Wretched and Beautiful

International Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is International Transgender Day of Remembrance. Just take a look at the list of trans folks that we know about who were murdered this year. The following post is taken entirely from wordweaverlynn, who was able to say everything I wanted to and more.

Today is the tenth annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, where we mourn those who have suffered and died for their for their gender expression. These people who were murdered are only the ones we know about.

Look at the ages: the oldest was 45. The youngest was 15.

Look at the causes of death: Shot in the head. Head battered in with a brick. Repeatedly stabbed. Stoned to death. These are not just convenience murders — a shooting to go with a robbery. These are murders of annihilation.

Being transgendered in this culture is complicated and difficult. And potentially lethal. (A transwoman is almost ten times likelier to die of murder than in a car crash. Think about that for a minute. Then go read the link.)

There is something profoundly crazy about a culture that values traditional genders so highly that people feel justified in wiping out those who don’t conform.

Remember these men and women. And do something, anything you can, to promote acceptance as equals. To stop the violence.

November 20th, 2008 Posted by Gabe | Uncategorized | no comments

What goes where

I just stumbled upon nostate.com which quoted this fine bit of writing:

I get tired of the same old questions about anarchy, especially the one that goes “What would you put in the place of government?” The answer, obviously, is “nothing”. I’m an anarchist, remember? What part of an-archy do you not understand? I liken the question to someone’s asking you what you are going to put on your neck after you have that tumor removed.

Just freakin’ beautiful. And I really appreciate that he wraps up with:

It’s not my job to tell people what to do once they throw off their rulers. I don’t know what a post archy community would be like. There’d be an infinite number of possibilities for folks to organize cooperatively. The state is evil, and I won’t budge an inch on its legitimacy.

November 2nd, 2008 Posted by Gabe | Uncategorized | no comments