-
Educating society – what’s in it for me?
We often ask “What’s in it for me?” but really if we want to change the way society thinks about us maybe we should ask “what’s in it for them?”
Is it realistic to expect society to accept us without discrimination just because we think they should? or should we not be doing more to educate them about what we know about gender & gender diversity. After all, the average member of society has probably never really needed to think about gender.
I think a twofold approach to this is required.
On the one hand ‘we’ need to explain how we understand gender differently to ‘them’ & additionally we need to appeal to their ‘sense of fairness’…Why should we be discriminated against simply because our gender identity doesn’t match their preconceived ideas.In another thread on this forum, Liz asked; “How many times have we asked the question, just what are we?”
Further to this question;
The TgR survey results showed that only 21% of respondents identified as the equivalent of either binary female (FFFF) or binary male (MMMM).
That statistic leaves 79% of respondents identifying as something other than what most of society understands about gender & therefore probably what most of us (at least initially) understood.
Being confused about gender & in particular transgender is an obvious consequence – for everybody.Quite aside from all the other ‘our message’ type subjects currently being discussed, this one seems to be at the core of what our actual problem is in regard to communicating about who we are. If we do not clearly communicate to society what our gender understanding is then we are likely to gain little traction in improving societies acceptance of us.
We come to learn about our gender identification through necessity, by for example, the use of TgR. We learn because we seek the information but the average member of society is not seeking this information. It’s up to us to present it to them.
There will always be something in it for us if we work toward better educating society about transgender/gender diversity but what’s in it for society, why should they bother about us?
The very vast majority of people grow up thinking that gender offers only two options, we know & the survey results clearly show that not everybody has that experience though. It would be fair to assume (& my anecdotal experience backs this up), that there are many people in society who although they do not identify as Tg, at the same time understand the idea of a greater scope in gender understanding… we don’t need to reeducate everybody.The ignorance of the rest can be changed by education.
How shall we educate society about gender diversity?
If we use the TgR results to indicate this diversity, how do we deliver this education & to who?
The thoughts of the Tg community are essential. You don’t need to be a messenger but your thoughts on these subjects are important if a messenger is to pass on the message. -
3 Replies
-
Educating the general public on transgenderism, probably my favourite subject, and yet I find the answer to that question somewhat difficult. Primarily, we tg’s talk about ourselves an awful lot, because we are constantly endeavouring to explain ourselves to ourselves, and making excuses for our feminine behaviour.
I think the education of the general public around transgender behaviour will always be an ongoing matter; there’s always something new that seems to rise up. What’s in it for us? I would hope that we accept the public attitude of some acceptability, no longer hiding behind the eternal closet door, being open and totally engaging in society. That’s what I would hope is in it for us. I’m still educating myself around transgenderism and always will because no one knows the real and absolute answer. As I dig deeper into my phsych looking for answers the more questions arise.
I strongly suspect that each and every one of us is still looking for answers, even those people who have undergone SRS and appear to have all the answers and everything in place.
I’m sure many would shoot me down in flames when I say before we can expect the general public to accept us as a whole, we need to know and accept ourselves. I’m still trying so very hard.
I’m not a ‘big picture’ person, I’m someone who sees the little things that make a whole concept. I’ve no idea how to educate on a vast scale, I educate individuals, little by little, I answer their questions as best I can. Have those individuals on side, they in turn defend us and help educate others; a rolling stone so to speak. -
A good question and a very valid response. All the issues touched on have crossed my mind and I agree that there certainly is no magic bullet. And yes, we do spend a lot of time working out who we ourselves are. not having the magic answer I have just set about being as normal as I can be in my new circumstances. I retired on 14 December (2012)and had a coming out party on the 16th. Lots of lovely friends and neighbours; some who’ve known for ages and some for whom their invitation was right out of left field.
I don’t get up on a soap box but I have vowed to always answer any genuine queries made to me about how I see myself. Guess what? No-one has ever asked me anything! It would be fair to say though, that I have lived and worked in a demographic where people are less likely to be affronted by the revelation that one of their friends, work colleagues, or neighbours is trans gendered. That said very few were expecting it. It simply doesn’t appear on most people’s radar.
And if I lived and worked in a tougher neighbourhood life might not have been so stress free in transition. But I’m still careful what I do where, and I’m sure someone from what might be perceived as more of a red neck area may well have had a good time too.
There I go making a short answer long again! In brief I’m just trying to live as normal a life as any woman would. I hope then that the contacts I make will help to some degree with educating society. I guess for best results there should be something more pro-active than that but I haven’t worked out what that is!
-
To be totally honest I did not feel that there was anything in it for me in Educating the public.
My interest in Educating people about Transgendered people was solely motivated by a need to protect future TG people from having to live the same sort of lives that many of us have.
I am too old and too set in my ways for any change to help me, but we could help the future understand that there are differences in gender that are not there to be laughed at or ridiculed.
We can also start the wheels in motion for new laws to protect TG people and to enable Medical centres to tailor programmes for TG support.
So no there is nothing in it for me, but there is plenty in it for the future of us.
