Excited
So I had heard a while ago that Thomas Beatie — a celebrity transman — is a mixie much like myself. He too has a white mama, an Asian daddy, and originally, an Asian surname. He too was born with all the plumbing to make and be pregnant with a baby. He too made the decision to get folks to recognize him as male. So I get the whole need to change your gender thing. However, I’m not sure why he changed his name to something rid of all associations to his Filipino heritage. I too had the option to change my name to rid myself of my Asian ethnic associations, however, I didn’t based on the fact that so often trans folks of colour are told they are doing a white thing by being trans. As if the gender binaries of male and female were a universal thing, common and rigidly adhered to in every culture.
I wanted to keep my Asian association when renaming myself, to let people know that just because I’m trans doesn’t mean I’m white. There is a rich history of third gender or other wise non-male and non-female specific people within many cultures, including pre-Spanish Philippines. The rich history includes these societies valuing these people specifically because they are outside the norm of gender. Often times, folks like this would be held in high regard, chosen for positions of spiritual power and authority. However, rigid reforms in gender occurring in the white west, coupled with the need to topple indigenous authority figures influenced European colonizers to seek out and destroy these people. Violent and strategic colonization means that history validating Thomas’s and my trans experience as Asian genderf*ckers now is hard to come by. Transphobia is rampant in former colonized places, as a legacy of colonialism.
And now, because of this erased history, it is our very Asianness that is often used against us to make transphobic and racist comments: “Oh it must be hard with your Baachan more so than on your mom’s side,” “Hey, we don’t do that kind of freaky shit, we’re Asian.” Which makes me sad. Maybe it doesn’t make Thomas as sad as me, what with now two little ones to worry about, not to mention his book tour and the other burdens that fame and fortune bring.
How does this post make you feel?
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
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Mitsuru: thanks for the post and hope you become a regular poster for 8Asians!
i think there is that mistaken belief that being queer or LGBT is being white, especially by people (especially of color) who aren't aware of how different sexualities and genders existed precolonial/pre-Christian times, and it wasn't a big deal. personally, i'm proud of being queer and Filipino and refuse to make any "choices" among my gender, sexuality and cultural background, even if i am a relatively boring gay-identified bio-boy who's also Filipino American.
it kinda annoys me that he's calling himself a "pregnant man" since it seems that he's milking the supposed weirdness of it all (i guess since most people aren't used to seeing transmen, much less ones who decide to become pregnant), but if anything it shows that there are many different ways to show that gender isn't just strictly male or female. i had no idea that he was mixed either.
Great post, Mitsuru. I can relate with the last bit. I want to thank 8Asians.com for having such diverse guest writers and for welcoming and sharing often unheard voices within the AA community. *thumbs up!*
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