Gender identity:
Why the T, in LGBT?
I put this question out to some trans activists that are on a forum that I participate in. I thought it would be interesting to get a variety of takes on the question. Below are four
responses
that I found interesting.
Italicised are quotes.
1. Discrimination against LGBT is gender based.
2. LGBTQI is seen as non-hetero-normative.
3. Some T also identify as LGB.
4. Some LGB also identify as T."
In my opinion, it should no longer be a question of "Why?", but of "What now?" The majority of prominent LGB organizations have added the T and instead of continually having to look backward and justify it, how about we look forward.
Not that there's not a huge amount of trans education still needed within the LGB. (There's still a lot of trans education needed within the T.) However, educating is different than justifying.”
“I suppose for the most part, because the perception of gender variance (from the standpoint of the broader society) is not at all the sole province of the so-called "trans community." To deny the existence and thus fail to respect the humanity of the femme twink or the stone butch dyke is to believe that one can adopt a "straight acting" facade as the means to appease the straight world into thinking that we're "just like them." Our political aspirations as a broader LGBT community are not served by assimilating in a misguided attempt to mask who we are.
We're not like them - we never were. Moreover, our striving for equality and equal protection under the law does not demand that we assent to ever being like them.
The definition of a pluralistic society, one that respects the individual, is that we get to be like us . . . each one of us”
“. . . but I've found a lot of common ground in the assumptions that people make about the implications of an apparently binary sexual specialization. "Oh, you're a boy - so you must like girls" leads to a strongly related set of assumptions that go along with "you've got a penis, so you must be a boy."
“Still, after all this time, whenever I see 'LGBT', I initially read 'Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato' (BL&T). If it wasn't for the 'G' I'd never figure it out.”
“Guacamole (seriously I put Avocados on BLT's all the time, why not go all the way!). Mmmm, diversity!”
“. . . Trans people often have similar discrimination challenges to GLB people but it's not necessarily an experience people are familiar with or really understand well...even if they're well versed in the queer community. Putting a face on it and explaining it is good.”
“I reckon it started with the Stonewall riots, and the quest for equality for all involved. At times, early on, the protests, etc. were mostly gay directed, but one or two trans women kept our feet in the door. And thus T was linked with LGB.”
We live in a society that puts a lot of emphasis on there being two genders and how those two genders present themselves, i.e. men are masculine and are attracted to women, and women are feminine and are attracted to men. This dichotomy is often referred to as the gender binary, which assumes two genders with heterosexuality being the “desired” behavior.
With this in mind, it is easy to see that gay and lesbian people fall outside the gender binary simply because of their sexual orientation. Of course, we are aware that in the gay community there are ample representations of cross-gender behavior, besides sexual orientation, such as drag queens and stone butch dykes, but with the majority of gay men and lesbians falling along a spectrum somewhere in between.
Those that identify as transgender generally have a strong need to cross gender lines in their dress and behavior. For many, when they discover their cross-gender inclinations, they assume they must be gay, and some do turn out to be gay. Others come to realize that they are heterosexual, but have a strong desire to dress and present in the other sex. But, as far as society goes, most people assume crossdressers are gay, and feel free to stigmatize and discriminate against them the same way they treat those that are gay identified.
So, looking at the LGBT community from the outside, we can see that all of the people represented by the letters LGBT have a lot in common. But, from the inside, our community still has room for a lot of educational work, and a lot of consciousness-raising. From my perspective, as a former drag queen and a gay man, and now a female with a transsexual history, I have often felt discriminated against by the gay community. In general, the “T” has not been understood in the gay community much more than it has in the straight community. As with sexual orientation, being transgender is not a lifestyle choice. On the other hand, I feel very fortunate and grateful that the gay community, has been so supportive towards me, especially during my transition process—thank you.
Susan
And finally this was written by a young trans woman, part time model, queer porn star, with a masters level education. I am including this because it reflects young queer thinking.
"Many older LGB folks don't understand the queer world that's coming down the pipe. The T is extremely relevant to the generation currently coming of age. The T is a big part of the queer community's future.
So far as I can tell, butch women who were born after 1980 seem more likely to identify as trans than as lesbians. The whole idea of lesbian is being called into question every day among younger queers. Then there's this situation with most of the trans men who take T [testosterone] becoming trannyfags. I hear that the gay male scene in Portland is overrun with cute short boys with vaginas. Because of the explosion of trans male id'd folks, trans female people are better understood and more actively included. At this point, in my humble opinion, LGB people who are not trans-inclusive are living in the past, and are missing out on the most interesting things happening in queer culture. The T is where it's at."