‘Girl, You Just Gay’ – Daily #Microaggressions Faced By #Trans and #NonBinary #Africans

May 1, 2024

"The #LGBTQI+ community in #Africa has made significant strides in the face of prejudice, homophobia, and discrimination. Despite the challenges posed by punitive laws and conservative cultures, there are efforts to support and mobilise LGBTQI+ youth activists on the continent. However, the community continues to face setbacks, with instances of violence and marginalisation being reported in various African countries. For instance, in South Africa, a country with strong legal protections, violence against LGBT people remains a pressing issue, with at least 24 reported murders in bias-motivated attacks in 2021.

Despite these challenges, there are efforts to advance LGBTQI+ equality globally, including engaging the private sector to help advance LGBTQI+ livelihoods. The private sector's role in respecting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons is being recognized, with initiatives such as robust business due diligence and human rights-based data collection being promoted to track progress toward LGBTQI+ economic empowerment.

In the midst of these efforts, it is important to acknowledge the specific challenges faced by Trans people and non-binary individuals within the LGBTQI+ community in Africa. While some have found supportive communities, they often experience Micro-aggressions and discrimination within these spaces. It is crucial to address these issues and work towards creating a more inclusive and respectful environment for all members of the LGBTQI+ community in Africa.

Misgendering, Deadnaming, Marginalising

Trans people and non-binary identifying individuals in the LGBTQI+ community face Micro-aggressions from both within and outside the community. Micro-aggressions against Trans people and non-binary individuals can take various forms, including #misgendering, #deadnaming, and invalidating their gender identity. These Microaggressions can be particularly harmful and contribute to feelings of marginalization, distress, and invalidation. Research has shown that gender minority youth experience more familial #Microaggressions, invalidation of #LGBTQ identity, and threatening behaviours (Arijis Q. et. Al. 2023).

"For instance, assuming that all individuals present as either male or female and failing to recognize non-binary or genderqueer identities can be a form of Micro-aggression. Additionally, making comments that link an Individual's LGBTQI+ identity with illness or pathology, or expressing surprise when someone's sexual orientation or gender identity is revealed, can also be harmful Micro-aggressions."

https://www.reportout.org/post/girl-you-just-gay-daily-microaggressions-faced-by-trans-and-non-binary-africans

#GenderIsASpectrum #Genderfluid #GenderQueer #Agender #RejectColonialism #LGBTQ #GBLTQ

‘Girl, You Just Gay’ – Daily Microaggressions Faced By Trans and Non-Binary Africans

This week’s blog moves our focus to sub-Saharan Africa and the specific challenges associated with being trans and non-binary within a context of misunderstanding and hostility – as much from within the community . ReportOUT Human Rights Researcher, Lovemore Mupanta, takes up the story. The LGBTQI+ community in Africa has made significant strides in the face of prejudice, homophobia, and discrimination. Despite the challenges posed by punitive laws and conservative cultures, there are efforts to

ReportOUT

Tennessee Republicans advance bill targeting what students can call transgender educators

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/states/tennessee-lawmakers-disrespect-trans-teachers

@susannelilith Ich sehe das ganze als Präzedenzfall für hochproblematisch.

Außerdem bin,ich mir.sicher dass #Liebich eher Schutz vor den Mithäftlingen denn anderherum braucht, egal in welchem Knast…

Kevin Karhan :verified: (@[email protected])

@[email protected] #Liebich ist und bleibt zwar ne #Neonazi-Kackbratze, das macht #Misgendering trotzdem nicht legal. - Ich sehe daher Angriffe aufs #Selbstbestimmungsgesetz *stets und prinzipiell als falsch an*. - Gerade weil #Liebich nicht den #rechtsstaatlich|en #Konsequenzen ihres Handelns entkommen kann oder wird!

Infosec.Space

@queerde #Liebich ist und bleibt zwar ne #Neonazi-Kackbratze, das macht #Misgendering trotzdem nicht legal.

If he gets heated in any way, if he demands his frame be activated, rather than respond to anything, what I will say is this

"Every other women in this office you treat with respect, and you treated me with respect as well for a year. But all it took was the faintest rumor for you to decide you can define who I am.

What that tells me is that EITHER you never had any respect for me in the first place, or that you are a threat to EVERY woman in this office unless we conform to whatever ideals you have about what we should be for you."

#MisgenderingResponse #misgendering

Here's the thing, the second this person decided to call me "he," the why didn't matter, the information didn't matter, the proof didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered is that this person felt entitled to define MY reality and MY existence.

He decided he could say who I am.

As soon as that happened, I was stripped of my humanity. There is nothing else I'm going to talk about. I'm not talking about my childhood or my hormones or my dressing as a man or my vagina or any other fucking thing because not a damn bit of that is any of his fucking business.

The only thing I'm going to talk about is that some fucking old white guy thought it was okay to tell me who I am, and are you going to stay there and tell me we have nothing else to talk about ever? Or are you going to apologize for doing the same thing that generations of old white men have done to generations of my ancestors, and I'm not having it.

#Misgendering #MisgenderingResponse

And they want to activate their frame, so there's going to be a lot of "Well it is true that you…" and "Well I do know that you…"

Nope.

You know nothing about me. Nothing. You don't know my history, you don't know my biology, you don't know what my body is shaped like, you don't know what's in my pelvis, you don't know a fucking thing about me.

I don't know what you think, I don't care what you think, because I don't HAVE to care what you think.

Whatever you THINK does not matter because that's not the question. The question is "Are you going to treat me with the same level of respect as you treat anyone else?"

And unless you can name 10 other women you have done whatever background investigation to give you whatever information you claim to have. Unless you can name 10 other women you decided to call "he" before respecting them, then the answer to that question is "no, you are not going to give me the same level of respect as anyone else." and this conversation is over.

#Misgendering #MisgenderingResponse

Because here's the thing: Nobody would ever decide to change that person's identity. That person does not randomly go around calling other women "he."

And any suggestion that they are right in making that mistake or that it's "understandable" is wrong. Because they have not made that mistake with ANYONE ELSE.

"It's an understandable mistake? So you are saying I DON'T have a right to the same respect as anyone else?"

Do not leave that frame. That is the only thing you talk about.

#Misgendering #MisgenderingResponse

And they will try to activate that frame as much as they can. They will say things to placate you, to tell you that they think Trans people are valid, that you should be able to live however you want, all kinds of insipid bullshit.

It's all a lie.

What they are trying to do is say "Gotcha!"

Again, the frame is "Are you due the same level of respect that anyone else is?" That's it. That's the entire discussion. There is NOTHING else to talk about. NOTHING.

Am I due respect? Yes or no?

If yes, then apologize, fix your shit, and don't let it happen again.

If no, then this conversation is over.

THAT IS THE WHOLE DISCUSSION.

#Misgendering #MisgenderingResponse

So, going into this discussion, I have one singular goal: Open the frame of whether I am due the same respect as anyone else.

See, that's a VERY DANGEROUS frame for them, and why they want to avoid it. That's why they go straight into invalidating you. Because once the frame of my humanity is activated, they have two choices: 1) Apologize profusely and admit their own wrong, or 2) Admit that I am not due the same respect as anyone else.

That's it. They cannot win that argument.

They will try to, but every attempt will be to reactivate the frame that you are invalid, because that's an argument they can win. All of society is on their side. Don't activate it.

#Misgendering #MisgenderingResponse