Breaking Transgender Stereotypes

As with any group of people, we have our stereotypes. Some of us follow them, some don't, just like any other group of people. Here is a list of some stereotypes or myths about transgender people and how to address them if someone confronts you about them.

-          Transgender people are all caricatures of men or women

o   This is probably a stereotype or a myth because of what “The Straights” (non-queers) see. They see drag queens and drag kings and assume that those performers (yes, simply performers) are transgender, when in reality all they’re doing is performing and putting on a show. Transgender people are not actually caricatures of men or women. We are men or women or androgyns or what have you. Sure, some of us do go a bit overboard with our identities, but that’s who they are. Not all of us are like that.

-          All transgender people are prostitutes

o   This has to do with the transwoman who was on the Jerry Springer show, she happened to be a prostitute, therefore people believe now that all transgender people are prostitutes. And while some of us may work in the sex industry, not all of us do.

-          Transgender people are all assumed to be straight

o   There can be transgender people who identify as gay or bisexual or pansexual or asexual and everything like that. Some may still be holding on to that identity, such as some transguys who still call themselves lesbians, they’re just male lesbians. Some transmen may be gay and prefer to date men. Okay that’s all, they’re gay. No big deal. And some transwomen prefer to date women. They’re lesbians. But just as everyone in society is “straight until proven gay”, transgender people are included in that assumption.

-          We all have a fetish or our transgenderism is rooted in fetishism

o   There is such a thing as transvestic fetishism. That’s where someone gets pleasure from dressing and acting like the opposite sex, just for having sex. However, people who have transvestic fetishism do not usually go out in public dressed this way. Seeing as we do go out in public dressed like this, it’s not a fetish.

-          All transgirls are out to “deceive straight men and turn them gay”

o   This phrase has been said to me in person and I wanted to punch the guy who said it. Not going to lie. But in what universe does a man sleeping with a woman turn him gay? Oh wait that may have happened, but he would have been gay in the first place, just closeted. However, these women are actually women. Therefore if a man sleeps with them, it’s a heterosexual relationship. They’re not out to deceive anyone. They’re out to be accepted as a woman.

-          All transgender people are crazy or insane

o   Sure, some of us may have our psychological issues. However, we’re not all crazy. We are normal human beings, who just so happen to have this birth defect where our bodies didn’t know which way to grow.

-          All of us have THE surgery

o   This is a personal decision. While many transgender people do, many also do not. It’s all a personal decision and people shouldn’t ask what is or will be between our legs.

-          All cross-dressers are gay

o   Most cross-dressers are actually straight. I know, blows your mind, doesn’t it? Yeah. Cross dressing is only wearing clothes of the opposite gender. And it so happens that most cross-dressers are straight. Personally, I did not know this before researching this topic, but I guess you learn something new every day.

-          All transmen are uber masculine while transwomen are ultra feminine.

o   First of all, I hate the terms “masculine” and “feminine”. It implies that men (mas) are supposed to be that specific way, while women (fem) are supposed to be that way. So I use butch and effeminate. Moving on. Some transmen can be effeminate while transwomen can be more butch. Not everyone has to fit into the gender molds, and I hate it when people, especially hate it when transgender people, accuse someone of not being “trans-enough” because they do not fit in with the gender norms or fit in with a binary gender. People can be whatever they want and no one can stop them. And people who are also transgender shouldn’t try to pin us against each other by accusing anyone of not being trans-enough.

If you, personally, break any of these stereotypes, be out and proud about it! Let’s show the Straights that we’re not all prostitutes and caricatures and straight. No more hiding allowed, okay?

<3 Emerson