Gender identity issues were popular this week on Bilerico. Whether it was news about the poor woman attacked in a McDonald's last week, the finale of RuPaul's Drag Race, or gender reassignment surgery,
every day this week had at least one lively post related to gender.
Sunday
Video: Trans Victim of McDonalds Attack Speaks Filed by: Bil BrowningComment of the Week: Joann Prinzivalli Filed by: Dr. Jillian T. Weiss
Monday
NYC Subway: Family Guy Does It Again Filed by: Cathy RennaLGBT Social Media Ethics: What Happened to Decency? Filed by: Leone Kraus
Tuesday
Chrissy Lee Polis: The New Kitty Genovese? Filed by: Jessica Max SteinThe Lisa Miller/Janet Jenkins Saga: Liberty Counsel, Anti-Semites and Anti-Gay Christianists Filed by: Michael Hamar
Wednesday
Trans Woman Banned from Hotel for Life for Going to Bathroom Filed by: Alex BlazeRuPaul's Drag Race: Alexis Mateo Was Robbed Filed by: Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer
Thursday
An Open Letter to My Genitals in Advance of Surgery Filed by: Drew CordesIowa Republican Party Wants to Re-establish Slavery Filed by: Joe Mirabella
Friday
Demons at Harvard Filed by: Patricia Nell WarrenWhy Hate Crimes Legislation Is Still Not a Solution Filed by: Yasmin Nair
Don't forget:
- Subscribe to the Bilerico Project Report to get all of the previous day's posts sent to you every night at midnight Eastern time.
- Follow Bilerico Project on Twitter for links to new posts, breaking news and contest opportunities.
- Subscribe to the Bilerico Project RSS feed to read posts via a feedreader like Google Reader or Bloglines, or include the feed in a customized homepage like My Yahoo! or iGoogle.
- Want to read a faster version of TBP on your phone? We have a mobile version!
- Become a fan on Facebook!







Leave a comment
We want to know your opinion on this issue! While arguing about an opinion or idea is encouraged, personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please be respectful of others.
The editorial team will delete a comment that is off-topic, abusive, exceptionally incoherent, includes a slur or is soliciting and/or advertising. Repeated violations of the policy will result in revocation of your user account. Please keep in mind that this is our online home; ill-mannered house guests will be shown the door.
With apologies to Drag Race fans,
I really am uncomfortable with the pairing of the attack on Chrissy Polis and other trans issues with an article on RuPaul's Drag Race under the same category as "gender identity issues."
Drag is not a gender identity. It's a performance, entertainment, Drag Race is a television show for chrissakes. You could have mentioned the article on the trans woman banned from a hotel and made this whole post about all the screwed up stuff that happens to trans women.
Instead, you plugged the Drag Race article where men in drag are giving female pronouns (something denied a lot of trans women) and described as "[making] catty comments about each other" "[coming] off as a shallow bitch" and having "no sex appeal, no fun" (all, coincidentally, misogynist remarks trans women face daily).
In light of all the other articles on trans experience you link here, the one on the Drag Race makes "gender identity issues" (which you identify this article being about) seem campy, a performance, and something done to be objectified by an audience.
People don't always know a lot about trans women. By reinforcing the idea that drag and violence against trans women are related, you are indirectly reinforcing the idea that transsexuals are here for others' entertainment.
Surviving violence and undergoing SRS are not light subjects. They are extremely personal and often not the points trans people wish to be known from. Please do not dishonor the intensely personal experiences of these women by comparing them with campy television performance. Chrissy Polis especially did not ask to be outed or made a poster child for trans issues. Please do not place her beside someone who dresses as a woman and uses "tranny" and "shemale" for fun and ratings.