New interview in tomorrow’s print edition — just posted online. Take a look.
“When we say ‘tranny,’ or ‘drag queen’ or ‘queer,’ we’ve taken the word back and owned it again. And that it’s coming from a place of love and respect,†RuPaul says.
I agree that traswomen can reclaim the t-word word, just like black people can reclaim the n-word. But non-transgendered, homosexual persons should no more use the word than non-transgendered, straight people.
Fine. RuPaul can call herself a tranny if she likes. Don’t call me one, please. Show some manners.
This article is biased to the leanings of a single DRAG queen, who we must honor of course, but to be fair, the article should have included the voices of other trans individuals who are not in the DRAG community. Most trans men and women I know never use the word tranny, because living as men and women is not an acting job to us, it is our real lives.
The bottom line is that “tranny” is still quite offensive to many, so it is best not to use it.
Renee Baker, Ph.D.
Founder, North Texas Gender Friends
Dear Faggot:
Now I know you won’t be offended by me — a hetero crossdresser who also does drag — calling you that, since after all we’re all about reclaiming terms, right? Just like you getting RuPaul to “rule” that it’s OK to call trans people “trannies.” The thing is, as far as I know, RuPaul identifies as a gay man, so asking his/her opinion on this issue is a bit like asking a white person whether it’s OK for other white people call black people… well you know the term I mean.
The thing is, reclaiming an epithet is something that only gets to be done by the people who’ve been targeted by it. There’s a big difference between members of a stigmatized group reclaiming a term as a way of saying “yeah I am a [insert derogatory term here], wanna make something of it” — and quite another when someone outside that group decides to fling that term around carelessly. And no, we’re not “already there” in reclaiming tranny as a cuddly term of endearment — Christian Siriano’s catchphrase “hot tranny mess” was clearly meant as a putdown down in exactly the same way as clueless straight kids use “that’s so gay.”
As far as using “drag queen,” I’ve got no problem with using that term to describe people who are actually drag queens — i.e. people who are crossdressing for performance. Some of whom may also be trans. But using it to describe trans people off the stage is implying their gender identity is just for show, akin to straight people who tell you that you’re not really gay, you just haven’t found the right woman yet. Think I’m kidding? I’ve seen gay men tell trans woman: “No really, what’s your real (i.e. male) name.”
I do agree with RuPaul that one does need to take intent into account. I’ve got gay friends who’ve thrown around “tranny” — but when I’ve gently mentioned that it’s a term that a lot of trans people find problematic when used by people who aren’t trans (or friends and allies), guess what, they stopped using it. But no, you had to go pissily justify your right to use the term and accusing people who complain of “Nazi-like” rigidity. That’s hardly “coming from a place of love and respect” now is it? The place that comes to mind is: asshat-ism. Because bottom line, if you have to have to ask yourself whether a term you’re using is offensive, that’s a pretty good clue that it’s not a good idea to use it.
Words may never hurt me, but they can piss me off — and I think RuPaul might also have something to say about the folly of getting on the wrong side of an angry drag queen.
Lena
Just to be absolutely clear, since the use of irony can go over people’s heads
“Faggot” is a vile, hateful term — it’s one that I’m all too familiar with. I was taunted with it as a boy who wasn’t sufficiently manly for the school bullies. I’ve heard it muttered at me when I’ve been out en femme and in drag. I’ve had it screamed at me by potential gay bashers.
Which is why I didn’t use it lightly. In fact it’s the first time I’ve used it in more than 30 years (the last time was back when I was a school kid who didn’t know any better). Why? Because I’ve lost patience with (some) gay and lesbian writers and editors who, when asked stop using a term that a number of trans people find equally problematic when used by non-trans people, not only continue to use it, but then go on to arrogantly proclaim their right to decide what’s offensive to others, and belittle those who asked them to stop as being “overly sensitive.”
My use of the term was a shock tactic intended to goad these folks into thinking about what they’re saying, using a stark example that’s close to home for them, since they’ve been utterly unwilling to put themselves in other people’s shoes. I.e. “how would you like it if I took it upon myself to call you a faggot in the same way that you take it upon yourself to call trans people ‘trannies’.” Perhaps I could’ve more clearly posed it as a hypothetical, i.e. “how would you like it if I called you a…” But unfortunately, the experience of myself and others is that subtler arguments made in the past have just been blown off by these folks. So sometimes it takes a 2×4 between the eyes to get people’s attention.
Those in question, including this particular editor, come across as being willfully oblivious. As someone aptly put it elsewhere — in the case of the “pro-gay” radio DJ defending his right to call gays “fags”:
I understand if you’re angered by my use of the term. But I hope you understand why I feel angered by those who insist on using a term they know that a number of trans people feel hurt by.
I read the piece, Daniel, from August 4th of last year, entitled Don’t let ‘Hot tranny mess’ become the new N word.
So it was bad for Christian Siriano, an LGBT celebrity, to make inappropriate comments using the term tranny — the Dallas Voice indicating that the terms tranny and the N-word are related in their defamatory nature.
And yet, now it’s okay for the Dallas Voice to reclaim the term tranny on behalf of those trans folk in the trans subcommunity of the LGBT community who don’t identify as trannies — many of whom still see the term tranny as being defamatory. And, the Dallas Voice is doing this on the word of another LGBT entertainer, RuPaul.
My head is spinning from the Dallas Voice’s quick turn around into embracing LGBT-related terminology many trans people still find offensive and defamatory. I’m also a bit surprised at the publication’s hypocrisy of pointing out the bad behavior of one LGBT celebrity for using tranny as a pejorative about six months ago, and now embracing the same term as a “reclaimed term” on the word of second LGBT celebrity.
Is the Dallas Voice serious?
Don’t count on me reading your publication online anymore. I thought hypocrisy and embracing of LGBT-related terminology that many still consider offensive and defamatory was a function of the conservative “Christian” press, not the LGBT press. When I read publications like OneNewsNow and WorldNet Daily, it’s to find out what the LGBT enemies are thinking — what is the purpose of reading a LGBT related publication like yours, at this point, if you don’t follow the NLGJA or GLAAD styleguides for LGBT terminology? To find out what the credibility-challenged, hypocritical, offensive journalists in the LGBT press are thinking?
No thanks.
Oh this is getting silly.
I have more love and respect for RuPaul than I can say. Ru’s positive attitude and openness has done a lot for the LGBT community. And yes, RuPaul is a drag queen-a gay man who dresses as a woman to entertain or express themselves publicly.
And there is nothing wrong with being a drag queen, or drag king. It’s a part of our history. Calling a transsexual or a crossdresser a “drag queen” is a mistake-there’s an entirely different thing going on. But you know, most of the time it happens from a lack of education or misunderstanding rather than trying to be an insult. If I’m called a “drag queen” I just correct the mistake.
As for “tranny?” I don’t object to it, but I know a lot of other transgendered people do. I definitely think that when it’s used by a non-transgendered person it’s an insult, and you ought to know better. So stop.
I think this whole thing has gotten out of hand-on both sides. The Voice and Daniel Kusner should admit they made a mistake instead of trying to justify themselves, say you’re sorry and won’t do it again. Israel Luna should take the word “tranny” out of the title of his new movie. Kelli Busey and Renee Baker, I respect you both, you made your points, and it’s time to turn the rhetoric down.
As for me? I’m going to get a nice cup of tea now.
Well said, Lena!
Even though we fit under the LGBTQetc. umbrella, we are not to define for other groups under the umbrella what is an accetable naming convention.
As Ru Paul identifies as gay man and expresses himself as a drag queen, he can say what he thinks is OK for him, but just as he is not qualified, nor authorised to say anything about what is right or wrong for or about lesbian women, so he is not about other groups, like trans and bi.
RuPaul does not represent me in any iota of possibility. I can also guess quite well that neither does any of my brothers or sisters accept a gay man as our spokesperson. I am thinking Lena is right and we need to start calling you gay cisgender folks faggots, since we’reonly reclaiming the word for you.
Oh yeah, I am now the official spokesperson for all of you …….
Have a nice day.
I love RuPaul and what she does. As for speaking for the transgender community, I don’t think so girlfriend. M&m thinks the N word is OK. Doesn’t make it right. The Dallas Voice should be at the forefront of education about the community, not hiding behind RuPaul to justify ignorance.
Do a Yahoo search of the word Tranny. Now, scroll through the first hundred or so listings (that was all I could personally stomach.) What you will find is that every single one of them is a porn site. Now, consider that as a matter of context. Perhaps references to the N word or F word are missing the mark a bit. So I ask, do Rupaul, and/or the Dallas Voice feel comfortable in calling cis-gendered women whores? If not, please refrain from using a direct synonym to define myself and my community.
Claire Louise Swinford
Executive Directrix
Transangels.org
Hello, faggots, dykes, dragons: Oh, you didn’t like me reclaiming a title for you? Then what gave you the right to listen to that friggin drag, who has NO idea about what we go through or how we feel? That faggot in a dress with the new mustache should never be consulted concerning the Transsexual, Crossdresser, and Intersex thoughts and feelings. I haven’t used the opening terms in over 30 years as I find them offensive, but if you wish to reclaim that which is not yours to claim, then individually I shall call you by the words I shall reclaim for you. Same right.
By the way, if you know anything about your journalism history, here is another derogatory term for you that I shall reclaim just for you: yellow rag journalist. And I challenge you to print this.
I am not really sure why this post is all of a sudden getting so much attention. Check the date and you will see that it was written more than a year and a half ago. It was posted as part of a then-on-going debate over use of the word “tranny,” a debate that lead to Dallas Voice officially adopting a policy that most of us on staff were already following. That policy is that in our editorial coverage we use the term “transgender,” sometimes shortening that to “trans.” We DO NOT use the term “tranny” unless it is in a direct quote or as part of a discussion and/or explanation about the word “tranny.”
I also would note that the person who wrote this blog has not been on staff at Dallas Voice for more than a year.
Due to the controversy over a recent movie, “Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives,” the debate over the use of the word has continued, and some people have gotten angry with Dallas Voice because we have covered the release of the movie (made by a local gay man) and the controversy, which has necessitated the use of the word “tranny.”
However, Dallas Voice policy remains the same: We do not use the term in our editorial coverage outside the previously noted statements.
Also I would suggest that all of the commenters here who have insisted on re-opening the discussion in this out-dated blog post take a moment to search our archives to get an idea of the much broader scope of our editorial coverage on trans issues instead of using this, again, out-dated blog post to judge us and call us a “rag.”
Now, on a personal note: I am senior editor of Dallas Voice. That means I am the person in charge of news and lifestyle departments — all our editorial coverage. I usually don’t interject my opinions into comment threads here on a blog, but quite frankly, these recent comments on this old, old post irritated me. Personally, I do not use the term “tranny,” even tho some of my transgender friends do, because I know there are many trans people who find the word offensive. And since I am not trans myself, I don’t feel like I get to “reclaim” that word. As for you folks commenting here on this post, call me faggot, dyke or dragon or whatever. I might think it is silly or childish for someone to call someone else names, but you can’t hurt my feelings that way. And to Leynda Erwin, in regards to your challenge to us to print your comment — well, there you go. And if you will look around through this site, you will see that we never hesitate to post comments critical to us.
Tammy, people are visiting this post at my behest. You see, transgender people are no longer going to allow ourselves to be the dusty old rug for gay people to beat on when they get boarded, frustrated and can not find a more accessible defenseless target.
You see, the Dallas Voice posted this article May 2010 written by “Arnold” well inside the window you said the word “tra##y” was not being used by the Dallas Voice “Busey doesn’t ALWAYS protest the word ‘tranny’ — sometimes she endorses it” https://dallasvoice.com/busey-doesnt-always-protest-the-word-tranny-%e2%80%94-sometimes-she-endorses-it-1015111.html
One of the first comments was by someone I have never met by the name of
DJ Anderson
Posted on May 3, 2010 at 12:33 pm What slop! Arnold, give it up!
Why are you using this platform to attack a transgender activist because you disagree with her? How about a relevant and fair conversation with her to ask why she feels there is a difference between a cisgender man using the term to market his exploitative film and its use as a name for a transgender film festival featuring films by and for transgender people on transgender topics?
Or are you simply more interested in smearing someone who has criticized a man of whom you’ve been a relentless defender?
This is one of the sorriest posts I’ve ever read on this blog. Act out your personal vendetta elsewhere. If the Voice wants to retain any semblance of credibility on community issues, maybe they ought to at least pretend to be impartial and give each side of the debate a chance to air their concerns and defend themselves, a luxury that has been generously afforded Israel Luna.” That comment really said it all.
Tammye, my phone calls to you protesting that article within minutes after it was published went ignored. When I called John Wright he told me he “had no feelings ether way about that post” . Tammye, you say the Dallas voice has no problems posting comments that critical of it and you made it clear in you lengthy comment. WHERE were YOU when our minority was again attacked again by your paper? I can not accept the Dallas Voice’s editorial staff’s excuse’ when once transgender people were defamed by your blog saying you have no control over it. That blog has the Dallas Voice banner. It is the Dallas Voice. It was a year and a half ago Tammye and we are still being assailed by misogynistic men. Nothing has changed for us except we are on the offensive and have taken the day and this conversation as our own to educate and if need be to protest wherever and whenever transgender people are oppressed. Not on the Dallas voice timeline? That’s right..
Why would Ru Pauls use of that word make it any more acceptible? Ru Paul is not trans, and cannot claim that word as his own. Anyone calls me a “tranny” and they would get my purse upside their head and a foot in the groin.
So!
Here we are again, having to comment on the Dallas’ Voice propensity to attack Trans people with a pejorative moniker/insult. Methinks that the hypocritical nature of the Dallas Voice represents the REAL feelings of gay males against people who have the courage of 100 lions to live their lives as their true selves. Two-faced misogynist tendencies and all, the Dallas Voice still decides to side with a cis-gender male drag queen – YES cis gender, because he does not identify as a female in any way shape or form, he just performs the art of a hyper twisted portrayal of a woman and has said so in public… let’s get a clue, shall we?
And by the way, I am 3/4 African American, and so sorry but I am one of those (majority of us African Americans, as I can say with much confidence…) that do not care to “reclaim” the “N” word – this does not make any sense, how can one “reclaim” a word or insult if it originated from outside a stigmatized minority group? You can claim and/or adopt a word like that or like “t*****y”, but when it was originally meant to demean, humiliate or mock a group of people, there would be just a bit too much historical pejorative connotation to that insult. “t*****Y” was a mocking put-down word dreamed up by gay males exclusively, especially when they began to learn more about the existence of individuals who looked like men originally, but have transitioned and/or lived as women AND THEY WERE NOT DRAG QUEENS? Horrors!! Shocking! This word was pushed onto and finally used in an agreeable sense by a number of Trans people who in turn, now try to force feed it down the throats of other Trans people without a majority consent.
Then… you have individuals such as Ru Paul, who are under some kind of unreal, arrogant delusions
– probably brought on by wild spells of munching crack-laced Sugar Smacks cereal –
that have the audacity to think that they have the right to speak for all Trans people and how to refer to ourselves… with that you have so called professional writers who contribute or work for the Dallas Voice, who promote the use of an insult as a group label. As well as promote individuals such as Ru Paul, who give this a thumbs up, telling us all to do so.
Forgive me if I stray a bit in this post, but my mind is one of my poor bathroom sinks, one of which will soon be the recipient of my lunch from earlier this afternoon… It’s a consequence of both trying in vain to scan for any balanced or educated/informed topics on Trans people and having to deal with the Dallas Voice’s all-too-obvious transparency in launching more crap, as part of it’s veiled campaign of attack on Trans womyn.
Arianna Davis PhD
Gender Identity Empowerment Coalition
NEWSFLASH! RuPaul has just been hired by the Dallas Voice to be the ‘tranny expert’ on the Nikki Araguz case!
Yeh, okay…that ‘newsflash’ is BS – which, of course, makes it more useful than the judgment of Lord Justice RuPaul, a gay man whose money and actual maleness gives him more commonality with an HRC black-tie ostentatiousness fest than with anything remotely connected to the real lives of real trans people.
RuPaul has stated very clearly that he does not identify as transgender. Therefore, RuPaul gets no say as to whether or not “tranny” is an acceptable word for people to use.
You really need to get out in the real world and see that most of us transgendered people don’t appreciate being call trannys. That belongs to the ones that sell themselves in sex tapes. As for RuPaul, I used to like her but after this- I think she lost alot of admirers.
Please stop calling us trannys!? It’s not nice or polite.
Ru paul may call him self a tranny, he may play with his dick (as we so niceley say in Holland ‘met zn snikkel spelen, but I protest when he calls me a t&a**ie, I am a proud transwoman and that’s the end of it
Rue can call me what she wants, she has just as much a chance of being murdered by some homophobic GAY basher who thinks I’m just a GAY man . We have equality in the area of being murdered because people think we are just GAY men so when a GAY man like Rue says she is ok with it I’m fine with it. When straight homophobic bigots who call me that it’s an entirely different thing because they use it to demean me and discount my identity. I am a transwoman or woman to everyone else.