Decades after Stonewall, and the
commencement of gay rights movement, gay and lesbians are finding more
tolerance and acceptance from society, and are progressively becoming more
visible within the media and popular culture. However, the same cannot be said
for those within the trans community, whom have been genuinely ignored, or
mocked within the media. That is why casting Chaz Bono, a recent trans man, on
ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2011 caught America’s attention.
Transphobia
in media is nothing new for American television, yet the inclusion of trans
people in prime-time programming is. Let us remember, that ABC has other
programs that feature queer characters (Grey’s
Anatomy, Modern Family, Happy Endings), and despite being responsible for
green-lighting the short-lived transphobic sitcom Work It in the fall, they are the most queer-inclusive prime-time
broadcasting company in the country. So, how did Chaz go from being an ignored
trangender person to a contestant on one of the most popular television
programs in America?
Controversial questions arose immediately after his addition to the season was
announced. Would he dance with a male or female partner? How can they allow
this because he is female-bodied?
For Chaz
himself, he faced the imminent rude and degrading remarks from the masses by
dancing with a woman, and felt the pressure to drop out of the contest, yet
despite the negative focus on gender, his appearance left an impression with
viewers at home. For many, they had never seen transgender individuals
represented positively in the media, let alone national television. It seemed
trans people only appeared in the news as victims of tragic hate crimes, or something
funny to laugh at because it wasn’t “normal” in our heteronormative society.
And now, they were seeing a man, brave enough to face millions of people who out-casted
him.
However,
part of the reason many have come to accept and embrace him is his choice to
gender conform as a man. In our society, we uphold a dichotomy of two
genders—male and female—and for those who fail or refuse to “chose” a side,
they are considered outcasts. Therefore, it is both surprising and
disappointing that within the trans community, the pressure to undergo surgery
is so high. Although he decided surgery was ultimately something that would
make him happy. Riki Wilkins suggests that there is a trans hierarchy, “among
the genderqueer youth, it is no longer rare to hear complaints of being frozen
out of transgender groups because they don’t want to change their bodies,”
(59). Why should trans individuals be pushed into the same gender binary of FTM
and MTF similar to that of our heteronormative society by those who identify
with the same community? What does this say about genderqueer and non-gender
conforming individuals?
Trans visibility within the media
continues to be an issue, especially the context in which individuals are being
characterized and represented. Societal pressure to not challenge the gender
binary still exists within the trans community, and those who decide to “gender
blend” rather than simply “passing”,
“give less opportunity for the culture to exert control” over trans and
genderqueer people (87-8). Perhaps, Chaz’s impression upon transphobic America will
pave the way for more trans and gender queer people to make their way into the
limelight.
Bornstein, Kate, "Send in the Clowns." Gender
Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us.
New York:
Vintage Press, 1995. Print
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ReplyDeleteOut of the identities present in the acronym LGBTQ, I argue that trans has been the least visible in terms of overall positive representation, along with portrayal in the media (Wilchins, 2002). The reasoning behind my assertion stems from the lack of societal acceptance and knowledge pertaining to the trans community, with this phenomenon being displayed through the obsession of “passing” as an alternative gender classification, rather than being able to feel comfortable “gender blending” into transphobic America (Bornstein, 1995). Chaz Bono’s recent casting with ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” manifested news tabloids and pop culture discourse throughout the nation, further exemplifying that society is primarily uneducated about the struggle and scars that subsist within the trans community (Hilda Raz, “Scars”). A widespread panic seemed to flood American homes, as the trans identities became visible at an unprecedented, and long overdue, national level.
ReplyDeleteI would love to be able to explore every uncomfortable conversation, witness every confused look on a young person’s face, record all of the descriptions of “deviating” gender and sexual identifications (separate from heterosexual male and female norms), and right every wrong explanation or cover up relating to both transgendered and transsexual recognition. The hierarchies that exist in illustration, even in our own queer community, place being gay over lesbianism; invalidate bisexual as an authentic identity; favor transsexual transformations over transgender designation; and largely ignore various other intersectional identities within, such as intersex, intergender, and genderqueer (Wilchins, 2002). Widening the spectrum of approval and presence of the trans community- in both the media and every day instances- is essential for deviating away from orientalist perspectives that value both heteronormative archetypes, and homonormative confinement over the myriad of fluctuating identities that currently live outside the realm of hegemonic tolerance (Diamond, 2012).
Bornstein, Kate, "Send in the Clowns." Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. New York: Vintage Press, 1995. Print
Diamond, Chloe. lecture: Fem 80. Feminine Studies. Girvetz 1004, Santa Barbara. 2-15-2012. Lecture.
Wilchins, Riki, “Deconstructing Trans.” GenderQueer: Voices From Beyond the Sexual Binary. Los Angeles: Alyson, 2002. Print.
Examining Chaz Bono on Dancing With the Stars as an example of trans representation is incredibly interesting, because like most things considered “extreme” and “shocking” his inclusion on a major television show elicited much backlash and discomfort. I think his inclusion on the show is a good thing but in the face of such backlash it is important to critically think how this is a positive for trans people. Having a trans man on a major television show gives the trans community representation, letting many ignorant people know that transgendered individuals exist and their struggle is still a current part of modern society. This knowledge caused discomfort and disdain in some ignorant and confused individuals but that may not be a bad thing as seeing Chaz Bono on TV is less likely to result in direct violence against trans people so it allows or in some cases forces people to reconsider some of their thoughts and feelings about gender. This goes along with Kate Bornstein’s Send in the Clowns article where ze states “humiliation is a whip of the defenders of gender” a method of social control to scare people out of expressing their true gender identity (Bornstein, 1995). Bornstein also illuminates the importance of having a sense of humor for coping with intense criticism, an important tool for the trans community, a community like the queer community where invisibility leads to violence, rights being infringed upon, and all too often death.
ReplyDeleteBornstein, Kate, "Send in the Clowns." Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. New York: Vintage Press, 1995. Print
I wouldn't go as far to say that the "T" in LGBTQ is the most underrepresented or neglected identity or umbrella in the acronym as Hayley Gilbert might suggest, (What about Bisexuality, have we heard about the experiences these individuals have within and outside of the LGBT community?) but nonetheless, it is important to evaluate the circumstance in which audiences rose discomfort in watching a trans person on prime time television. I believe that a more challenging obstacle our country faces is using main stream media as an educational outlet to teach about the experiences that come under the trans umbrella and how not ever trans person's identity, journey, and experience is not the same. On February 29th, Professor Hernandez previewed a video called "Trans America" that showed a long breath of diversity with in the Trans community. It's these media references that can be used to break down stigmas, phobias, and stereotypes about the "trans" and show that not just one "type" of person holds the trans umbrella as Riki Wilchins suggests. In other words, our work is not finished just because we have a (anglo-white) trans identified person on television, but rather the trans movement continues.
ReplyDeleteWilchins, Riki, “Deconstructing Trans.” GenderQueer: Voices From Beyond the Sexual Binary. Los Angeles: Alyson, 2002. Print.