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Monica Roberts, the blogger of TransGriot, penned this piece below on African-American trans people. The piece crossposted at Feministe.
Monica graciously gave us permission also to crosspost her consequential article here on Pam’s House Blend.
~~Autumn~~
What A Difference A Year Makes
By Monica Roberts
Back in May 2008 I wrote a TransGriot post entitled ‘Destruction of the Black Transwoman Image.‘
In that post I pointed out that transwomen have some of the same problems as our cisgender sisters when it comes to Black womanhood. I also lamented in that post the lack of positive trans role models of African descent.
Just three months after I wrote that, things started to change.
During the month of August 2008 we had Isis King become the first open transgender contestant on America’s Next Top Model’s Cycle 11. At the same time Laverne Cox was making her GLAAD media award winning appearance on I Want To Work For Diddy.
During the historic Democratic National Convention later that month we had 2002 IFGE Trinity Award winner Dr. Marisa Richmond make a little history of her own. She become the first African descended transperson to be elected as a delegate to a major party political convention.
The documentary movie Still Black A Portrait of Black Transmen gave my African descended transbrothers some long needed and deserved attention and love. Nick Mwaluko’s story published in the Huffington Post added to the visibility of African descended transpeople.
Nick’
, along with Nigeria’s Mia Nikasimo and the stories of brave continental African trans activists such as Uganda’s Victor Juliet Mukasa drove home the point that there are transpeople on the second largest continent on planet Earth.
And oh yeah, there was some African-American trans blogger from Texas who was a finalist in last year’s Weblog Awards for Best LGBT Blog.
The image problems that Black transpeople have had go back to 1953. Ever since Christine Jorgenson stepped off the plane from Denmark, whatever media attention that transpeople have garnered in the last 50 plus years was disproportionately focused on my white transsisters.
Coverage of Black transpeople was relegated to intermittent articles or small blurbs in our iconic EBONY and JET magazines. It took this Justina Williams article in the November 1, 1979 issue of JET before I read an article about a transperson that shared my ethnic heritage.
It drove home the point that being trans wasn’t a ‘white thang’ and that was sorely needed. During the time I was growing up, transpeople went stealth after surgery. That resulted in me not having ‘out and proud’ Black role models to pattern myself after.
Our transitions are different from our white transsisters, and because of those stealth conditions imposed by back in the day helping professionals, I and my sisters were denied the opportunity to learn our history or ask our trans elders for transition advice specific to Black transpeople..
Paris Is Burning was released in theaters just as I was beginning my transition. I’ve always wanted to meet Octavia St. Laurent and tell her how much of an inspiration she was to me.
Unfortunately, since she recently passed away, I won’t get the opportunity to do so.
What a difference a year makes. Now it seems that we have more Black transwomen and other transpeople of color stepping out there, positively living their lives and proudly talking about it.
I’m looking forward to the day when we have Black transwomen running for public office as Kim Coco Iwamoto successfully did in Hawaii.
And yes, I’m rooting for Vogue Evolution and my sis Leyomi Maldonado to win the grand prize on America’s Best Dance Crew.
I would like to see a Black transwoman character in the movies or on television similar to Ugly Betty’s Alexis Meade.
I want nothing less than for African descended transwomen to not be tragically thought of in context with the Remembering Our Dead List that far too many of us are on.
Like ‘errbody’ else, I’d rather Black transpeople be judged by the quality people we produce, not lies, pseudo-science, centuries old myths and transphobic ignorance.
30 Comments
“Hiding My Candy” by Lady Chablis (Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil)Is a very frank and sometimes funny as hell biography of a Black transwoman. she doesn’t flinch at both positive and negative traits she exhibits…with a F*CK EM if they can’t take a joke attitude.
http://search.barnesandnoble.c…
One of my favorite movies, and you can find New Orleans as much as Savannah in the film http://videodetective.com/titl…
I stopped reading at “cisgender”When transgender activists stop using this insulting and fabricated label, I’ll start reading their articles again.
Sorry. There may be an appropriate use for this word in transgender workshops or academic settings. But, the casual use of this word as a blanket description for a diverse population is wrong in the many ways that have already been debated ad nauseum on this and other blogs.
Its not really going to go anywhere, FritzAll words are fabricated, and it is not insulting.
However, what word would you suggest then?Seriously — what single non hyphenated term would you suggest that does not carry with it the connotation that transfolk are less than cis folk.
I’m more than willing to listen and hear.
Remember the term is a replacement for “normal”.
If you stopped readeing at ‘cisgender’ FritzcYou missed a lot of information that was packed into this post.
ThanksThanks for the link love for this post Autumn and Pam.
Repeatedly using “African descended”Caught my eye, rather than African American.
I wondered if this is becoming the latest term being used for African American/Black, or if it is what this author prefers, or if it’s used in academic circles?
I’m calling “Threadjack” on this……this is an acceptable item for discussion at PHB, but it’s way off topic in this thread.
Please take this discussion to an open thread.
What a Fake Controversy.Oh, is cisgender fabricated?
It must be no good then–I make a point to only use words that have never been coined. People have compared my eloquence to that Jodie Foster in Nell.
You’re so welcome.
The link love comes with real personal affection you you and your writing.
But very much on topic of your article — Much as I said in the header, I believe this article of yours captures something that’s really consequential. And, that consequential something that you covered is how we’re beginning to see trans people in media beyond just white, middle-aged, trans woman. And, most of the best progress in media on this is happening in reality shows, documentaries, and in public/political life.
I’m with you. I want to see a scripted trans character who is a POC — and it goes without saying that I’d like to see that character not be a sex worker, but instead be portrayed in the vein of the trans POC business people, dancers, and/or models that we’re seeing in the reality shows, documentaries, and in politics now.
Stop! Stop!We’ve thrown the threadjack card on this subthread already! Move this discussion to the current open thread!
SorrySorry, I didn’t see your threadjack card until I had posted and reloaded the thread.
I don’t want to answer for Monicabut personally, I find African-American entirely too limiting and I always have, which is a big part of the reason that I use black…it connects me with the “African descended” experience from Africa to Brazil to England and so forth.
To me, African American really means African-United States of American.
yes yes yes“I want nothing less than for African descended transwomen to not be tragically thought of in context with the Remembering Our Dead List that far too many of us are on.”
thank you so much for this diary.
Seriously, it’s not a huge deal, Kimpira……however, I want to nip this discussion in this thread. I want to keep this thread discussion on topic — frankly, what Monica wrote about is just too important to get pulled off into a tangent about cis-_____ terms.
No more discussion in this diary’s thread on cis-_____ terms. 
And just so you know, discussing cis-_____ terms is important, not shutting anyone up in discussing this at PHB (won’t do that again!), but that discussion just doesn’t belong in this thread.
If we need to discuss cis-_____ terms in detail in it’s own diary with its own thread, that may be something we can look into doing. Frankly, doing something like that has actually been something I’ve been thinking about doing anyway.
So, this is the last said on that here.
But Kimpira, what do you think of Monica’s diary? Please take a moment to comment on that!!!
I also prefer black.
I use Black, or at least think Black firstI’m too old to change terms easily, and Black was the revolutionary change in my life.
I welcomed reading this diaryIt answered some questions I hadn’t asked. I wondered if the trans community also had under representation of POC on their boards and organizations?
Another question maybe the trans people can answer, are there rifts between FTM’s and MTF’s? Do you tend towards seperate organizations or united organizations?
As a general ruleLocal organizations tend to be separate, national ones tend to be combined. Not a hard and fast truth, but a general statement.
And yes, there is a grave under representation of POC within the trans community, as well.
That fault lies not only with the “white” transfolk, but with those of color as well, in just the same way it is so in the cisGLB population.
I strive to get my fellow men and women of color to step up and become involved — but often when they do, they are give crap because our voices and priorities are different.
A wonderful diaryand I hope the next year gives you many more positive examples and stories to share, Monica.
My thoughts go towards kids currently facing what you describe as having experienced- I’m a mom; they tend to be my focus I guess.
When you wrote how few role models there were for you, it struck me that your contributions RIGHT NOW online are helping an unknown number of younger people…
A happy thought, yes?
i’m A Role ModelNot too many people in this community realize that I’m only the third African-American besides Dr. Marisa Richmond (2002) and Dawn Wilson (2000) to win the IFGE Trinity Award.
When people aren’t cursing me out on the Net for being blunt about the lack of AA representation in this community or calling out racist behavior, I do get some love for the people who look at me as a role model.
Yes, trans POC are underrepresented in the leadership ranks of this community. Kylar Broadus is an AA transman who sits on the board of the National Black Leadership Coalition.
There are other AA transactivists who haven;t gotten the attention they deserve such as Dionne Stallworth in Pennsylvania, Earline Budd in DC, Valerie Spencer in LA, Miss Major and Sharyn Grayson in the Bay Area, and Tracy Jada O’Brien in San Diego just to name a few.
There are others such as Dyssonance who are stepping up to those leadership roles as well.
Intelligence, fresh ideas and talent in the transgender community is not just concentrated in a small segment of it. The sooner we begin using the talented people of all races in this community the better.
It will also give us a leg up on our opponents when we do so.
Here’s one more question I haveI’d be interested in as many answers from transmen and transwomen who visit here.
What three to five books would you want non trans audience to read, so we’d have a better understanding of each other’s lives?
btw. that might be an interesting question of the day from all members of LGBT community, what would gay men want read, what would lesbians want read? what would bisexuals want read?
Such beautiful women!I’m in awe of them.
African DescendedI like using African descended because it’s a more accurate and broader term that covers the entire African diaspora.
thanks for the answer MonicaR
Thanks for the shoutout to Kim Coco, Monica!For those who don’t know, Kim Coco Iwamoto was elected to the state Board of Education here in Hawaii. She testified on behalf of the Board of Ed in support of Civil Unions earlier this year in front of both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, and made Sam Slom look like a real ass. She is awesome, a real treat of a person to know.
She Deserves It, Keori!I had much love for Kim Coco, and I’m looking forward to meeting her one day.
I hope that she continues up the political food chain in Hawaii.
Lack of POC Leadership in Trans Community.. Kylar sits on the board of the National Black JUSTICE Coalition
But it still speaks to the severe lack of Black trans people sitting on the boards of transgender orgs. Our best shot to rectify that was when NTAC (the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition) was ormed in 1999 with a multicultural BOD.
The first two NTAC chairs were an African-American transwoman and a Latino transman.
Of course, what usually happens any time POC step up to leadership roles in a predominately white community?
They get attacked and denigrated.
NTAC was NEVER given the chance to lead and prove what it could do before NCTE was formed in 2003 by a group of white transpeople.
I’m hopeful……long term. Our transyouth especially give me hope regarding theembracing of diversity within the trans community.
But, if you’re looking for me to disagree with you on the lack of POC in trans groups and orgs, you’re not going to find it coming from me. My best friend in the world is a Latina trans woman of a lot of significant leadership skill (she a civic leader in non-LGBT communities in San Diego), and I ache sometimes for how my community doesn’t embrace her as a great leader she could and should be within our community.