Susan Stanton’s Unfortunate Comments
January 2nd, 2008 by Autumn SandeenFor every Melissa Etheridge you get a George Michael; For every Sylvia Guerrero (Gwen Araujo’s mother), you get a Renee Richards.
When people become spokesmodels for components of the broader LGBT community because of circumstances instead of experience or talent, you never know what you’re going to get — sometimes these icons turn out to be particularly ill-fated for the role of community spokesperson.
Apparently — at least at this point — the transgender community has more of a “Renee Richards” in Susan Stanton than a Judy Shepard.
Per the St. Petersburg Times: Susan Stanton’s lonely transformation:
Susan [Stanton] has said all along that she’s not like other transgender people. She feels uncomfortable even looking at some, “like I’m seeing a bunch of men in dresses.”
Eventually, she decided it was too early for transgender people to be federally protected. People need more time, more education, she says. “The transgender groups boo me, now, when I speak. Isn’t that ironic?
No, it’s not ironic. If a publicly transgender woman uses the transphobic language of the religious right to denigrate the less than photogenic members of her transgender community, it’s community chagrin that’s being evidenced — not irony. If a publicly transgender woman speaks in terms of accommodating those who would discriminate against her and her peers, it’s a feeling of betrayal that her community is feeling — it’s not irony.
I suppose the lesson to be learned here is that there are a wide range of opinions within the LGBT community. Stanton has valuable narrative — an important role in T history — but this historical importance shouldn’t be mistaken for personal expertise in political lobbying, activism, and especially civil rights. There are plenty of those on the front lines who are well aware of the how each word spoken by “out” Ts like Stanton can be twisted for their own use. Stanton’s clearly not politically savvy, and clearly still dealing with self-image and self-identification issues.
Susan Stanton shouldn’t be faulted for not being politically savvy, or with struggling with her personal issues. What is sometimes difficult for communities to grasp is how icons aren’t always the best spokespeople for causes, yet somehow, they frequently get anointed as our spokespeople. And as an icon turned spokesperson, Stanton’s comments were particularly unfortunate — both for her and the rest of the transgender community.
For every Melissa Etheridge you get a George Michael; for every Sylvia Guerrero you get a Renee Richards; for every Judy Shepard you get a Susan Stanton. I can only hope that Stanton’s comments represent temporary viewpoints rather than permanent notions.
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Pam Spaulding contributed to this post.
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Related:
* Largo City Manager Plans Public Transition From Male To Female
* Largo Commissioner Mary Black: Fire City Manager Stanton
* Largo, FL officials vote to dismiss trans city manager
* Largo fires Stanton
Posted in Blogroll, LGB civil rights, LGBT, diversity, employment - housing - public accomodation, transactivism, transgender, transgender civil rights |
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:24 pm
she says “men in dresses” as if that’s a bad thing. you know, some of my best friends are, or have been, men in dresses, myself included. boo susan stanton!
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
[...] autumn 10:59 pm [...]
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Yeah, she’s different from us alright. SHE doesn’t have to worry about where her next meal is going to come from if she gets fired from her job.
January 4th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
I moved from AZ to GA and found that Trans-bigotry followed me and is everywhere. It is always comforting to hear rednecks say that they will “shoot us on sight”, but to hear a transperson add to the bigotry is sad. IF HRC couldn’t kill us, then I guess we will have to do it ourselves. Oh, gee, that is what we have been doing all along. My concern is that Susan Stanton is placing herself in a very lonely position, and for us it is extremely dangerous. I wish her well, and hope she finds life and safety away from all of the conflicts and turmoil.
As for me? Well, I will drag my Transitioned body through another job search, struggle for medical services, a place to live, and so on. I like her once lived in the six figure market. Gone now! Susan is about to discover what the full scope of that means.
January 8th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Stellewriter ,wishing you the best in your job search..Great post Autumn.(and Pam) The topic is highly charged and yes we must be oh so careful who becomes a political spokesperson - just makes for more brush fires to put out within what should be a unified movement of very diverse people with different personal perogatives and viewpoints. But i continue to plead that we all work together in PRIDE and as much solidarity as we can possibly muster.
We are a social political civil rights movement and WE are a “we” even for those who would not associate with certain members within our oppressed affinity groups.
January 8th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Excellent post, and I have to say: I honestly can’t believe Susan said those things… a “transphobic transexual”… how demoralizing is that?! I can’t fault her for speaking her mind, but I think our most widely seen activists should deliver a bit more tact and diplomacy when doing so. Hopefully, Susan’s opinions will change… if not… yeah, another Renee Richards.
January 10th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Apparently too a TS friend in Chicago informed me that last yr at the TS/TG yrly gathering the name escapes me..They invited Stanton as a speaker..good grief what on earth were they thinking. Does anybody out there realize that TS do not get character transplants as part of SRS surgery..and reading the comments in the Sarasota article one can clearly see a few fatal flaw, in the former Stantons politics that came right along with her into her new life. But all and all its par for the course , and just makes DEBUNKING, educating, and tolorance for all our differences even more of an imperitive. Self appointed spokes people though can be a real hazard. Some lack depth, lack a full history and sense of where we are in history as large social movement. Me i am of the persuation that the T totally belongs in the lgbT movement. And also welcome those who are younger
And youngins being youngins..want to have the Q in there too i can see the reasoning but as an older activist. I feel T and TG cover that. I guess in the four legged table metaphor i use (LGBT) perhaps the Q could be the lazy susan on the table. (no stanton pun intended) though she didn’t do her homework and thats kind of lazy and destructive.
i think the way i do because in the END society does NOT pick and chose who they discriminate against when it comes to GENDER trans “grssions” or gender outlaws. The haters hate. Some even hate more those who would pass themselves off as “just as normal as you” types of lgbt (see KKK philosophies) so Susan is in for a rude awakening..and i choked a few times reading that newspaper article interview.
I mean heck we got Barney Frank in congress, believe ME i do think we could do much better as smart as he is, experienced and all, he sold out the most vulnerable. And rationalized it in a most pathetic way.
WE got a long road ahead of us. With kindness, patience and dedication -eyes on the PRIZE we will get there.
Peace and love to all who read here.
P2 aka Nicki