Theme for the week: Trans* YouTube Experiences
Readings to discuss in class on Tuesday:
- Raun, Tobias. “Screen-births: Exploring the transformative potential in trans video blogs on YouTube.” Graduate Journal of Social Science 7.2 (2010): 113-127. [PDF]
- “GenderQueer in the Midwest” : http://transgroupblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/genderqueer-in-midwest.html
- ***My colleague (Benny) and his partner (Aaron) will be making a special video for us to watch and discuss on Thursday about Aaron’s experiences in TrannystarGalactica (below), a collaborative trans YouTube channel. They are willing to answer questions we have about the experience and process. After reading the above article and watching the video, please come with things you’d like to see discussed.
Additional material to discuss on Thursday:
(WARNING: POTENTIALLY NSFW)
THE VIDEO RESPONSE!
- “The T in GLBT, Transgender Roundup”: http://www.blogher.com/t-glbt-transgender-blog-round
- Examples of Trans* transitional YouTube accounts – please browse videos and reflect on blog:
- Art of Transliness (collaborative YT account): http://www.youtube.com/user/artoftransliness
- TrannystarGalactica: http://www.youtube.com/user/TrannystarGalactica [collab. YT group that Aaron participates in]
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Additional: SOFFA Support (significant others, family, friends, and allies of the trans* community): http://soffasupport.tumblr.com/
four.nine.one 
Kate,
I hope that its not too much trouble, but I won’t be in class today. My grandparents and Grands are here and I am working on a picture story about their life in Murphysboro. Itll be one of the only times I have ALL of them in the same place. I have read over the articles for today, and Im bummed I have to take off today because I LOVE the Intersex and Trans topic!!! I will Fbook you too.
TTYS,
-Keeeeyz
missed you in class today, but i understand. a couple colleagues of mine will hopefully be posting a video on Thurs in response to our discussion in class today, so just make sure you’re familiar with everything for our online chat!
also, next week we can talk about what the rest of the semester is going to look like for this class. enjoy your family time!
Gendered/neutral pronouns, the shorter list:
…and the enormous/expansive list: http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a300/candiussell/pronounchart.jpg
Again, here’s Benny and Aaron’s awesome and generous video response: http://youtu.be/5pXlnFK3sEQ
Please make comments as usual while you are watching/listening so we can get discussion going at the normal time.
It’s really an amazing video. I’m extremely glad and thankful they took the time to add to our discussion and answer our questions.
Just finished watching it like twenty minutes ago. I WAS planning to leave a comment right after I was done, but then I got on Reddit, and…well, yeah.
Anyways, I liked the video. I especially found it interesting that Aaron specifically identifies herself as a transgender woman, as a way of separating her experience from the cisgender experience.
Civil Unionedid…lol I LOVE IT, btu then again on a serious note I don’t like the idea that society makes things complicated for people to get married, or moreso the benefits that comes with it.
Their overall attitude was great, also liked how they addressed their civil union in the beginning of the video. It seems that marriage is such a fluid and abstract concept already it still amazes me that certain lines are still drawn in the sand… particularly because of religious affiliation; although marriage’s original motivation was the allocation of property and presuming ownership over the woman and all that came with her (but that cynicism stems from my own opinions on marriage as a whole). Again, great video.
Were you at all surprised by any of the answers to our questions? I think my own bias and ignorance showed through about larger cities (and certain places like the mystical magical world of California) being automatically more liberal and progressive than small towns/midwest.
That one caught me off guard too. I never really thought about it, but the large number of people in a big city means more opportunities to come across bigotry. I guess it’s like Aaron said or at least implied; one sees the same people more often in a smaller town, so once the initial transshock wears off, it’s easier to get to know someone.
Yep for me I’d have to say the mention of California only went to show how accustomed to the bianaries I was. Because I myself saw and still do see Cali as this Omni-Freeing and place where life is good and easier for those like myself who may seem or feel like “outcasts.” However with this video I began to see and think “Man, wait yes their are accepting people, but there is also a shit load of people in California which paints the odds of those against some peoples way of living at a higher number than small towns.
Agreed, though it immediately made sense. However, I think the fact that the LGBT is so sparse in rural areas that some would still be quick to jump to violence in confronting or interacting with those who fall under the trans/gay/etc title and there is an ever present tolerance of that “unknown” I guess…
WordPress needs a like button…anywhoot [*Like]
ha, I was just thinking the same thing.
I was pretty surprised by that too. I guess that we’re kind of conditioned to think that California is friendlier and more liberal than small towns when it comes to LGBTQ issues because of the media. It makes California seem like it’s made of rainbows and glitter.
Part of me still wants to think it is. But I imagine this is true of any major city. When I was in San Francisco the atmosphere was completely different… in parts. Sure, there were areas that fit my perception of the city but there were also areas that were a regular city… and other more down and out areas. This is true of Chicago as well, especially in Boystown where they have the LGBT parade annually. Like both Benny and Aaron stated, the community is larger in larger cities so you have the culture become partially manifested in a city’s image. Smaller towns, sure there is intolerance but there is just a smaller community with a smaller voice.
I also would like to first thank your colleagues for their video, it gave me a lot of insight and better appreciation for the topic and others who lead similar lives to you both. Also, I totally agree with the fact that media and society paints these myths of the “violent” country and the accepting city. You really summed that up nicely. I think in Carbondale, LGBTQ individuals have a nice hand up because they are in a college area where there are more younger liberal students with open minds, and if not open minded then they are easily exposed to wmst and other courses that actually talk about LGBTQ lifestyles and issues. I’ve had a professor before stress constantly that classes are put into place to have you thinking more so than knowing whats right and wrong. And it really does open people up to ideas, as well as having to live and walk amongst the ideologies is great. 🙂
I would have to agree about Carbondale being a better place for acceptance than other smaller towns in the south. Since it is filled with college age students that are here to learn, become independent, and have new experiences it seems like actually a good place for the LGBTQ community to share some of their ideas, experiences, and views. I have never been exposed to that type of community before I came to college, and with the help of this class and 201 I have gained a better understanding of what it means to belong to that community, and just some information that makes me a little less ignorant to their lifestyles. I also enjoyed the video because it was really cool to hear from people who actually are in Carbondale. It made me feel like I could connect to them better.
I always thought that bigger cities were more accepting, so it was an eye opener. Its also part of my privilege and seeing it through my own eyes. Just because I’m accepting doesn’t mean everyone else in my city feels the same way.
Can I just spend the rest of class watching their channels? 😉
Thank you two very much for being so generous as to make us our own video and I hope you enjoy your time in Carbondale (as much as one can…)!
I don’t feel like I can say too much besides I wholeheartedly enjoy hearing all these stories. Obviously, there’s a lot of pain and turmoil in them, but as the story of a transformation into…a self-stasis, I guess, it’s a beautiful thing.
I’m gunna go watch more TSG now…….
I really liked that they pointed out that neither of them are trying to be the “face” of a certain identity and how they clarified that every person who goes through a transformation has a different one. I think for someone who knows little about the topic that is a really important point to understand. Everyone is different, which makes everyone’s story different.
Though not really related to the stuff being discussed today, the Raun article reminded me of a night one time where I spent a few hours watching videos by a transwoman about her transition and such. It was a few years ago and I can’t find the channel again, but I do somewhat remember what she looked like. Before her transition, she was a pretty buff guy who did bodybuilding and stuff and afterwards she lost all of that bulk, so the contrast of the before and after was even more evident. I was fascinated by this because I think it was my first real look into the life of a transgendered person.