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Politically Incorrect

In the process of trying to dedicate Stonewall to the transsexuals, cross-dressers, butch women and transgendered of the community, I utilized the word ‘tranny’ in the title, thereby offending one of my transgendered readers. ‘Not a Tranny’ viewed my word choice as flippant and derogatory. I intended it to be flippant, but it was not my intention to be derogatory. 

 

Using the word ‘transgendered’ doesn’t encompass people who never choose to undergo transition. As a word it sounds scientific, dry, clinical and boring, though I still utilized it several times in the article. Word choice and terminology is often highly personalized. Words/labels do not have uniform appeal. I am not a huge fan of the word ‘dyke,’ but it is much beloved by many women within the community. I adapted. Personally I think most of the terms for women who love women are lacking in sensuality and sexiness. The word ‘lesbian’ doesn’t exactly inspire images of great passion. It sounds like a sub-species of tree frog. I prefer fun slang terms to words that sound like etymological references or pathologies. 

 

The point of the ‘Hug a Tranny/Butch’ article was to give thanks to those on the frontlines within the community…with a special emphasis on drag queens. It was drag queens and dykes that revolted. Taking egregious offense to the word ‘tranny’ implies distaste for association with that group. Why? Transsexual, transgendered...they are not synonymous...neither is objectionable or offensive in any way.

 

One of the reasons that I decided years ago to withdraw to the periphery of the lesbian community is that I find it virtually impossible to maintain a politically correct visage on an ongoing basis. I have a perpetual case of foot in mouth disease. A lack of tact and diplomacy can be a constant source of conflict in a community with an infinitely rich tapestry of diversity, personal identification and self expression. It can complicate your social life and create unintended drama and/or offense. There are many spoken and unspoken rules. I have a knack for breaking each and every one of them effortlessly. 

 

I am unlikely to redeem myself in future blogs. I am a raging liberal. I am a tree hugger and a nature bunny. I will happily converse with virtually any human that is plopped in front of me, regardless of age, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or political affiliation. I follow a ‘live and let live’ policy. That doesn’t mean I have full empathic understanding of every individual’s personal journey. My perception of the world is a work in progress. I am still watching, learning and trying to figure things out with the full awareness that I don’t have time for everything. I am not politically correct. I am not a pacifist. I am not a vegetarian. I can curse prolifically in multiple languages, though I only speak two with any fluency. I am frequently crass, profane and crude. I have a dirty mind and a dirty mouth. Being a lesbian does not make me an all knowing guru imbued with inherent understanding of the infinite permutations of identity, sexuality and the human psyche.  

 

If you gathered a million gay people together, you would have several hundred thousand politically active, opinionated, passionate representatives of every social cause on the planet. I admire that. It is one of the many reasons I think homophobia denies society the beauty of the ‘queer’ communities contribution. The community, as a group, can be a tough crowd. We unite behind demands for social inclusion and civil rights, but we are quick to ‘snipe’ our own rather than share our experiences in an effort to understand each other and to gain knowledge and awareness. The quickest way to overcome prejudice or insensitivity is to educate. The easiest way to educate is to engage in conversation. An open dialogue with an open mind can be very enlightening. 

 

There are almost 7 billion people on the planet. Several of them are not pleased to be here. Vexing them is as easy as breathing. Being openly lesbian aggravates a significant number of people. The Right Wing Republicans are having a fit about everyone that lives happily outside a narrowly defined ‘norm.’ Within the lesbian community, I have found that virtually any topic can inspire conflict. Semantics and the use of one word vs. another is a hotbed of potential discord. I can’t write to please everyone or I will do little other than stare at the cursor blinking on a blank page.