Big tent politics v ghetto politics. (44)

Patience is a virtue: Unless something radical needs changing - and that is obvious to the majority, then most opinion, perception and behaviour changes amongst large populations are gradual, evolutionary and glacially slow (we are talking pre climate change here ).

The best way to change a large group's view is first to recognise and understand the baseline - What is the zeitgeist; who differs from this and how?

This should enable us to concentrate on specific things that are easy to change - and to change them first amongst the groups likely to influence the opinions of others and also who are likely to react in a similar and positive way to an issue (we want to avoid starting debates wherever we can - getting agreement is the gosl).

This fails completely if the groups targetted suddenly realise that we don't have a unified position on the issues we are communicating.

That screws things entirely, as the uncertain people who might support our cause just see more uncertainty.

So, a united voice from our community is the essential precursor to more widespread change.

We are a long way off, I fear, especially as the people who try to represent us to the outside world seem not to worry unduly about the need to be able to promote a united message, supported by (nearly) all.

(I support, hugely, the work done by those who, through BackLAsh, CAAN, etc do try to represent us - and admire their courage, I'm too much of a scaredy cat to get involved myself. But, I don't think they'll get far until the community backs them and buries many of it's difference).

My goal - to save women from nature (Dior)
Follow me on twitter: @belasarius99

Edited 23 Nov 10, 12:00 PM by Belasarius

It *is* about chipping away at public perception. And amongst my generation, I'm completely out. I don't rub it in people's faces, but I do mention that I'm an active member of the bdsm community.

Most people are fascinated by my crazy relationship structure and the fact that I like pain, but they don't judge, and they don't sneer. They ask questions, and they want to know.

Of course there are always anomalies, but I like to think that each generation might become a little bit more excepting (this generally seems to be the case with homosexuality) and eventually it'll be okay.

Until then I think we just have to act with as much dignity and patience as possible until BDSM gets the sort of legal respect that being gay now does.

well behaved women rarely make history

Childish.

Her work prospects are just fine, her issue is an ideological one, there's a strong tendency for TS people to be sold out by umbrellas, the most recent example of this is in the equality act, a whole load of happy clappy umbrella organisations were consulted yet for transexuals the only impact the act had was to take away a few rights by allowing exceptions to protections already given by the gender recognition act.

Unless you've directly experienced having your core identity confused for an often fetishistic temporary act I don't think you or anyone else can judge her for being against events like sparkle, they do not convey an image of transsexuality that at least myself and her want the public to perceive.

I guess the upshot for us is that by this alienation we get to escape the public eye by not looking anything like the typical transgender sparkle attendee. We don't want PR, we want and do just get on with our lives just as practically any non-trans person does.

How exactly does marching with crossdressers and dragqueens in a fabulous parade of unity help with that exactly?

Edited 23 Nov 10, 12:39 PM by Mistress_Maud

BDSM wise the big trouble we have if you want exceptance is that a large part of the scene dont care either way and are totally happy to remain in the bedroom and munches.

As to the general point of the thread - IE the Remberance thread, it maybe slightly bad timing to have it so closely associated with Remberance sunday. However I do not feel that life has made me sufficantly hard to raize such hell on a thread that was written to rembember people who have been killed for there desires. The responce from the Trans side was over the top IMHO and quite often is, however it was a thread to rembember the dead. It didnt deserve that shit.

That was a very sad thread and many today should feel shame.

That is all.

commitment is like ham and eggs. the chicken makes a contribution, the pig makes a commitment.

In practive, unity is often an excuse for screwing over minorities who are already getting fairly awful treatment. Seen it before in the LG... b... ... ... t movement and the feminist movement in particular. It actually drives a lot of people away rather than helping with unity, it's just that each of the groups it drives away is seen as unimportant compared to the people driving them out. The oppressed can't offer nearly as much as their oppressors can.

Trans people already know how the gays achieved acceptance. It involved majorly screwing over trans people they claimed to be allied with - and still does in the US. It also involved driving out anyone who made the heterosexuals too uncomfortable, whether due to failure to comply with traditional gender roles, an interest in BDSM, or something else. Let's not emulate this; I can guess where the boundaries would be drawn in our case, and they'd may be divisive enough to wipe out the BDSM community.

Yes, you are right, but that is realpolitik - minorities within a minority need to be de-vocalised so that the big minority seems to have a single, simple message. Once that is accepted by the community at large things can get more granular.

Life's not fair.

My goal - to save women from nature (Dior)
Follow me on twitter: @belasarius99

In my not so humble opinion, if it ain't fetish or BDSM then keep it to the weblogs.

Proccie

Zen S&M: The sound of one hand slapping.
'()_/)
(>'.'<)
(")_(") < MINE!

I must say that I read the other thread with some astonishment.

Rather than telling everyone they're somehow doing it wrong in relation to trans acceptance, why not explain what it is you want people to do or say?

You're on a website for kinky people; people who are already outside "the norm" in terms of anything from a bit of bedroom hanky-spanky to full-blown [insert whatever here] lifestyle.

You'd do far better telling people what it is you want, rather than being so aggressive and negative.

The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation - Pierre Trudeau
A denizen of a right little, tight little island.

The phrase "you'd do far better" assumes I have some kind of agenda, truth be told I'm a very content person. I'm not going to defend my own supposed negativity just for having the audacity to disagree with someone on the internet.

Whatever. Don't *you* think that it would be more positive to give other people an idea of what you want, rather than what you don't want?

The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation - Pierre Trudeau
A denizen of a right little, tight little island.