Can I get your view on this? Thanks to the whole debacle in Spokane, people are now discussing if transracialism is a thing. I know some people who literally said "people can choose who they want to be" and "if people can choose their gender why not their race or ethnicity". Way I see it, as a non-black PoC, transracialism is what white people use to "identify" as black so they can use the n-word and other slurs that black people have been trying to reclaim. Thoughts?
I dunno if Rachel was using the n-word but it seems like people will look for any excuse to get a pass for it these days. When it comes to comparing her to transgender folks, initially I wasn’t sure how to explain the difference but that whole angle felt immediately gross. So I reached out to my friend and co-worker parkermolloy to get some context because I’ve gotten a few of these questions and wanted to make sure I didn’t royally screw up my answer. That being said, I don’t wanna speak over trans folks here, so please check me if I’m outta line on this one.Gender and race aren’t the same thing. Gender Dysphoria is a real condition that lead people to self harm, depression and even taking their own life. To my knowledge there isn’t anything comparable for folks who believe they should be a different race. Most I’ve seen just “feel a connection” to another race’s music, food, culture etc. It’s kinda like dress up for them. Trans people have real struggles and face incredible obstacles that no one would willingly choose to go through. Also, comparing Rachel’s actions to transgender folks suggests there’s a level of deception involved with being trans which is incredibly transphobic. I view Rachel’s behavior as “being black is way cooler than being white so I’ll just do this”, hence the fake parents and pretending her adopted siblings were her children. Trans people just want to be their true selves, not pretend to be someone else.Â
Just a head’s up, but not all trans people experience dysphoria and suffering is not a requisite for being trans. That idea leads trans people who face lesser degrees of dysphoria or no dysphoria at all to feel fake or not trans enough. It also reinforces the notion that trans people are “born in the wrong body,” which is based on cissexist ideology.
There are also problems with trans identity being seen as a medical condition. In the past, trans identities were called “gender identity disorder” and pathologized. Now, dysphoria is seen as a medical disorder, which can allow trans people access to transition resources on the one hand, but other the other, often requires trans people to obtain a diagnosis to be seen as legitimate and jump through many loop holes. Also, some trans people choose not to physically transition.
It’s true though that race and gender are highly different and when people conflate the two to defend Rachel Dolezal, they are being racist and transphobic.
Thank you!
