The editors of Bilerico fired Ronald Gold & took his post down.
I firmly disagree with the opinion that posting his screed had anything to do with website hits or publicity, and I disagree emphatically.
The only remaining dilemma, in my opinion, is that Ronald Gold is not the only one, & is in fact representative of some people with queer genders who don’t understand that trans people are categorically different, in their experience of gender, than those who are not trans.
It took me a long fucking time to understand that. It was only when I met stone butches who transitioned to femmey gay men and former straight men who transitioned to geeky tomboys that I realized it had nothing whatsoever to do with gender conformity.
Trans people do not, as a whole, reject gender non-conformity. They are not trans because they are invested in the binary. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Here’s what I posted just below one of the “I’m-an-outraged-tranny” posts:
“Bil, I respect your decision, and your concern for trans people; no surprise to a long-time follower of your blog.
Honestly, I thought the piece was useful, if only to show that entrenched ignorance and sweeping myth-based generalizations aren’t just tools of the Religious Wrong.
The reactions to the piece also showed that there are some shrill and cynical voices among the trans “community”(I’m agnostic on the existence of such a thing)that wouldn’t know what context was if it bit them on their ass.
I’m not saying there isn’t a place for frank, even heated debate with the forces of ignorance;I’d love to see some eloquent trans argument that burns with passion.That said, I think the attacks on you are stupid; there are some trans voices that grate on me the same way some gay voices undoubtedly grate on you.
Hey, and isn’t swell we have a place to express it? Thanks again, Bil. “