Rupaul on WTF with Marc Maron

[Borstalboy]

Oh, man. The whole podcast is full of gems and gave me more affirmation than a dozen self-help books, but this excerpt gave me some BWW triggers:
Rupaul serves it up REAL, as usual

[FindingNamo]

"Four people with a wifi connection…"!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Holy moley, that was a lot of platitudes!

[strummergirl]

Yeah, I'm sure not what effect this had other than that Patton Oswalt apparently had an opinion on the word that he was constantly tweeting about how great this clip was. It's just all ¯\_(?)_/¯ rather than that Ru shut it down or whatever Buzzfeed collective GIFs can be used.

[FindingNamo]

I'd rather hear Ru make fun of the four people with wifi than to swear to God he thinks Shirley Q. Liquor was coming from a place of love and people are too sensitive.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

It's all great advice if you want to be RuPaul. I'm not sure if all trans people can solve their problems by learning how to werq.

[Borstalboy]

The legendary Trannyshack has changed it's name because of PC pressure

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

What a sad day for America.

[JerseyGirl2]

I don't really know if Ru can stand behind the statement that it's "allies" causing the ruckus. Former trans Drag Race contestants are claiming issue with the use of She-mail, She-Male and tranny. I don't have a dog in the fight. (Was that offensive?)

[Jordan Catalano]

I hope that they stop referring to each other as "girl" as it's offensive to biological girls. I hope every use of the word "Mama" from Laganja is edited out because it offends Roxxxy. I hope every use of the word "bitch" is taken out because it offends bitches everywhere.

[FindingNamo]

Is it possible the show could be broadcast without using any words at all?

[Jordan Catalano]

That would offend people who can hear.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

A lot of women I know are offended by the word bitch.

I guess I don't see what the big effing deal is about trying to not use words that groups of people think are insults. I get that not every trans person is offended at the word tranny, in the same way that not all women take offense to the word bitch, but what's wrong with thinking about the words you use for people and how they will be perceived?

I really only ever hear "PC" anymore by people who clearly anti-PC, and all of them seem to be under the misapprehension that being "anti-PC" makes them come off as some kind of renegades for free speech when all they really come across is like assholes.

[JerseyGirl2]

Is Ru's new single, Sissy That Walk (available on iTunes) offensive since it uses "sissy?"

I don't really get the big deal. If someone is offended, use a different word. There are a LOT of words that were formerly used freely that offended. They are no longer an accepted part of daily dialogue. I guess the waters get muddy when someone else claims ownership of the word.

[FindingNamo]

Offensive only to me.

[Addison D.]

"If someone is offended, use a different word."

SomeONE? Just one? That doesn't really seem like a viable plan.

So, then, how many does it take to make a legitimate constituency? And, again, who gets to speak for that group? I sometimes find myself at odds with those who have appointed themselves as my spokespeople--GLAAD, for example.

It seems, too, as though context is everything. I've been called 'fag' with love and with hate. Same word, very different meaning/intent.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Christ.

[Jordan Catalano]

[FindingNamo]

I think people need to consciously uncouple from people and organizations that use language they don't like. If today's young and happening and active trans community cannot abide the language used by the gay males of a certain RuPaul age, then they should stop thinking of such folks as their allies. You can't control language and you can't change people.

It's like Armistead Maupin wrote somewhere once, "All gay men are not my brothers." Build your coalitions the way you want, but it doesn't mean til death do you part if some aspects of their behavior or philosophy or language choices are untenable to you. Move on.

[TheatreFan4]

I guess I don't see what the big effing deal is about trying to not use words that groups of people think are insults. I get that not every trans person is offended at the word tranny, in the same way that not all women take offense to the word bitch, but what's wrong with thinking about the words you use for people and how they will be perceived?

It's a show about dressing up as women. I'd wager there are quite a few women who are upset about that. In fact there's a whole sect of feminism that is vehemently anti-drag. Are they not important because they're not loud enough? The thing is that Tranny, She-Male, Lady Boy, are not exclusively Trans terms. They are also Drag terms. Sorry bout it. And I'm sorry, but if you think the word Tranny has evolved into more of an insult NOW than it was in the 80s, you're crazy. The word has devolved. It's had power taken from it.

And then we have America's sweetheart (Peace, Love, & all that jazz)... until she's not... Carmen Carrera.


I'll leave you with TS Madison
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=548365551950224

[Borstalboy]

Fight the real enemy! Like this bitch.

[PalJoey]

From the desk of Mx Justin Vivian Bond:



A Missive to My Community:

I'm writing this because I want to be very clear on where I come down on the recent controversies around the language issues with regards to our trans-narratives. I've been an advocate for finding new, inclusive, thoughtful and evolved language for those of us in the trans and gender non-conforming communities for some time now. Therefore I feel personally compelled to weigh in on these latest dramas that are really annoying the s h i t out of me.

In my opinion there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with Heklina changing the name of Trannyshack in an effort to "rebrand" her legendarily inclusive, irreverent celebration of Queer fabulousness. But keep in mind that the reason she has "evolved" is because she's been forced to due to harassment from a group of people who have decided that instead of learning from our queer history of re-appropriating, owning, and disempowering words that ACCURATELY DESCRIBE WHO AND WHAT WE ARE -instead of taking those words that are sometimes used to hurt us by those who WILL HATE US NO MATTER WHAT and making them a part of what makes us wonderful, a small group of vocal "queers" has decided it's better pursue a shame-based agenda.

Therefore, it seems, Heklina has decided it's easier to "rebrand" her party to avoid any more grief. That's her decision and I applaud her for doing what she feels she needs to do. It still makes me sad. I also think there was nothing wrong with the whimsical "Female or Shemale" game played on RuPaul's Drag Race -especially because the contestants couldn't even tell the difference. Hello! That's revolutionary!!! Not to mention the amazing talent displayed later in the episode by the transgender artists on the show which has now been pulled from the air.

So. In lieu of standing up to the haters who seek to diminish us and our accomplishments and standing UNITED IN PRIDE IN OUR DIVERSITY these thoughtless "word police" instead go on the attack and achieve easy victories by harassing, silencing and shaming members of their own community and the allies who are thoughtful and sensitive enough to the reasons and feelings behind their anger that they are willing to listen and -as usual, blame themselves and make the changes because it's just EASIER to "evolve" back into silent, bullied shame.

What they fail to recognize is that by banishing the use of the word TRANNY they will not be getting rid of the transphobia of those who use it in a negative way. What it does do is steal a joyous and hard-won identity from those of us who are and have been perfectly comfortable, if not delighted to BE TRANNIES, but the fact is WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY. In case you didn't know it WE'RE TOUGH! A reality check, if people think you are a tranny it's because you are perceived as one. OWN IT! If they think that's a bad thing then THEY ARE STUPID!

If you don't wish to own that word or any other word used to describe you other than "male" or "female" then I hope you are privileged enough to have been born with an appearance that will allow you to disappear into the passing world or that you or your generous, supportive family are able to afford the procedures which will make it possible for you to pass within the gender binary system you are catering your demands to. If you're capable of doing that then GO ON AND DISAPPEAR INTO THE PASSING WORLD! Otherwise quit using your big, privileged -yet ignorant- mouths to make the words used to describe who we are a shameful thing.

It is not shameful to be a tranny, a she-male, or any other word used to describe a gender variant individual. It's shameful to harass people for being comfortable with who they are and the words they choose to use to describe themselves when you aren't. That is my opinion on this ridiculous subject.

As you can tell I'm angered by this trifling bullshIt. We should be working on unifying our community and getting ourselves basic protections under the law. If everyone who is expending so much time and energy harassing their sisters about this word would harass their elected officials with the same amount of verve and fervor we'd be on the way to a much more trans-inclusive society. These words were written in love and anger.

Mx Bond

[Borstalboy]

Amen!

[JerseyGirl2]

Logo "distances" itself from RuPaul For Defending Use Of Anti-Transgender Slur

[TheatreFan4]

Oh Buzzfeed, way to misrepresent what was said. Logo cannot afford to distance itself from Ru. Ru is Logo. Unless those Will and Grace reruns are where the money is at.

[Jordan Catalano]

Exactly. If they lose DRAG RACE, that network will fold.