchy.
• James Franco wore makeup on a magazine cover.

Yep.  This must be THE year.Leave it to a fashion writer (I'm glaring at you, William Van Meter) to reduce a great population of people, a vibrant, loving community, to nothing more than a consumable image.  Sure, the majority population doesn't want trans people to work in the cubicle next to them, serve their food or teach their children, but aren't we interesting to look at on a fashion magazine?  Let them nod their heads, applaud, then cringe when we sit next to them on the subway.This article proves that 2010 isn't any different than any other year; the covers of Candy and Industrie and ads of Givenchy are no different than the thousands of gawkers we "transsexual" people pass each day: people like to stare at the trans folk.  We are seen as novelty, sideshow, oddity and exotic, but time and time again we are reminded that we are not seen as people.Don’t get me wrong; I love it that transgender people are getting more media attention, and not because one of us ended up bloody in some back alley or insists that we should be allowed to keep our jobs.  And I love that gender is being blatantly bended in mainstream publications.  But are you seriously going to call 2010 the year of the transsexual?  That’s just offensive.  It disrespects the decades of work of many activists and organizers.  It disrespects the mourning families of trans people who have been murdered for the audacity of existing.  It disrespects the challenges we face day in and day out just to live routine, humdrum lives.  It tries to pass off that high fashion gender-bending was the goal.  We've acheived it! Let's pop open a bottle of champagne, have a few sips then go to bed early, satisfied with a job well done.Bite me.And it’s infuriating that 2010 is dubbed The Year of the Transsexual because a few straight, cisgender and cissexual people dared to cross dress for the camera.

Mr. Franco, shot by Terry Richardson, vamps in trowel-applied makeup, heavy jewelry and a woman’s dominatrix-style power suit.

Trowel-applied?  Heavy jewelry?  That's condescending, stereotyping bullshit.  And Franco as the image of THE Transsexual?  Fuck that.  James Franco walked out of that photo shoot and was handed a towel so he could wipe away any evidence of possible transness from his face.  He didn’t have to walk down the street, fearing for his dignity, identity or safety.  Real, live trans people brave a fucked up and hateful world day in and day out.  Of course, most of us will not end up on magazine covers or in front of movie cameras.  But we didn't just pop into existence when some cisgender people finally took notice.  We've been around.  We've been fighting for a long time.  And we've got a long way to go.So, New York Times, chill for a bit.  Don’t blow your wad.  Let’s hold off on The Year of the Transsexual and wait for The Year of the Transgender Liberation.  We need it more than we need another artsy photo shoot flaunting our existences for attention.*Also, can we address the fact that it's the year of the "transsexual?"  Lady Gaga, Marc Jacobs, hell, even the boy who dressed as Daphne doesn't (as of yet) ID as trans-anything.  Because the author knew one person in the gender-bending pen (Lea T.)  who identified as transsexual, it must mean that all transgender people are TS.  This is shoddy writing and just offensive as all hell.  

Wait, 2010 was the year of the transsexual?  Gee, they wait until December to tell me?  As a transsexual I kinda expected a parade with some confetti, discount days at Marshalls or at least a coupon for a discounted bacon cheeseburger.  But nope.  Nada. The year of the transsexual is almost over and what do we have to show for it? · A consistent bevy of violent attacks on transgender people across the country and around the world. · A lack of federal protections for transgender people who want to work for a living. · Dwindling statewide employment protections. · A continuing stream of anti-trans rhetoric that targets transgender people as the reason why pro-Gay legislation doesn't pass. · Transgender people being arrested for going to the bathroom. · A transgender model. · James Franco dressing up as a woman. Yep.  This must be THE year. Leave it to a fashion guide to reduce a population of people, a vibrant, loving community, to a fashion icon.  Sure, the majority population doesn't want trans to work in the cubicle next to them, serve their food or teach their children, but aren't we interesting to look at on a fashion magazine?  Let them nod their heads, applaud, then cringe when we sit next to them on the subway. This article proves that 2010 isn't any different than any other year, that the covers of Candy, Industrie and ads of Givenchy no different than the thousands of gawkers we "transsexual" people pass each day: people like to stare at the trans folk.  We are seen as novelty, sideshow, oddity and exotic, but time and time again we are reminded that we are not seen as people. Don’t get me wrong; I love it that transgender people are getting more media attention, and not just because one of us ended up bloody in some back alley or insists that they should be allowed to keep their job.  And I love that gender is being blatantly bended in mainstream publications.  But are you seriously going to call 2010 the year of the “transsexual?  That’s just offensive.  It disrespects the decades of work of many activists and organizers.  It disrespects the families of trans people who have been murdered for the audacity of existing.  It disrespects the challenges we face day in and day out just to live routine, humdrum lives. And it’s infuriating that 2010 is dubbed The Year of the Transsexual because a few straight, cisgender and cissexual people dared to cross dress for the camera.  Fuck that.  James Franco walked out of that photo shoot and was handed a towel so he could wipe away any evidence of transness from his face.  He didn’t have to walk down the street, fearing for his safety.  Real, live trans people brave a fucked up and hateful world day in and day out.  Of course, most of us will not end up on magazine So, New York Times, chill for a bit.  Don’t blow your wad.  Let’s hold off on The Year of the Transsexual and wait for The Year of the Transgender Liberation.  We need it more than we need another artsy photo shoot flaunting our existences for attention.