Sexism effect transgender because they are not seen as their desired gender. Constant pressure to conform to gender norms are evident in minority transgenders’ lives. Society want men to be men and women to be women. Transsexuals are living their live in their desired gender, which is opposite of what they were born. Because of this transition, people who do not understand the transgender plight, tend to judge transsexuals on a hyperbolic standard of characteristics of that transsexual’s desired sex. For example, the social norm is that women are submissive and passive. So if a male-to-female transsexual shows aggression, that aggression is perceive as her biological traits shining through. Even though women act aggressive at times. Transsexuals’ desired gender is validated based on them following unrealistic rules and social stereotypes of men and women. They are not taking seriously because of this exaggerated standard.
Sexism is all about male domination; therefore the effects of sexism on both types of transsexuals are different. In a male dominated world, misogynistic views are prevalent. Female-to-male transsexuals are seen as weak because they were born women. Male-to-female transsexuals are seen as weak because they are transitioning to be the weak gender, female. The simmering anger from the male population toward lesbians and female-to-male transsexuals in Africa fuels the rise in corrective rapes. The majority of males believe that by raping, they correct the mental thinking of the lesbians or female-to-male transsexuals. They believe that a woman should be a woman and man be a man, so they usurp authority and enforce it through rape. Many times these criminal acts of sexual violence goes unpunished and swept under the rug by local authorities.
In the documentary Raped for Who I Am by Lovinsa Kevuma, an African man says this when ask his feelings on corrective rape:
“Those people, we must stay away from them. They are not normal people like us……. My idea is to turn their minds to be normal because right now they are being inhuman. If someone is trying to rape them, I can appreciate that because it is showing them the right way to be. They are suppose to live as women.(Kevuma, 2005)”
This way of thinking is sexism at is purest form. Rape is not, and never will be, a cure for transsexualism or homosexuality. Click the picture to watch excerpt from the documentary
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Brilliant article , extremely concise and accurate . You never cease to amaze me with how informed intelligent and articulate you are. Your brightness and fearlessness acts as beacon to so many disenfranchised and perhaps even hopeless transgendered who may feel that they just don’t have a voice . You let them know that they do in fact have a voice ….and it’s loud and bold. Bravo!!!
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Thank you so much darling. I think this is my purpose. I didnt see a reasonable black voice of the trans community. I want to be that
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It disturbs me all to heck that ANYONE can possibly think RAPE will “fix” anything. This even happens in so-called “developed” countries. The idea that rape will “correct” a person who was assigned female at birth but is a lesbian/man/not “feminine enough” is just disgusting. The idea that rape is the same as the sex that women want to have and consent to having is just busted.
Sexism can also be amplified with trans women. Because they “aren’t really” women, men are “allowed” to do everything they can’t do to cis women- if you suspect a woman is trans, that’s a “green light” to grope her chest and genitals, lift up her skirt (if she’s wearing one) to check what’s there, and otherwise deny her right to personal space and respect. It’s really horrible.
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You are right. Once you tell a guy what you are it does give that green light to push the envelope and the red light to the respect you deserve. Then when you you show disapproval, you get the confused face and then a line like “well i thought yall wouldn’t be so uptight like regular girls since you use to be a guy” It crazy
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