This is a comment by Crip Dyke on the post “Transformers as an Allegory for Transsexualism in America“.
“Can we please not use transsexual as a noun. It’s useful as an adjective—transsexual person, transsexual electrician, etc.—but everyone recognizes that ‘a transgender’ is a dehumanizing reduction while people still insist on using ‘a transsexual’ because it became familiar before anyone cared about the fact that it’s a dehumanizing reduction. Now people write ostensibly supportive things without bothering to avoid dehumanizing language. It’s annoying. If you wanna be supportive, don’t do that.”
Photo credit: Flickr / *~Much to My Dismay~*
OK So please tell me What is the corect noun ? I have friends of this persuation and they didn’t know either
A “transgendered person” or a “trans-person” is usually seen as ok (provided you actually need to refer to their transness and don’t refer to them as “that transperson” all the time). “Transman” and “transwoman” usually aren’t perjoritive either but most transpeople I know prefer “man” or “woman” unless you really need to bring up the fact that they were born different. It’s a bit the same with referring to someone as a “homosexual” rather than a “gay person.” It sortof implies that their humanity is subordinate to their sexual or gender orientation. That’s how it seems to me anyway, it’s… Read more »
So, should I take offense when someone refers to me as “a man” instead of a “male person”?
You’re allowed to define how you want others to address or refer to you, but (and this is the tricky part) SO ARE OTHER PEOPLE.
Wow, that was both unhelpful and did nothing to further discussion.
Using terms like “gay,” “homosexual” “transsexual,” etc as nouns instead of verbs very much sets someone as being a thing/identity that is separate from the norm. To say that someone is homosexual, is using the term as a descriptor. To say that someone is a homosexual is to put that person in a separate class from anyone who isn’t homosexual.
Also, it’s about normative vs. non-normative identifications and designations. You wouldn’t call someone “a cissexual” or “a straight” (the normative classifications) so therefore you wouldn’t call someone “a transsexual” or “a gay” (the non-normative classifications).
I think the problem is that no one uses those words as pronouns unless they have been led to believe that they need to.
People do not spontaneously refer to someone as “a transsexual.” instead, they are usually first led to believe that is how that person would like to be referred to. Yet when they use the word, suddenly third parties take insult.
This does not seem like a productive system.
“People do not spontaneously refer to someone as “a transsexual.” instead, they are usually first led to believe that is how that person would like to be referred to. Yet when they use the word, suddenly third parties take insult.”
Yeah, no. A “third party” isn’t necessarily the people taking insult. The reason there’s discussion about how saying someone is “a gay” is insulting is because gay people brought up the problems with using it as a noun. Same goes for “a transsexual,” etc.
As a transgendered person, I disagree. Transman’ or ‘transwoman’ is considered perjorative by many. Would you respond that you are ‘Baptistman’ or ‘Muslimman when asked your religion? How about Bowlingman,”Nurseman,’ or ‘gardnerman?’ We are not defined by this aspect of our lives, any more than the fact that we may be Baptist, Muslim, a bowler, … well, you get the point.
We are Transgendered. We are Transsexual, just as you can be left-handed, short, blue eyed or brown haired. We ain’t blue-eyedman. See? This is not complicated. It’s easy if you look at it from a realistic context. Leona.
…and incidentally, this is a comment that proposes that the term ‘transsexual’ is an offensive term, written by a person who calls herself “Crip Dyke.” Seriously?