The Athenaeum

Tag: LGBT

  • Trans Day of Remembrance

    Trans Day of Remembrance

    My name is Jemma Grace Courrier, and I’m not a very big fish in a very big, intimidating pond. I’m here to tell you a bit about the transgender day of remembrance, or TDoR for short. Disclaimer: This may come off a little strong or opinionated but, that is what awareness is. Awareness is becoming enlightened to your surroundings and shedding your ignorance.

    Let’s get started: Transgender Day of Remembrance, what is it? Every person you ask would give you a different answer. A straight cisgender – a word which here means “gender unchanged” – person might tell you that it’s just another day for those weird gays. Asking someone who identifies under the LGBTQA+ umbrella would tell you it is a day to remember transgender folks who have both lawfully and unlawfully passed away.  If you asked your transgender pal, then they might say ‘it’s the most important day of the year.’ I wont bombard you with the Webster definition or anything but, the transgender day of remembrance in its simplest definition is our Remembrance Day, the day where we hang our heads in grief and mourning, to remember our siblings, friends, lovers, and idols.

    Your next question would probably be ‘well Jemma, what do you guys do on the transgender day of remembrance?’ First, I would stop and correct you on your use of ‘guys’, but that’s for another article. There are many different interpretations of the transgender day of remembrance: some folx party, some folx use it as an excuse to get super intoxicated, but some folx celebrate it solemnly. The common practice is having a service, like in high school when you sit in the gym for an hour or two and remember soldiers who have passed. Most of the time transgender people from your community will come and speak, and most of the time the reaction will be: ‘they’re transgender?’ Yes, they are, and they’re being super brave for speaking in front of you, so maybe you should listen, okay?

    The issue that people who identify as non-binary or transgender have is that they are discriminated against almost daily – especially Trans people of colour. If anything I’m saying gets to you or grinds your gears, there are a lot of ways to help.

    Using language is a big one:

    • Saying folx, rather than guys.
    • Saying theirs rather than his or hers.
    • Saying they or them rather than he or she.

    Sometimes even cisgender people don’t fit under the two main identifiers of male or female. Identity is a very fluid concept, and people are always trying to understand who they are.

    Another issue a lot of transgender people face is bigotry: blatant disregard for anything that the person in front of you has told you. Misgendering someone just because you want to or choosing not to acknowledge their gender can be so destructive. It can ruin an entire day, or even a week. Blatant ignorance does not help anyone, and most people affected by this ignorance are the same people who meet in mass or service weekly and claim that they love everyone regardless of what they look like.

    What it comes down to at the end of the day is recognizing your privilege. As a white non-binary transgender person who presents feminine, I try my best to acknowledge my privilege, but privilege is a constantly evolving tapestry. I do not experience the struggles that trans people of colour face, I do not experience the struggles that Indigenous transgender people face. Even still, I educate myself on what problems my transgender siblings endure because I want to be someone who can advocate for those who can’t.

    At the end of it all, educate yourself. Ask questions to your queer friends, whether they are transgender or not. Be adventurous in your friendships. Be brave, be an ally, advocate for others when they need you. Break through that lens of privilege, or better yet, smash through it. Go with them.

    #illgowithyou

    Jemma Grace Courrier is a first year Sociology student

  • Two Spirits, Five Questions

    Two Spirits, Five Questions

    Although the term Two Spirit is relatively new to the LGBTQ+ acronym, having been introduced in 1990, the concept is not new to Indigenous cultures. Indeed, the term Two Spirit is simply an umbrella term that encompasses a multitude of cultural beliefs and traditions. These Two Spirit traditions are not new, but rather a resurgence of what has always been. Two Spirit identity can best be defined as having two spirits, one masculine and one feminine, in one body. For some, it is simply that. For others, what it means to identify as Two Spirit becomes a little more complex and involves not only gender identity, but sexual identity as well. In any definition, to be Two Spirit is a spiritual journey. Two Spirit people were revered and celebrated as gifts from the Creator and deserve to be celebrated still.

    What is the origin of the term Two Spirit?

    Each tribe has its own words for those who identify as Two Spirit. For example, ogokwe in Ojibwe and puoin in Mi’kmaq to only name a couple. In 1990, the term Two Spirit was coined to purposely create an umbrella term for Indigenous people as an alternative to Western labels. In some cases, Indigenous people did not truly identify with labels such as “lesbian”, “gay”, or “transgender”. This term was also meant to replace “berdache”, a name given to those with alternative gender roles and identities in Indigenous cultures that did not fit the Western mould. This term is not proper and can be offensive.

     

    This sounds like me! Can I be Two Spirit?

    If you are asking this as somebody who is not of Indigenous descent, then the answer is no. Two Spirit identity is more than a gender identity (or sexual identity, depending on which Indigenous person you ask). It is also a cultural identity and speaks to the specific history of Indigenous people.

    Do all Indigenous LGBTQ+ folks identify as Two Spirit?

    Nope, and that’s okay! Not all tribes think of Two Spirit identity in the same way.

    Which pronouns do I use for somebody who is Two Spirit?

    If you’re unsure, ask! This is a personal journey and every Two Spirit person will have a different answer for you. Many Two Spirit individuals will use they/them pronouns because there aren’t any gendered pronouns in Indigenous languages.

    Where can I learn more?

    There are plenty of resources available!

     

    • Two Soft Things, Two Hard Things-a documentary exploring LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit Inuit culture
    • Fire Song– a film with a Two Spirit main character who is struggling with their identity, intergenerational trauma, and their sister’s suicide.
    • Two Spirits- A documentary that explores the murder of Navajo teen Fred Martinez who identified as nadleeh, the Navajo term equating to Two Spirit.
    • Egale: Two Spirits, One Voice – Funded through the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, this program works with community service providers to ensure that all services within a community are equipped to provide inclusive and cultural aware services with regards to gender and sexuality.

     

     

    “Two Spirit identity is about circling back to where we belong, reclaiming, reinventing, and redefining our beginnings, our roots, our communities, our support systems and our collective and individual selves”

    – ALEX WILSON

  • This Is Us: A Mixed Review

    It is not often that my opinion of a show switches from scene to scene, but This Is Us manages to make me rethink everything I thought I knew about the characters and their situations on an episode to episode basis. This, although sometimes confusing, is ultimately a positive attribute to the show. The characters are continuously evolving, reverting, and evolving again which is exactly how character development is supposed to happen. Characters are not meant to be stagnant. People are not meant to be stagnant. This is what sets This Is Us apart from most shows. It is unapologetically cynical while simultaneously remaining light-hearted and reflects the sincerity of the human condition. It’s incredibly refreshing to see on television in comparison to the unrealistic and often overly dramatic plots of shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Shameless. Both these shows are entertaining, yes. But the popularity of these shows often comes from the shock value of the ridiculous situations the characters find themselves in. For what it is, it works. With that being said, I often find myself watching these shows thinking “how many things can go wrong so drastically in one episode?”, and it ultimately takes away from the entertainment. Moreover, there comes a point when the shock value ceases to be shocking. There are only so many times I can see a surgeon from the same hospital die in a horrific accident before I grow tired of the idea. Likewise, there are only so many times I can watch a character screw up their lives in the same exact way repeatedly without becoming bored and irritated (ahem, Fiona). Not only are the characters stagnant, so is the overall plot.

    For Dan Fogelman’s This Is Us, the relatively normal situations that the characters find themselves in are often relatable and just shocking enough to keep the audience interested without being overly repetitive and cheesy. There is also a large amount of representation. That is, not all the characters are thin, white, and heterosexual. The show has tackled issues of race, sexuality, obesity, drug addiction, alcoholism, and severe illness. So, you know, normal things that most people deal with. The representation that This Is Us provides is not only welcome, but necessary. Representation matters, and it is fantastic to see so many kinds of inclusion in the show. However, although these issues and representations are being addressed, This Is Us writers are erring on the side of caution. The ways in which the characters and their issues are being addressed is far too passive and comfortable. Just when it seems like the show is about to accurately address an incredibly important social issue with gut wrenching honesty, the audience breathes a collective sigh of relief as the characters sidestep the issue.

    For example, one of the most prevalent subplots involve Randall’s identity struggles due to him being the only black person in a family of white people. Understandably, finding his birth father later in life is an emotionally filled journey. We then learn that Rebecca (Randall’s adoptive mom) had always known about her son’s birth father and made the decision to keep him away from her son even though she knew Randall was struggling immensely with his identity because she was afraid that she would lose her son to his biological parent. In my opinion, the reasoning she gives seems far too convenient. Is there a racial component to Rebecca’s decision? The subtext indicates so, but the way in which the show is written makes it so Rebecca couldn’t possibly think this way because she is oh so maternal and was just doing her best. The argument that she just loves her son too much to risk losing him is fair, and it is believable. But, again, it is far too convenient. Now Rebecca can remain pure in the minds of the audience without thinking what the subtext suggests: a white woman afraid to expose her child to a recently sober black man living in poor conditions. This too would have been realistic, and this too would have been accepted by the audience. So why was this not addressed? Perhaps to avoid the uncomfortability of directly involving racism to a situation where race is indeed a factor. This way the shows can remain inclusive and lightly progressive while still pandering to the comforts of the audience. It’s fine, but it isn’t good enough. Not anymore.

    This issue side-stepping extends to other social issues in the show as well including Kate’s obvious body image issues and eating disorder. Her character has so much potential that is not being met. Instead, the body defines her. While the show has done a decent job in addressing the psychological issues that come from body image and eating disorders, the show has yet to progress from there. We get it, now do something with it. In the few brief moments where Kate’s character has been genuine and free from the restraints of her eating disorder, she has been my favourite character. Contrary to popular belief, obese people do have lives outside of food. They have jobs, interests, passions, and hobbies. They even have relationships! Granted, there is a cute subplot between Kate and her boyfriend. However, the relationship that they have is also built around food. Every fight they have, almost every conversation they have, is about food. They even met in an overweight support group. I am not downplaying the significance that food has in her life, nor am I discrediting the amount of control food has in the lives of those with eating disorders. What I am saying is that out of all the characters on the show, Kate seems to be the most stagnant. As I discussed before, I hate stagnant television.

    The series This Is Us has checked most of the boxes when it comes to compelling television, and indeed has checked most of the boxes pertaining to inclusion. People of colour? Check. LGBTQ+? Check. Differing body types? Check. A variety of economic status? Check. It’s a good start, even a noble attempt, but just checking the boxes isn’t good enough. The show has been raw, real, and places the audience on a roller coaster of emotions. But what it has not done yet is challenge the status quo in a way that offers thought provoking discussion. It’s too comfortable, and the time has come for audiences to be uncomfortable with the reality that these characters are living in, as well as the realities that we as the audience are living in.

  • Is Gender Abstract?

    Is Gender Abstract?

            Coming to the closing months of 2017, the topic of gender has become one discussed regularly. Singers, writers, actors, and anyone with a blog or Twitter have been allowing the gender spectrum to finally be allowed to step into the lime light. What exactly is gender? Does it even really exist? Or is this a concept that has expired? These questions have recently begun to nibble on the minds of more and more people. Even though gender has been discussed, written about, or heard in music, there is still very little education on this topic.

           To begin, there is a question that is still being ignored. A question as simple as “what are your pronouns?”.  As humans, we have conscious and subconscious thoughts. When meeting someone new or passing anyone on the street we consciously notice that they are tall or wearing green. Subconsciously we rack our brains and scan the person for signs of what gender we want to apply to them. Usually the only two genders we think of are male and female. The subconscious takes the conscious thoughts and tries its hardest to fit those “signs” into a gender puzzle. Playing the gender game is risky as there is little talked about the gender spectrum. There are many more gender identities than boy and girl. In fact, there is a wide wonderful range of identities and expression, this is why asking for someone’s pronouns is very important. Slowly but surely, the act of asking for pronouns when introducing yourself is becoming an everyday question, going hand in hand with asking for someone’s name.

            Somehow, asking “what are your pronouns” slipped into the category of an awkward conversation, but honestly, there’s absolutely nothing abnormal about it. For older generations, it may come as a shock and I’ve even come across people who didn’t know what a pronoun was. Immediately after a quick explanation the realization flooded their faces. Pronouns are something we are taught in school during English classes but are never really applied to real life. Through education and spreading awareness about the importance of asking for someone’s pronouns I believe the sentiment will become learned and automatic, at least there is hope.

           The greatest danger of not asking for pronouns is that it could cause someone to feel incredibly uncomfortable or upset. By assuming gender and using the pronouns he or she for someone who “looks like” a male or female can create major dysphoria (a feeling of unease or unhappiness pertaining to someone’s body, voice, and other factors that make them uncomfortable with their body), anger, and sadness. As well, there are many more pronouns then just he/him or she/her. The use of the singular they/them, and others such as ze, sie, hir, ey and so many more are used by countless people identifying under the transgender and non-binary umbrellas. All of these terms are loose and may be unknown, though the Internet is in your favour for research on these topics.

             With all of the information that is now provided and the activism that is happening all over the world, awareness is slowly being brought to the forefront regarding the LGBT+ community, especially around gender, and things are starting to change. “Millennials may be called the “gender-fluid generation” (Sophie Saint Thomas, Refinery 29). A larger percentage of the population identifies as transgender or non-binary than ever before.

             Labels and definitions aren’t usually something that people go actively seeking but as for the definitions of what is being discussed, the Webster definition of gender fluid is; “…: of, relating to, or being a person whose gender identity is not fixed…”. The debate over the difference of transgender vs. non-binary is ongoing. In many cases, people believe there is really no difference as they are both umbrella terms which cover the entire spectrum. Others believe that being non-binary means “genderless” or simply out of the gender binary and transgender is when you do not identify with the gender associated around your birth sex. People like Prince, David Bowie, Steven Tyler and more current celebrities such as Ruby Rose, and Amandla Stenberg have always, and are, demonstrating androgyny and gender-fluidity in pop culture. Even with these celebrities pushing the gender spectrum into the open, the education that is given to people needs an extreme improvement.

        Education of the LGBT+ community in schools is basically non-existent, that is why young people turn to the internet for answers. Clubs like Gay Straight Alliances, Genders and Sexualities Alliance or Pride Clubs exist in some middle and high schools but usually do not receive the same amount of interest as other clubs. These GSAs try their best to educate their peers and teachers with assemblies or celebrating things like “Coming Out Day” or “Day of Silence” where they promote the actions that must be taken to end the violence and inequality for the LGBT+ community. Health talks should be openly discussing not only sexuality but also gender identity and expression. English classes should be reading novels with gender non-conforming characters or politics classes focusing on these minorities in society and the politics that surround them. By beginning to hand out this information to teenagers and young adults, we hope that our generation will be able to continue the change that is being made with larger numbers of not only people identifying with the community, but with allies too. To be an ally you do not have to be any letter of LGBT, you only have to support the community full-heartedly. Spreading education, going to pride parades, or voting for the people in power who will actually help with the issues facing the LGBT community are all examples of what you can do to help.

           Simple, everyday things you can do to start change are things like asking someone’s pronouns and giving your own when meeting someone, or correcting people if they misgender someone who goes by another pronoun. Ask questions respectfully and offer answers to those willing to listen. So, to answer the question of what gender is, it’s completely up to you. You choose who you are and what you like to wear or present as. Your identity is your own and anything is possible, there are no rules to gender. We can all make change and take strides towards equality and awareness to this loving community by simply being ourselves and taking pride in who we are.

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