"My gender was my very first 'This I Know For Sure' moment"
May 20, 2011 7:05 AM Subscribe
Janet Mock is an editor at People.com, a blogger, and co-hosts the The Missing Piece podcast.
She is also a transgender woman.
Janet discusses her decision to come out in the latest episode of the Missing Piece podcast.
She recently created a video for the It Gets Better Project.
She is also a transgender woman.
Janet discusses her decision to come out in the latest episode of the Missing Piece podcast.
She recently created a video for the It Gets Better Project.
Here's another article about her that popped up on my Facebook feed from a friend this week.
posted by crunchland at 8:18 AM on May 20, 2011
posted by crunchland at 8:18 AM on May 20, 2011
So we’re going to run a MeFi post on everybody who comes out as anything, particularly if they already have their own forums in the media?
posted by joeclark at 8:47 AM on May 20, 2011
posted by joeclark at 8:47 AM on May 20, 2011
Yes.
posted by chara at 8:50 AM on May 20, 2011 [11 favorites]
posted by chara at 8:50 AM on May 20, 2011 [11 favorites]
Come on, joeclark, either get on board with the 'post a new transgendered person to mefi every day' agenda, or get out of the way.
posted by crunchland at 8:54 AM on May 20, 2011
posted by crunchland at 8:54 AM on May 20, 2011
There was a transgendered teacher at my Catholic sixth-form college. Nobody really cared, which I think was the most awesome response. He left at the end of my first year, then she came back to teach at the beginning of the second, and everything carried on as before. Given the pretty reactionary attitudes of that town, it was great that it wasn't even a topic for gossip.
posted by mippy at 9:08 AM on May 20, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by mippy at 9:08 AM on May 20, 2011 [5 favorites]
So we’re going to run a MeFi post on everybody who comes out as anything, particularly if they already have their own forums in the media?
You mean posts about notable people living their lives openly, thus encouraging a culture where it's ok for others to do the same?
I'm cool with that.
posted by mrgoat at 10:27 AM on May 20, 2011 [14 favorites]
You mean posts about notable people living their lives openly, thus encouraging a culture where it's ok for others to do the same?
I'm cool with that.
posted by mrgoat at 10:27 AM on May 20, 2011 [14 favorites]
Our instructor invited a pre-op transgender woman to speak in our 200 level psych sexuality class. Listening to her story was heartbreaking and inspiring. I am thankful I got a chance to hear it.
I am happy Janet is telling her story. Hopefully the right people hear it and it helps them.
posted by Silvertree at 10:52 AM on May 20, 2011
I am happy Janet is telling her story. Hopefully the right people hear it and it helps them.
posted by Silvertree at 10:52 AM on May 20, 2011
A friend and I go to a cafe and one of the workers there is a guy who is (possibly) transgender. He looks feminine, wears makeup and a carries a handbag. And everyone who goes there loves him to bits. It is great that he is out there in such a public position too: respect is due.
posted by marienbad at 10:58 AM on May 20, 2011
posted by marienbad at 10:58 AM on May 20, 2011
Our instructor invited a pre-op transgender woman to speak in our 200 level psych sexuality class. Listening to her story was heartbreaking and inspiring. I am thankful I got a chance to hear it.
I don't mean to attack you, but this is a good launch point. I've taken classes where transgendered people have lectured on subjects of their interest and have not indicated their preferred gender identity or invited us to speculate on it. And really, we've all probably met at least one transgendered person who we didn't know was trans.
On the one hand, I deeply respect anyone and everyone for identifying openly and proudly and not being crushed under the heel of heteronormative institutions. On the other hand, these posts make me squirm, and I resent that we have to have these conversations. Living transgendered should be unremarkable, and I hope we someday live in that world.
I'll add that "coming out" is a privilege of only some queer people, myself included; many others are always visible and therefore the subject of incredible cruelty, harassment and abuse. Many of these people do not even identify as queer: they simply fail to adhere to social conventions of gender, and are therefore targeted. I do hope "It Gets Better", because we have a long way to go still.
posted by mek at 12:43 PM on May 20, 2011 [6 favorites]
I don't mean to attack you, but this is a good launch point. I've taken classes where transgendered people have lectured on subjects of their interest and have not indicated their preferred gender identity or invited us to speculate on it. And really, we've all probably met at least one transgendered person who we didn't know was trans.
On the one hand, I deeply respect anyone and everyone for identifying openly and proudly and not being crushed under the heel of heteronormative institutions. On the other hand, these posts make me squirm, and I resent that we have to have these conversations. Living transgendered should be unremarkable, and I hope we someday live in that world.
I'll add that "coming out" is a privilege of only some queer people, myself included; many others are always visible and therefore the subject of incredible cruelty, harassment and abuse. Many of these people do not even identify as queer: they simply fail to adhere to social conventions of gender, and are therefore targeted. I do hope "It Gets Better", because we have a long way to go still.
posted by mek at 12:43 PM on May 20, 2011 [6 favorites]
It sounds like her mother was really supportive. It's nice to hear about cases where queer or trans kids get treated right by their families.
posted by lollusc at 2:10 AM on May 21, 2011
posted by lollusc at 2:10 AM on May 21, 2011
Mod note: few comments removed - please go to MetaTalk if you want to talk about why MetaFilter sucks, do not do it here. Thank you.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:04 AM on May 21, 2011
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:04 AM on May 21, 2011
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posted by Admiral Haddock at 7:10 AM on May 20, 2011