Anti-gender - could it/should it be a thing instead of trans?

[unplugmefromthematrix]

Please forgive me if the is is much discussed already but I've been unwell for some time and so many things in life have changed without me quite noticing!

I was reading a few threads earlier today and came across a comment saying that Eddie Izzard has come out as trans which I did find surprising and really disappointing.

I've always liked I him and felt he did such a great job of expanding what men can be and do, so to find he now feels transgender is confusing. I read a transcript of an interview though and he describes being a little bit of both 'boy and girl genetics' but he seems to veer around a little in his description of himself ( his prerogative) but also with what he means by transgender because sometimes it seems he is simply saying that he is transgender on his 'nail varnish days' which is really disappointing and he has never seemed to want to change his actual body. I don't know.

it is discussed briefly here in chat www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3035236-Eddie-Izzard-is-trans

It got me thinking though that with what some posters like RedToothBrush have been saying about feminism not being as organised as the trans movement, what would things be like if at some point on the last 20 years we had managed to come up with anti-gender as a thing, instead of trans.

Eddie sometimes seems to be saying he is across the genders in that meaning of trans, and so in that case is a great ally for brealking down some gender stereoptypes, but then mentions being transgender which confuses the issue (or me at least) But it seems to me that of we had the chance to go back, maybe it would be a good idea to make #anti-gender.

I hope I have made myself somewhat clear as I'm not feeling too well, but this issue has really got under my skin and wanted to have a chat with some switched on women about it :)

My main point being that maybe Eddie would have been happy to identify as anti-gender if it were a thing, but of course i don;t know. My apologies for the muddle - I was thinking of #anti-gender when I read about Eddie and it has thrown me!!!!!

I understand

I always said gender was a social construct so why anyone wants to actually try and make it a more solid reality is a complete mystery to me and I'm really disappointed in him.

His is another case where I think people, including his fans - of which I was one - will simply say "yay, inclusion" without stopping and thinking what all of this means.

I have a new-ish friend who keeps telling me how hard she is avoiding gender stereotypes with her DD, I haven't even asked where she is on this because I honestly think she doesn't know about it though her DD will hit secondary next year and I presume then she will know?

But all this crazy talk of "men's clothes are boring" - there was no need for men to be wearing just grey suits, they could have worn dresses all along, they didn't have to be trans to do it! and EL came to a political meeting in London, years ago, in a dress, and no one thought anything of it. So why it now has to be part of a "trans" thing is a complete mystery to me.

*EI

sorry, too tired!

he is one of the people who I'd expect to see through all this.

Nice essay by detransitioned woman Crash, crashchaoscats.wordpress.com/2013/08/09/socialized-trans/
talking about how gender non--conforming people can be 'transed' by well-meaning would-be allies. Not saying this applies to EI. Chaos also posts about detransitioning on YouTube, worth a watch.

Thank you Nyx1 yes I totally agree with you. I was a teenager in the 90s and I can't quite believe how things have become turned on their heads since then.

it is interesting what you say about your friend. It must be quite a minefield now. We don't have children (one day i hope) but I've always thought that for children I would definitely avoid blue and/or pink in their bedrooms at least as in recent years the colour polarisation/ segregation for boys and girls has seemed to get stronger than ever.

I guess with having gone to a girls grammar school that expected good grades but also implicitly expected that we would succeed in any sphere, my ideas of gender stereotypes was fuck that shit! And EI appealed for those reasons as well as being generally quite funny.

I wonder if it is that male culture simply has not made any room for men like Eddie where as, as you say Nyx, we said 'yay, inclusion' and made some room. I feel like we gave an inch and some CFs have taken a yard.

And now Eddie's stance seems to be confirming that the whole thing has slipped backwards. Argh :(

OP "I wonder if it is that male culture simply has not made any room for men like Eddie"

I really thought they had though. So that baffles me more - it doesn't appear that any of this gender crap is necessary, we were doing well and then suddenly all the kids' stuff especially went blue and pink.

I have a friend who has a 16 year gap between her children - both boys. She really feels the difference that it was all going right 20 years ago, and now she has a 4 year old boy who has been laughed at in school for liking red because it's a "girl" colour. I'm not saying that one experience counts for everything, it's just interesting to hear from someone who has children in school at those two points.

also - we just got marriage equality and then this seemed to happen pretty fast after that - MN is making my open my eyes to how much homophobia might be a factor?

Sorry Nyx, got called away. Yeah, i really don;t know what its all about. Lots of reactionary forces. Male power culture/ patriarchy just seems to find a way to push back against change.

Maybe men do accept Edie but maybe its also that feeling of being the odd one out. i dont suppose he has many men to share his love of nail varnish with, but loads of women he could share it with, so much as we don't want it appearances to define women, i guess its still too obvious a thing and still is gendered. I can't blame someone for not wanting to feel the odd one out all the time but its shit that it still holds women back.

laughed at in school for liking red because it's a "girl" colour
Thats awful. Both my ds loved red but that was over 20 years ago. I think you are right about resurgence of homophobia. Especially since the TAs agressive agenda