• Gender in Society

  The do’s and don’ts of talking about transgender people

  Posted by Adrian on 05/06/2015 at 2:01 am

  The SMH has the following advice in its daily life magazine.
  Based heavily on information by GLAAD

  http://www.dailylife.com.au/news-and-views/news-features/the-dos-and-donts-of-talking-about-caitlyn-jenner-and-other-transgender-people-20150604-ghgns0.html

  Quote:

  Names

  Once a transgender person has revealed a new name for themselves, refer to them as that name from then onwards. Calling them by their previous name is disrespectful.

  While it may be necessary to identify someone initially in reference to their previous identity, for example ‘”Caitlyn Jenner,

  previously known as Bruce Jenner,” this should not continue once the public is familiar with the new identity. The new identity should be accepted as valid; audiences do not need to be constantly reminded of a transgender person’s former identity. Doing so without a good reason is undermining.

  Pronouns

  Use the pronoun that corresponds with the gender a person presents themselves as, unless they instruct otherwise.

  When Caitlyn Jenner initially announced that “For all intents and purposes I am a woman,” she nevertheless asked to still be referred to as Bruce Jenner.

  It’s not always possible to know how a person wishes to be referred to, especially early on in the transition process or for those who identify as non-binary. Asking can sometimes be appropriate, but this is also not always the case – especially for individuals who are clearly presenting as a specific gender or whose story is known. It may seem obvious but the person’s name often indicates whether you

  should refer to them as ‘he’ or ‘she’, something else or no pronouns at all.

  The only golden rule is to do your research, listen, and be sensitive. And it’s better to ask if you’re not sure.

  Beyond terminology

  Avoiding transphobia is about much more than just getting the terminology right, though. The narrative tropes we use to talk about transgender people can serve to validate or undermine their identity. Here’s some (unfortunately common) examples of how not to talk about a transgender person’s story:

  Don’t say they were “born a [man or woman]”. Apart from the fact that mothers clearly do not give birth to fully grown men or women, accepting someone as transgender means accepting that they are, and have always been, the gender with which they identify. Similarly, don’t ask “what was your birth name?” as none of us have a name the moment we’re born.

  As a rule, just don’t say they were born male or female at all. If it is absolutely necessary to refer to this, GLAAD suggests using a phrase such as: “While Caitlyn Jenner was designated male on her birth certificate, as a young child she knew that she was a girl.” This validates their identity rather than undermining it.

  Don’t speculate or dwell on medical procedures. Apart from the fact that this is private medical information, transgender identity is not dependent on physical characteristics and, as GLAAD points out, overemphasising physical aspects of a transition is objectifying

  and “prevents the public from seeing the transgender person as a whole person”. Many transgender people choose gender-confirming medical procedures, but it’s not a given. Being transgender is about so much more than outward physical appearance and sex organs.

  Don’t evaluate a transgender person by how successfully they conform to idealised gender standards. Commenting that someone passes convincingly as the gender with which they identify is not a compliment, it’s patronising and reductive. It’s also an implicit kick in the guts to anyone who doesn’t conform to the same rigid standard.

  (While we’re here, maybe don’t evaluate anyone by how successfully they conform to idealised gender standards.)

  At the end of the day, the most important thing is to be open-minded, supportive and listen. If someone pulls you up on an error, be
  gracious, admit the error and apologise.

  For many people this is tricky territory – even the English language hasn’t quite caught up, which is why the pronoun confusion comes up again and again (especially for non-binary individuals). This is understood, and honest mistakes will be forgiven – especially for those who are new to the whole paradigm. For most media professionals though, that isn’t – and certainly shouldn’t – be the case.

  Everyone makes mistakes, but there really is no excuse in 2015 for people working in the public sphere to repeatedly use the wrong language or be spreading ignorant or transphobic ideas.

  Adrian replied 9 years, 7 months ago 1 Member · 0 Replies
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