The Self-Reinforcing Use of Privilege

I've been thinking about the use of the "P" word lately....yes....THAT ONE.

The one that gets tossed around by folks who largely have the educational knowledge or exposure to enter complex conversations of power dynamics, social structures, and their impacts on individuals by using certain language as shorthand. Full disclosure: I am completely privy to the privilege of using the "P" word. I want to write a little bit, for a moment, on the privilege of using discourses of privilege - when you are the subject of that privilege.

This may sound a bit circular and non-sensical, and I fully admit my own difficulties in writing in ways that are accessible to a general audience. I have no idea how easy my writing is to understand for a broad spectrum audience, in terms of language or concepts. It is very difficult to step out of one's own internal language and thought process and into another that might be more useful. But, I am constantly reflecting on this when writing with the hope of conveying my ideas to the widest possible audience.

That said, when folks who experience certain access to concepts, ideas, thoughts, and conversational spaces tend to rely on the "P" word when talking about these power dynamics...I think we need to pause for a moment and reflect on what is happening. When we are explaining social and structural power relations and the differences in impact on individuals depending on one's own particular context and the factors affecting them, reliance on or overuse of language centered around 'privilege' can be self reinforcing of that very privilege.

~ Let's pause for a moment ~

Additional Disclaimer: I have no issue with folks who are affected by the power relations held in this word, to use it freely to name those power dynamics and what is going on in relationship to experiences of oppression. The use of the word 'privilege' by folks who are oppressed by others' privilege is not what I am speaking about here. Of course, this is complicated by, on the one hand experiencing levels of access based on certain aspects of one's social context, while simultaneously experiencing the effects of power-over for other aspects of that social context. However, if I am the carrier of a certain privilege and I have been successful at naming it as such, I believe I have a very rich, layered obligation to reflect upon and address the embedded processes of power and resultant discriminated access in ways that do not reduce those interactions to one symbolic word and conversations that happen in short hand around it.

What I am interested in, specifically, is the reliance on self-disclosure of one's sites of privilege to explain away the power behind that privilege, all the while leaving unaffected the systems which perpetuate it. This critique has been levelled numerous times, notably by indigenous speakers and people of colour vis a vis white privilege, and ties in with a greater critique of how learning to use anti-oppressive (AOP) language can actually make processes of marginalization, exclusion and power-over others invisible. The construction of AOP language and the use of AOP buzz words could actually have the effect of distancing those with privilege from taking direct actions that address it - instead, giving the illusion of such action.

One can think about and speak all day on the subject of one's access and complicity or neglect in addressing the systems they benefit from that negatively affect others. One can directly benefit from participating in using the "p" word to acquire social status as someone who appears to be taking direct action against their privilege by naming it as such. This act of erasure and reinscription especially interests me in academic, activist spaces dominated by white queers. I hear and take part in so many conversations around naming privilege but I see precious little restructuring of that power and access - and, sometimes even more exclusion as a result of those who don't (ironically) have access to, use, buy into, value, or have history with such language. Here I am not talking about a resistance to acknowledging power structures and the benefits accrued to certain individuals, but the elusive nature of relying on theorization of concepts of power dynamics rendering basic conversations inaccessible. There is a certain cultural cache that happens in white queer university-educated activist circles when one demonstrates the capacity to name their privileges.

Conversations around privilege can have the effect of elevating some community members for their willingness or ability to use these words while effectively shaming and alienating folks who don't, but may still be engaged in critical ways with the ideas and processes behind them. If we are thinking about using language to broaden our understandings across differences, and solicit a far reaching movement to address societal power dynamics - I think it is essential to engage with those processes we are so good at naming in some circles as opposed to relying on a dynamic of "calling out" others who just aren't *with it* who *don't get it* and who don't fall neatly into our intellectualized understandings of our own relationships with power and how this plays out.

I feel it is important to delve beyond this use of language and theorization into the actual work of crossing conceptual barriers, by addressing differences in sites of rearing of individuals and the impacts of these sites on conceptualization, in educational levels, cultural norms prevalent for the age of the person in question, and by delving into our own family and relational dynamics with those who do not share our politics or common understandings. Outside of listening intently, affirming, validating, and supporting others when they speak of their experiences of oppression in direct conversation, doing work around one's privilege should involve less reliance on self disclosure of that privilege to the people oppressed by it as a way to absolve oneself of a sense of guilt. Instead, a non-glamorous and non-self congratulatory focus on direct actions in daily life that enable power structures to begin to be dismantled in one's place of work, school, and in the spaces and groups one chooses to hang out in can be achieved by striving for conversations with others who do not share an easy common language around this stuff.

Trans Inclusion and Desire

We've come a long way in the last decade as various diverse communities that support many beautiful ways of embodying and living queerness.

From the early days of trans liberation, Stonewall, Compton's Cafe, and the start of the LGBT** rights movement.... depending on where you live, we now have established spaces wherein trans folks have become increasingly more included and desired in what were formerly binary gendered, exclusively gay male and lesbian spaces.

Trans men, male and masculine identified folks have reaped the benefits in a change in knowledge and acceptance regarding the sexuality and status of transsexual and transgender community members. T-guys and trans-masculine types have gone from being cast out of lesbian spaces in the early 70s, to a hot commodity in many queer women's spaces. This is due in no small part to the deconstruction of masculine norms, a greater understanding re: queer masculinities, a blossoming of multifaceted queer sexualities, and de-stigmatization of the process of trans health and transitioning. Many trans guys have also benefitted from deliberately busting out of male gender norms, flirting and flaunting their gender queerness as well as range of queer, gay, bi and pansexuality. While trans guys who date and have sex with cis (gay, queer, straight etc.) men have had some success and even fetishization of desire...this does not appear to be the case for many queer, lesbian and bi identified trans women.

The state of affairs for trans women, while also shifting considerably from previous decades with various exciting events targeting issues of inclusion - has a long way to go. Historically, and still today, trans women have been cast out of queer women and lesbian spaces. This is due in no small part to a misunderstanding of transsexuality and transgenderness. It also seems to be due to the complicated feelings many queer and lesbian women have as a result of their interactions with cisgender, heterosexual men. It takes no stretch of the imagination to determine that much of the hostility and exclusion trans women still face in women's spaces, is a direct result of the trauma that queer, bi, and lesbian women have endured as a result of their experiences of oppression and violence by cis hetero men.

It is unfortunate, to say the least, that trans women have borne the brunt of these (legitimate) trauma based, defensive responses. This exclusion of trans women has come in varying degrees of severity, from outright hate and assault of trans women who have sought to enter and be included in women's spaces, to the silent othering that occurs with the mere tolerance of their presence. Even when trans women are actively included in certain events and venues, the many cis women who attend still actively and unconsciously avoid interactions of even the most superficially polite variety. Despite their babeliness, even trans women who have successfully attained community status for their activism, community work, performances or careers still face discrimination when it comes to desire in queer women's spaces.

This is not to say that queer, bi, lesbian or pansexual (QBLP*) women have an obligation to date or be intimate with anyone, trans women included. It is up to each person, woman identified or not, to determine who it is they will allow to access their bodies based in consent, comfortability, desire, context and any other factors deemed relevant to that person with regards to their own body, sexuality and history. What it does mean is that QBLP* women have an obligation to do personal work to understand trans women and accept them as the legitimate, real women they are despite their "pass-ability" and physical embodiment. Cis women, as part of the work of unpacking their own privilege around having societally acceptable gender identities - just as cis men, queer, gay, or otherwise vis a vis trans guys - can and should look within themselves to deal with their own issues so that they may welcome trans women into their spaces without pre-judgment, with the unconditional acceptance they would grant any of their peers, and hopefully with the consideration of the possibility of desireability and attraction.

These conversations have been happening for decades... and thanks to the activism and work of trans women and their pro-trans feminist allies... will continue to build communities of trust and inclusion into the future.


**for some basic reading on respecting trans women click here.

Spread the Love!

Recently, my posts have become targeted by a small vocal minority of right wing, conservative hate mongers who have a long and public history of spreading anti-trans hatred and degradation. Their efforts include campaigning locally and internationally against inclusion of Trans rights as LGBT human rights on the basis of the most ridiculous ill-logic equating trans people (women especially) with cis male rapists. They appear to have come across my writing on "Transphobia in Relationship" which was re-published on The Scavenger, an online alternative news source. The week this article was published, and subsequent weeks saw hundreds of reactionary posts on radfem websites making defamatory, hateful, statements meant to harass, stalk, and cyberbully. A video was also created, and my workplace was contacted. I have no associations with any of these people and have had no contact with any of them, yet they read a post of mine they did not like and began an online campaign to defame my character.

Apparently, my ideas on considering what transphobia looks like are so threatening to them they have taken to spreading my name with tags calling me a "tranny," "rapist," "sex offender," "ex-lesbian," mis-gendering me, and seeking to attack my person, counselling practice, and place of employment. Their postings speak for themselves and do not represent my beliefs, actions, my professional practice or philosophies, me as a person, or any affiliations I have. Anyone perpetuating these malicious falsehoods will be subject to legal action.

I will never understand how anyone could have the time or energy to spread defamation, violence or hate to this degree, especially individuals within the queer community. Furthermore, while being obviously abusive, hateful and transphobic, calling trans people (historically it has been trans women) "rapists" and "sex offenders" by virtue of our being trans... diminishes the real lived experiences of sexual abuse survivors. It is simply disgusting, and deeply demeaning of such experiences.

What is interesting, is not so much the shared violence and exclusion historically that trans and LGB people have faced, but the scapegoating of trans people on whose backs the queer liberation movement and LGB rights have been gained. Our gay brothers and lesbian sisters have been painfully vocal in some circles recently, about their disdain for the rights and acceptance of trans people. These people seem to be going out of their way to harm trans people... by trolling the internet, stalking online forums, spreading the most degrading toxic hatred, violence and misinformation from behind their computer screens, on their blogs, and in community forums in cities they do not live in. Yes, unfortunately the internet is a far reaching tool that can be used by anonymous abusers to launch vitriolic attacks on people they don't know, have never met, do not know the slightest thing about, but who nonetheless provoke dialogue these folks are incapable of understanding or interacting with in any legible way.

What we should be fighting for is the right for all individuals, however they identify, to express themselves and love and live how they want safely.

Body parts and gender are not the issues: threatening, violent, hate-filled behaviour that attacks people is. And the violence affecting trans people, myself included, speaks to that. We should be working together as community members with shared experiences of anti-LGBTTQ2SI violence, trauma and degradation to gain rights for our safety and integrity to live equitably in society, instead of projecting lateral violence amongst each other in some sort of scramble to get rights first.

So live your life how you see fit and let others do the same. No one is forcing you to do anything except consider expanding your consciousness and respecting others...which can be accomplished through respectful, thoughtful, inquisitive dialogue.

Spread the love!

*** If you come across hateful sites please report abuse (on the host site). To any readers who are facing hatred or cyber/bullying and in need of support please seek a local crisis line in your community or try this website AND KEEP RIGHTEOUSLY BEING YOU!!! LOVE AND SOLIDARITY. ~ Xander Sarkisova