E. Chu, GWS Instructor

(image source)

With the legalization of gay marriage, the introduction of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes against discrimination, and a greater acceptance of LGBT identities, societal views on homosexuality have inverted. In 1977, under half of Americans believed that homosexual relationships should be legal; in 2017, that percentage has increased by ~67% (Gay and Lesbian Rights). For some, it seems as if the “fight” for equality is over.

However, the LGBT community and mainstream gay rights movement has always had undercurrents of racism, classism, and sexism (EP; Faye; Flores). Though the prototypical LGBT person tends to be a middle-class White male, the movement has historically been furthered by marginalized groups: people of color, lower socioeconomic status (SES), and trans people (Flores).

One commonly overlooked group in society and in the mainstream LGBT community is the Asian American population, viewed commonly through a lens of racism such as the model minority, a concept invented in 1966 used to propagate the idea that Asian Americans overcame historic discrimination and racism through hard work and other “innately” Asian traits (Cheryan & Bodenhausen 173) while failing to take into consideration the historical context of Asian immigration and the cultural context of anti-Asian racism in 20th century America. Such racism extends similarly to queer Asian Americans, whose experiences and stories are devalued by Western narratives of sexuality. Much of the focus on anti-Asian racism in popular news outlets centers around gay Asian men and dating, with Grindr being the focal point (Bollinger; Jones; Ly), but little dialogue is found in mainstream spaces about the erasure of queer Asian American lives and experiences as a whole. This blog aims to counteract that and explore one specific aspect of queer Asian American life that holds particular importance: family acceptance.

Works Cited

Bollinger, Alex. “White Guy Surprised by Anti-Asian Racism on Grindr.” LGBTQ Nation, LGBTQ Nation, 16 Sept. 2017, www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/09/white-guy-surprised-anti-asian-racism-grindr/.

Cheryan, S, and G V Bodenhausen. “Model Minority.” Routledge Companion to Race & Ethnicity , Routledge, 2011, pp. 173–176.

EP. “Web Event 2: Classism and the Queer Community.” Serendip Studio, Serendip, 7 Oct. 2013, serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/critical-feminist-studies-2013/ep/web-event-2-classism-and-queer-community.

Faye, Sean. “The Gay Men Who Hate Women.” Broadly, Vice Media LLC, 11 Nov. 2015, broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/jpyz8k/the-gay-men-who-hate-women.

Flores, Andrew R. “Yes, There’s Racism in the LGBT Community. But There’s More Outside It.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 7 July 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/07/07/yes-there-is-racism-in-the-lgbtq-community-but-not-as-much-as-outside-it/?utm_term=.b5a9b8fe6abb.

“Gay and Lesbian Rights.” Gallup.com, Gallup, Inc., news.gallup.com/poll/1651/gay-lesbian-rights.aspx.

Jones, Owen. “No Asians, No Blacks. Why Do Gay People Tolerate Such Blatant Racism?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 24 Nov. 2016, www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/24/no-asians-no-blacks-gay-people-racism.

7th Post: Reflection

What have I learnt this semester? A lot. I’ve learned about theory, community building and organization. The beginning of the semester supplied me with multiple frameworks of understanding gender per se, and applying such a definition to describe what might be transgender. Although I am still on the fence about a consistent, analytical or “logical” definition of transgender, I feel that this is part of the game. Social institutions are generally assumed as natural and biological, and as such resist logocentric underpinning. That being said, such an exploration of Stryker, Wilchinss and Bornstein have giving me excellent vocabulary not only to describe transgender phenomena, but also to apply them to the field of rhetoric.

Incidentally, someone talked today (I think it was @queendqgws294) about the difficulty of finding scholarly articles related to gender variance, so they had to search for “transgender” and came up with some stuff. To me, “gender variance” is more descriptive and encompassing, yet “transgender” has a stronger history of politicization and even commercial appeal. More people just know what “transgender” means, and that is incredibly useful. Good points, all!

Happy Transgender Day of Visibility!

Here is a selection of trans male characters from a range of comics. For more comics with trans male characters, look through our tumblr tag and our tagpacker. Reblog with your own trans male characters or your webcomic favorites!

Bastian from Bash Back

By Lawrence Gullo, Fyodor Pavlov (@fyodorpavlov), and Kelsey Hercs

A story of the queer mafia. (18+)

Miko from Prague Race

By Petra Erika Nordlund (@leppu)

Leona finds out she’s got a deadly magical parasite from another world.  Now she’s got one year left to live her life to the fullest.

Percy from Monster Pop

By Maya Kern (@mayakern)

A comic about two best friends and the slice of life adventures they share .

Barney from DeadEndia

By Hamish Steele (@hamishmash)

Barney, Norma and Pugsley as try to keep their jobs at an amusement park haunted house - while also hiding the true horrors that dwell inside it!

Dean from Society of Vice

By Sol and Satsuki (@3nun)

A webcomic about a therapy group in a bar where you can be yourself and enjoy what you want.

Sam from Prince of Cats

By Kori Michele Handwerker (@koricomics)

Lee is a seventeen-year-old with a dumb haircut, an interest in pharmacology, and an ability to hear cats talk. He’s also in love with his best friend. (complete)

Sam from Sing the Moon Down

By Kez (@misterloki)

Sam is the shy and awkward new witch in a small town. After opening up an apothecary clinic, he gets acquainted with Santiago, the local werewolf who struggles with issues of self identity. (complete)

Adam from Seeing Him

By Kia Crawford and Kelci Crawford (@kelcid)

Seeing Him is about Kate, a nerd and skating rink owner, and Adam, a trans man and a doctor. Together they fall in love and embark on mischievous malarkey with their outrageous friends. (complete)

Milo from Bad Bad Things

By Avery Graham and Ben Semmelhack

A dystopian horror coming of age story about magic, friendship, adventure and shitty teenagers doing the best they can.

Alex from Sharp Zero

By @robotsharks

Elliot, a delinquent indie rock musician, gets caught up in the world of vigilantism through an unexpectedly stupid accident.

Andres from UnderDog

By Spencer (@unimoiruka)

A webcomic about an adopted transgender 16 year old boy, Andres, and his adopted sister Oceana.

Tom from Khaos Komix

By Tab Kimpton (@discordcomics)

A queer epic tale featuring 8 teenagers. (complete)

Mel from What’s Normal Anyway?

By Morgan Boecher

We are extremely lucky to have this event taking place on campus. I worked with the GSC to try to find a time that might work best for our class to attend. Please make every effort to attend. It’ll be a low-key fun way to hang out with our class, and there will definitely be extra credit available. More details on the extra credit to follow.

HER Story

Thursday, April 7th, 2016

Series screening & talk back with the makers. Jen Richards, Angelica Ross, Fawzia Mirza

4:30 - 5:30 PM Screening 5:30 - 7 PM Panel/Discussion

Trans women in the media have long been punchlines, pathetic tragedies, and dangerous sirens. Rarely have they been complex characters who laugh, struggle, and grow, who seek and find love and sisterhood. Her Story depicts the unique, complicated, and very human women we see in queer communities, and explores how these women navigate the intersections of identity and love. Join us in watching Her Story reclaim these narratives.

James J. Stukel Towers 718 W. Rochford St (corner of Halsted/ Roosevelt, next to UIC Forum)

Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry is not hosting her MSNBC show this weekend, after the network repeatedly bumped her morning show, for election coverage. This departure is sad news for people who love smart news reporting on politics! She asked write Jamil Smith to post this letter to her audience: 

Dearest Nerds,

As you know by now, my name appears on the weekend schedule for MSNBC programming from South Carolina this Saturday and Sunday. I appreciate that many of you responded to this development with relief and enthusiasm. To know that you have missed working with me even a fraction of how much I’ve missed working with all of you is deeply moving. However, as of this morning, I do not have any intention of hosting this weekend. Because this is a decision that affects all of you, I wanted to take a moment to explain my reasoning.

Some unknown decision-maker, presumably Andy Lack or Phil Griffin, has added my name to this spreadsheet, but nothing has changed in the posture of the MSNBC leadership team toward me or toward our show. Putting me on air seems to be a decision being made solely to save face because there is a growing chorus of questions from our viewers about my notable absence from MSNBC coverage. Social media has noted the dramatic change in editorial tone and racial composition of MSNBC’s on-air coverage. In addition, Dylan Byers of CNN has made repeated inquiries with MSNBC’s leadership and with me about the show and what appears to be its cancellation. I have not responded to reporters or social media inquiries. However, I am not willing to appear on air in order to quell concerns about the disappearance of our show and our voice.

Here is the reality: our show was taken — without comment or discussion or notice — in the midst of an election season. After four years of building an audience, developing a brand, and developing trust with our viewers, we were effectively and utterly silenced. Now, MSNBC would like me to appear for four inconsequential hours to read news that they deem relevant without returning to our team any of the editorial control and authority that makes MHP Show distinctive.

The purpose of this decision seems to be to provide cover for MSNBC, not to provide voice for MHP Show. I will not be used as a tool for their purposes. I am not a token, mammy, or little brown bobble head. I am not owned by Lack, Griffin, or MSNBC. I love our show. I want it back. I have wept more tears than I can count and I find this deeply painful, but I don’t want back on air at any cost. I am only willing to return when that return happens under certain terms.

Undoubtedly, television nurtures the egos of those of us who find ourselves in front of bright lights and big cameras. I am sure ego is informing my own pain in this moment, but there is a level of professional decency, respect, and communication that has been denied this show for years. And the utter insulting absurdity of the past few weeks exceeds anything I can countenance.

I have stayed in the same hotels where MSNBC has been broadcasting in Iowa, in New Hampshire, and in South Carolina, yet I have been shut out from coverage. I have a PhD in political science and have taught American voting and elections at some of the nation’s top universities for nearly two decades, yet I have been deemed less worthy to weigh in than relative novices and certified liars. I have hosted a weekly program on this network for four years and contributed to election coverage on this network for nearly eight years, but no one on the third floor has even returned an email, called me, or initiated or responded to any communication of any kind from me for nearly a month. It is profoundly hurtful to realize that I work for people who find my considerable expertise and editorial judgment valueless to the coverage they are creating.

While MSNBC may believe that I am worthless, I know better. I know who I am. I know why MHP Show is unique and valuable. I will not sell short myself or this show. I am not hungry for empty airtime. I care only about substantive, meaningful, and autonomous work. When we can do that, I will return — not a moment earlier. I am deeply sorry for the ways that this decision makes life harder for all of you. You mean more to me than you can imagine.

Yours always,

Bex Day: Harnaam

Harnaam Kaur is many things: primary school teacher, model, and self-professed “genderfucker”. Many will know her as Britain’s foremost bearded lady. A walking mass of contradictions, it’s best, perhaps, to think of her simply as subversive, and definitely brave. What becomes clear from talking to Harnaam – warm, chatty, open – is that her most remarkable feature isn’t her appearance, but her unwavering self-belief. (by Amelia Abraham ) 

‘I Don’t Want To Die In Your Cell,’ Woman Told Police Shortly Before Dying In Jail

A recently released video shows Ralkina Jones discussing her multiple health issues with police.