#trans panic

I don’t want to show any links (mostly because most of them misgenders the victims and saying shit like “he (the MTF trans woman) lied about his gender”) and I don’t really want to go into any details I don’t think is necessary. Basically the “trans panic defense” is being used again for people who murders trans people.

The “trans panic defense” is a bullshit excuse for murdering trans people. It’s basically like saying that it’s “self-defense against the trans people if the trans person didn’t say that they’re trans because the cis person wouldn’t have consented if they knew.” (Even if the trans person in question had bottom surgery.)

And with all of the anti-trans bills passing (”child genital inspection” in Ohio, “don’t say gay” in Florida, etc) they may actually be able to get away with murder using that excuse.

This is truly disgusting. We are going into “genocide” for LGBT+ people, especially trans people. Be extra careful if you’re LGBT+.

Unfortunately, a very common source of comedy in many many many sitcoms is:

Straight cis man is attracted to a beautiful woman. Other character tells straight cis man that the beautiful woman “used to be a dude/has a penis/is called Carl, etc”. Humilation and disgust follow. Recorded laughter from audience. Cut to next scene.

These jokes reinforce ideas such as:

1) Trans persons aren’t real people with real feelings.

2) Trans women (these jokes are mainly about trans women as trans men are virtually  invisible in mainstream media) are not “real” women.

3) By merely existing, trans people are tricking others into believing they’re something they’re not.

4) Being attracted to a trans person is the most humilating experience ever.

5) Being gay and/or trans is disgusting.

And these ideas have very serious consequences on our society. Not only are they damaging to the individual, but they interfer with laws and court room rulings. A concept known as the trans panic defense has actually been used to downgrade murder and assault charges. Defendants have argued that finding out that they were attracted to/flirting with/going home with/ kissing a trans person left them in a such a state of shock that they could not control their violent actions.

If mainstream media didn’t constantly reinforce the previously mentioned ideas, being attracted to a trans person wouldn’t be considered a humiliatiing/humorous experience and trans panic would not be a valid defense. (Since September 27th 2014, gay and trans panic defense are banned in the state of California.)