So, I decided to make a little contribution of my own to the We Happy Trans 7 Questions project.
Yes, I know my hair is weird. I’ve been playing with asymmetry lately. Deal with it. :p
Here it is:
(by the way… in the video I suggest going to wehappytrans.org …the url is actually wehappytrans.com)
Also, apologies for my use of the word “lame”. I know that’s hella ableist. I would’ve edited it out but I’m using bare bones software. Sorry.
Very good. You’re less nervous than in the first video, and I hope that we get to hear more of you in the future.
Yeah, I don’t really have much to add to that so I’ll just say that you have very pretty earrings. Or one earring, at least.
BTW, you mentioned your love of poetry. Can we get a post about your ten most loved poems?
It’s also interesting to notice the things you left out of your self-description.
Time constraints.
Absolutely, but the choices are interesting to ponder.
I don’t think your hair looks weird!
It looks kinda like mine :B
I think your awesome. I haven’t watched the whole yet. (At lunch) but I like what I heard so far. This is the first time I heard your voice so that was like a neat bonus. I hope you do more of these. As a grue I like to read about topics outside of my self. Thanks and keep them coming..
Would love to see you do more videos. I’m always envious of people who are as eloquent when speaking as they are when writing, as I’m totally not.
Your hair reminds me of Dr. Blight. That’s a good thing.
I like my asymmetrical hair too but it does get in the way sometimes.
I watched your video and a couple of the other videos at the project site and read one or two of their articles. It seems like a great idea.
I should add that I can’t say I like and agree with every word that the people over at that site say and write, but that’s not really important.
Some of it was a bit woo-ey. Now, I’ve never been able to get myself particularly worked up against talk about energy and auras and all that crap, at least not as long as nobody is selling anything. I hope it doesn’t derail into positive thinking woo, because that line of thinking has a nasty victim-blaming aspect.
Well, I think in terms of simply presenting trans voices that are happy and proud to be as such, and moving past our victimhood-defined role and narrative, is a big step in the right direction, even if there are more nuanced issues within we can hash out further down the road. At this point, just demonstrating “Yes, you can be a happy trans person, and think things about stuff, and define your life for yourself” and claiming the capacity to frame the discourse for ourselves, in a positive and proactive sort of way, is really important. It would be self-defeating at this precise point to challenge the exact views expressed. Better to just offer alternate ones. Like how in my own video I reference skepticism and making sure that the basis of my positions and trans-feminism and stuff is solid, substantiated and evidence-supported, such that it can hold up to the attacks of the wad-fems and HBSers and religious right and grues and such. Like, in this context, it seems more important to do things like talk about why skepticism, science and critical thinking are GOOD, rather than why woo and religion and stuff are bad.
Point taken. That seems like a more important reason for me to disengage grumpy skeptic mode.
I watched and read a bit more and as a whole it seems like a pretty good source of information based on what little I know about trans issues.
On second thought I think the person who wrote about having an aura probably only used that word as a metaphor to describe how ze looks better and more alert.
No explanations needed on your hair. You look great. (And at least you have hair that lets you play with asymmetry. I have hair that when the humidity reaches double digits, it’s over.)
Good one. I listened with headphones and the volume up and your voice sounds great, Natalie. Also, I’m glad that you didn’t edit out your use of a slur. It shows that even super smart people make mistakes. Apology accepted.
Great talk but I kept thing how I recognized that his style. Then it hit me Madame Hydra! , damn clever of you disguising your self as a middle mannered trans skeptic blogger.
Natalie,
Thanks so much for contributing to the project!
I started We Happy Trans because a friend on Twitter called me out for complaining that almost all the stories about trans people were negative. In part it was the common narrative of the ‘tragic transsexual’ that kept me from identifying as trans. I’ll never forget being told, with great conviction, that I should only consider transition if my only other option was suicide, because I “would lose everything.” In the absence of stories of the contrary, I believed it. When I did finally start transition, I found myself happier than ever, and wishing I had started years earlier. And I wished there other stories of successful transitions out there. My Twitter friend (Jasmine Jewels) told me to do it myself. Actually, she flat out threatened to kick my ass if I didn’t do something in 30 days.
My biggest hesitation was the potential backlash, either for occluding the painful realities that most trans people face, or for coming from a position of such privilege. I’ve done enough community work in other populations to know well that the moment you put yourself out there, you invite critique and resent, but I was sensitive to these particular two points because they’re . . well, true.
To consciously focus on the positive is to exclude the negative. On that front, I accepted that we’re part of a much larger context, and that no one site needs to be all things. WHT is a place for sharing positive experiences. That’s its function, at least for now. And I continue to believe there some value to be found in that. I’m still learning to navigate my own privilege. How do you fight it, and where to use it for good? At the moment, I try to stay in dialogue with people with dissimilar experiences and trust my own blind spots and entitlements will be awkwardly revealed. I also brought on Noah Alvarez, a young trans man of color, to be a partner. He and I share similar goals and attitudes, but very different life experiences.
But enough of all that. I really just wanted to say thanks, not only for contributing, but for all that you do on this blog. You are one of the thinkers I turn to in order to orient myself as I work through particular issues. I’m also amazed at the amount of commentary your posts generate, particularly in this information & commentary saturated milieu, which makes SNR one of the few places where real conversation about these issues take place.
Enough about
Yay! This is fantastic. Sorry it took hearing about a negative comment to push me into saying my own piece. But here I am.
I like you call for a more full embrace of human variation. Indeed, in a world with 7 billion of us, we can hardly do otherwise and expect to survive living with each other. Embracing trans visibility helps everyone because it shatters the myth that we are locked into one identity based on biology or the culture we were born into or whatever.
It’s great seeing you on the video, speaking your mind and looking great.
Ugh, I am way too tired. I just wanted to say thanks again. I’m just not articulate enough to do it well.
Your mannerisms are terribly cute 🙂 Also, I’m reading everything you say in your voice now, and it’s making me feel silly XD