approximately infinite universe
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So I’d seen some folks previously reference Gloria Steinem as a transphobic feminist.
Though I’m aware that her work contains loads of problems, transphobia was one I’d never encountered. I didn’t think anyone was making up this assertion, but I did wonder where the allegation came from.
Today, I picked up her book Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, which I obtained through BookMooch … (*checks LibraryThing*) wow, three and a half years ago, back when I thought Steinem was a ~*Feminist Hero*~. It’s been sitting on my shelf for 3 and a half years, and though I expected plenty of eye-rolling and annoyance to ensue, I did figure that if a book has been taking up space for 3.5 years, I should probably fucking read it.
Thankfully, as I opened it I took the time to scan the table of contents page and came across an essay that appears about halfway through the book titled “Transsexualism.”
Oh god.
Flipping forward straight to it, I found her within the mere five pages of this article degendering trans people (referring to trans women as “biological men,” etc.), referencing Janice Fucking Raymond with heaps of praise, and writing paragraphs like this (trigger warning):
In other words, transsexuals are paying an extreme tribute to the power of sex roles. In order to set their real human personalities free, they surgically mutilate their own bodies: anything to win from this biased society – where minor differences or hormones and genitals are supposed to dictate total lives and personalities – the right to be who they individually are as human beings.
The only other portion of the book I’ve bothered to look at is the 1995 preface – the original essay was written in 1977, though it should go without saying that this is in no way even remotely an excuse – and she only very briefly mentions and most certainly does not apologize for this essay.
Which means several things:
1. Above curiosity satiated!
2. I am not reading this book.
3. FUCK YOU GLORIA STEINEM, ROT IN HELL.
mistah-oso reblogged this from thecurvature and added: oh holy hell
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damienfblack reblogged this from thecurvature and added:
3.5 years. You brought the book, didn’t read it for five years. Turn you call the person a hero. Do you lack contextual...
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valeriekeefe reblogged this from lucypaw and added:
She did a fake-renunciation to the tune of… “I was concerned they were making cisGLs transition!”Which didn’t stop her...
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feministlibrarian said: I’m curious what the pub. date on the book and the original date on the essay were. not to say this makes it less egregious, but I hope her views have changed since she wrote that!
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hypotheticalthalamus-blog1-blog said: I think you might have typoed when you say “referring to trans women as ‘biological women’”. Also, ew. Steinem. Blergh.
kiriamaya said: I swear, if I hear a *F*eminist call transition “mutilation” one more time… well. I don’t know what I’ll do. But it won’t be very nice.
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