i was reading autumn’s blog post regarding the concerned women for america recent post about the enda thing. matt barber says:

This bill would force Christian, Jewish or Muslim business owners to hire people who openly choose to engage in homosexual or cross-dressing behaviors despite a sincerely held religious belief that those behaviors are dangerous, sinful and not in keeping with basic morality. ENDA would essentially force employers to check their First Amendment protected rights to freedom of religion, speech and association at the workplace door. It’s absurd! For instance, female employees would have to endure both systematic sexual harassment and a hostile work environment by being forced to share bathroom facilities with male employees who get their jollies from wearing a dress, high heels and lipstick.

it’s the classic “man in a dress” syndrome; the idea that a transwoman is a man that “cross-dresses”, a behavior that is somehow “dangerous, sinful and not in keeping with basic morality”. i can see how it might be considered dangerous in that wearing heels for me has always resulted in lower back pain and foot cramps, which is why i almost always wear flats. of course if this is their reasoning, then wearing heels should also be considered dangerous for women.

the “man in a dress” syndrome also involves the idea that transwomen “get their jollies” by engaging in this behavior. in light of the aforementioned back pain and foot cramps, i can assure them that i “get no jollies” from wearing heels.

regarding lipstick, or any makeup for that matter, i “get no jollies” from those behaviors either. in the dry heat of the desert, my lips tend to dry out, so i’m applying chapstick several times a day. lipstick interferes with the moisturizing effects of the chapstick, so i’ve long ago dispensed with the practice. and eye makeup tends to end up on my fingers, as i often rub my eyes during the day. it’s been a while since i’ve worn any makeup at all.

and finally, the last time i wore a dress was at my wedding, almost two years ago. and i don’t remember the last time before that. and at work, the a/c is cranked up so high, that bare skin tends to freeze, so i always wear pants and my hoodie. i often take out my blanket to add a layer of warmth.

now, i do know a good number of transwomen who do wear makeup, heels, and dresses. but i also know a good number, like myself, that don’t. perhaps by not wearing the uniform, i’m inadvertently blending into the background, thereby saving myself from judgment.

i am reminded of this article in the phoenix new times, featuring this graphic:

as if women’s bathrooms have open toilets. as if a transwomen who is attempting to integrate into society would stand to pee in a public restroom.

no, as far as the public is concerned, there is one, and only one type of transwoman, rendered above. a monotype, uniform across our population. and while any woman who happens to be built strong and solid, who is above average in height and build, who takes the time to work out in the gym and build her body up, is viewed with suspicion at best, and harrassed to death at worst, many of us who are privileged to enjoy a presentation that deviates from this can hide in plain sight.

and for those people who believe that they always know a transwoman when they see one, our privileged population is all the more safe from harrassment.

there’s no doubt that stereotypes are harmful. but there’s also no doubt that in some cases, they provide a safe haven for others.