As someone who frequently has books on Amazon's transgender lists, is it really hypocritical for me to not give a shit about
Part of it is because the whole thing is connected to the Kardashian clan, the people who turned a big ass and a sex tape into a multimedia empire, despite not having any talent or decency. They're just such attention whores that I guess this just seems like another publicity stunt to keep them in the spotlight and selling clothes and perfume and whatever other bullshit.
But deeper than that is I'm just pretty old-fashioned about the issue. I mean I was raised in rural Michigan, so it's not like it was a really diverse place. If anyone was gay or bi or transgender or anything like that I didn't know, nor did I ever have any interest in finding out. You can put on dresses in your own house, but just don't do it when I'm around.
I remember reading an article someone wrote on Yahoo or Mashable or one of those things that pops up on my Facebook about a guy who likes to go out dressed like a woman. The part I totally disagreed with was where he said that if he's lazy and decides not to shave before going out in a dress, we should all still treat him like a woman. Sorry, dude, but I can't buy that. Just because you're wearing a dress doesn't mean I'm instantly going to treat you like a woman, not if you're looking like the bearded lady. It's like I can put on a Superman costume but that doesn't mean I can stop bullets or leap tall buildings in a single bound. Just because you dress like something does not mean you are that something.
I do feel bad when I read stories like this and some of the problems transgender kids have. And then in one of those weird coincidences yesterday one of my Facebook "friends" came out as starting treatments to transition from a woman to a man. As the shrinks would say, "How does that make you feel?" Just a little awkward considering this post, but if that's what she wants to do it's not really my business to give her crap about it. Everyone should have the freedom to be who they want to be, so long as that someone isn't causing any harm to anyone else. We shouldn't force kids into the street because they don't feel comfortable with who they are.
Still, I'm not as open-minded on the issue as I probably should be. Not to say I don't try to do that in my books. Most of the time the gender swap is complete, but recently I tried a couple where you get a chick with a dick or something like that. Baby steps, I suppose.
Sometimes though it seems like me writing gender swap erotica is as hypocritical as if Michael Offutt tried to write Harlequin romances or Tony Laplume tried to write books for normal humans. Or maybe in some weird way that makes me the perfect person to do it. You know, as the outsider who might see things differently than someone on the inside. Like Nixon going to China and shit. That's a good justification, right? Right? [crickets]
4 comments:
I will never do that.
We've got a town about an hour south of here in St. Louis where a trans wants to be able to use the girls restroom. I'm personally divided over it. On one hand, I feel bad for this person. She was on a local radio show yesterday, and she has done a ton of scientific research as to why she feels like a girl trapped in a boy's body. On the other hand, you can't help how 150 girls at the school feel uncomfortable with her (him) using the same bathroom.
I felt more sympathetic toward Caitlyn Jenner in the beginning when I first heard about it, but as time went it came across like she was using it like some sort of publicity stunt. You don't need to pose on the cover of a Vanity Fair in lingerie to get your point across.
Well you did say that writing transgender books was a complete sell out (at least I remember that conversation). At least you're admitting your shortcomings. I can respect truth.
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