DISQUS

Dani · 11 months ago

Perhaps because, there actually may be gay FTM individuals? Just a thought. And you can contact me at sablehairangel@comcast.net , a FTM gay male who IS actually part of your little non-inclusive "club".

Emily · 10 months ago

I don't think that's a very good reason -- I mean, black gay people don't claim that there should be another B in there. However, I think that T DOES belong with GLB. Why? Because both homophobia and transphobia originate from rigid gender expectations. E.g. "women don't fuck women," "women don't want to be men." <-- both of those statements are made on the assumption that the sex of your body determines --- and more importantly, _limits_ --- your gender identity or sexual preference. To fight against the root causes of homophobia is to fight against the root cause of transphobia, and vice versa.

P.S. This was linked to from another blog, I'm not registered here, if you want to reply email me at ana.ng64@gmail.com =)

jlh · 11 months ago

Thank you, thank you, thank you.
the T does not belong anywhere near the LGB.
but yes, we've been shamed into adding it there and keeping it there. Gender Identity does not belong in anti-discrimination codes. Gender, Gender Expression - yes. Gender Identity - not at all.
I'd love to start a movement of some sort that gives voice/agency to those of us who recognize the problem that is linking the T with the GLB. It's a reality that has been silenced and oppressed for far too long by the transgender activists and those who are too afraid to challenge them for fear of being called haters or bigots. It's really unfair.

This is not to say that trans folks can't also be LGB. Left-handed folks can also be alcoholics; these are not mutually exclusive groups.

Kai · 9 months ago

I think that they are more linked than people realise. If somebody's gender identity does not marry up with their body, then no matter which way you look at it, their relationships could be considered "gay" or "lesbian", that is, depending on who the person is with. For example, a trans man who is with a woman may identify as straight, but people who do not recognise his gender identity will perceive him as a lesbian and therefore will face homophobic abuse, if the same individual were to identify as gay/ bi then they would automatically come under the lgb umbrella. There is also a historical element in there; whilst the T hasn't been explicitly stated as it is today in the acronym "LGBT..." that doesn't mean that Trans people haven't been around in the gay community and are simply a recent addition. It is known that many drag artists were present at the Stonewall riots, and in fact were some of the main targets of the Police since the law back then stated that people had to wear at least three items of “gender appropriate” clothing; the Stonewall riot was an LGBT riot, only, it happened before the term “LGBT” had evolved.