Grumpy Trans* Lady Corner

[Content note: Discussion of trans*phobia]

Last week, there was some really great news out of California. The state legislature passed a bill that requires school districts to respect trans* kids' genders. (And you know, poop on "gender identity". I mean, I get that gender is an identity, but I've always though that "gender identity" is a term that some cis* people like to throw around to distinguish "real" genders from the genders that trans* people merely "identify as.")

Really, I think this is great news.

But, um, here's how the Sacramento Bee reported the story: Senate OKs bill letting transgender students pick facilities.

When I read that, my reaction was "O HAI THANX GREAT AND POWERFUL CIS LEGISLATORS FOR LETTING FOLKS LIKE ME GO TO THE APPROPRIATE BATHROOM, WE WERE SRSLY WAITING FOR UR PERMISSIONS." (True story, after 6 pm I think in CAPS LOCK.)

Yes, I suppose part of the reason I've been indignant about this all weekend is the Bee's wording. The bill isn't about letting trans* people live our lives as much as it prohibits school districts from discriminating against us.

But there's something else at play. I really wanted to say that cis* people go to the bathroom and enjoy gender-segregated activities all the time without permission from the state, but that's simply not true. Governments have spent tons of time protecting cis* people's genders.

However, policing is the flip side of protecting. So, while I appreciate the work of the California legislature and the lives it will improve, I don't see this victory as a replacement for doing the hard work* of not policing each others' genders, of not creating and defending establishments that alternative proscribe or erase lives.

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*In particular, this would appear to be a lot of work for many cis* people. Yes, I know trans* people that fall into the trap of policing other people's identities, but the whole "gender policing" thing is pretty much cis people's baby. Y'all need to own that shit. See also: the cool way that discussion of this bill erases the existence of non-binary genders.