Sometimes problems don't get "seen" by those with privilege and/or those who are not sensitized to it until someone is dead, which is why it's so easy to see the violence as isolated. It's the proverbial "iceberg."
Trans women and men who cross dress are very often used as a "punch line" in comedy. I hear those sorts of "jokes" all the time in very mainstream venues, and by and large society considers these jokes completely normal. But piece by piece it dehumanizes trans women and creates and environment where the violence can spread from verbal microaggressions all the way to murder.
That's what I'd say to someone who wonders what they can do to stop the violence -- stand up for trans women, and men who cross dress when they're made into jokes. Point out that it's not cool. Make a point of objecting, and turning off the television. Call out the people who said it. (I'm not referring to trans women, and men who cross dress doing comedy themselves, of course.)
I also think just like the media is biased in it's reporting of PoC, there's a bias with trans people as well (especially trans women). Purely anecdotal from my own experience, but it feels like at least half of the news coverage of trans women is when they're being arrested, or may be arrested for something. We hear about trans women as criminals. That imaging affects how people think.
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Sometimes problems don't get "seen" by those with privilege and/or those who are not sensitized to it until someone is dead, which is why it's so easy to see the violence as isolated. It's the proverbial "iceberg."
Trans women and men who cross dress are very often used as a "punch line" in comedy. I hear those sorts of "jokes" all the time in very mainstream venues, and by and large society considers these jokes completely normal. But piece by piece it dehumanizes trans women and creates and environment where the violence can spread from verbal microaggressions all the way to murder.
That's what I'd say to someone who wonders what they can do to stop the violence -- stand up for trans women, and men who cross dress when they're made into jokes. Point out that it's not cool. Make a point of objecting, and turning off the television. Call out the people who said it. (I'm not referring to trans women, and men who cross dress doing comedy themselves, of course.)
I also think just like the media is biased in it's reporting of PoC, there's a bias with trans people as well (especially trans women). Purely anecdotal from my own experience, but it feels like at least half of the news coverage of trans women is when they're being arrested, or may be arrested for something. We hear about trans women as criminals. That imaging affects how people think.