Unexpected blog update: note on social and physical transition of a transgender individual

Η κοινωνική μετάβαση ενός τρανς ατόμου μπορεί να πάρει πάρα πολύ καιρό, ενώ η σωματική – όταν αρχίσει – μπορεί να είναι πολύ πιο γρήγορη. Το γεγονός ότι ένα τρανς άτομο δεν μοιάζει στερεοτυπικά με το γένος (gender) με το οποίο αυτοπροσδιορίζεται, δεν σημαίνει ότι δεν είναι αυτό το γένος τους. Είναι προσωπικό ζήτημα και όχι κάτι που αποφασίζουν οι άλλοι. Έχω προσωπική εμπειρία τέτοιων συζητήσεων, όπου κάποιοι είχαν κατηγορήσει ένα τρανς άτομο ότι «δεν μοιάζει αρκετά τρανς» ή «δεν μου φαίνεσαι άνδρας/γυναίκα εμένα». Εάν το σκεφτείτε λίγο θα καταλάβετε γιατί είναι λάθος. Επίσης, όταν είσαι τρανς μπορεί να πονάει να σκέφτεσαι το παρελθόν –ειδικά όταν βλέπεις παλιές φωτογραφίες- αλλά επίσης βοηθάει να δεις πόσο μακριά έχεις ταξιδέψει.

For a trans person, social transition may take ages, while physical transition - when it starts - can be faster. Just because a trans person doesnt "traditionally" look like the gender they identify with, that doesn't mean they are not of that gender. That's a personal thing and not something for others to decide. I have personal experience of conversations where people accused a trans person of "not being trans enough" (?!) or "you don't look like a man/woman to me". If you think a bit about it, you'll understand why this is wrong. Also, it might hurt looking back, when you're trans, but it also helps you realize how far you've travelled.

PS. Yes, I know it's almost been 2 years since I last updated :/
PPS. I can't even promise I'll post again soon, but I'll try. So many things have happened since I last posted. I don't even know if people read my blog anymore. Do you? Leave a comment if you do :)

International Transgender Day of Visibility - Διεθνης Μερα Τρανς.. αμ.. τετοιας;

So, apparently today is International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Since to me that day means nothing (because I have to talk and explain and advocate about trans issues *every* day of my life) I'll just say this:

Before you make the mistake of offending someone with your questions and comments, pause and think. That's a universal thing that goes without saying, it applies to all. But it's a constant problem trans people face, people's ignorance.

Respect the identity of a trans person. Respect them, don't ask questions about "real" names. Their real name is the name they will give you. Use their preferred pronouns. Don’t ask them questions you wouldn’t ask people you don’t know (which means NO genital questions, no bathroom, no sex questions). Don't abuse them verbally and/or physically because you can't understand them. Pay attention and learn. As you ought to do with anything that you don't know about.

Thank you.

Ok, σημερα βλεπω ότι είναι η Διεθνης Μερα Τρανς (αμ… πώς  το λενε τωρα αυτό; Το «ορατοτητας» και «επιγνωσης» δεν είναι σωστα…). Τελος παντων, σημερα είναι μια ακομα παγκοσμια μερα για να θυμαστε ότι υπαρχουν τρανς ατομα. Για μενα αυτή η μερα δεν σημαινει τιποτα (γιατι πρεπει να μιλαω και να εξηγω κάθε μερα) οποτε θα πω μονο αυτό:

Πριν κανετε το λαθος να προσβαλλετε καποιον με τις ερωτησεις σας και τα σχολια, σταματηστε και σκεφτειτε. Αυτό είναι κατι αδιαμφισβητητο που ισχυει γενικα για ολους. Αλλα είναι ένα συνεχες προβλημα για τους τρανς ανθρωπους, το ότι ο κοσμος δεν ξερει.

Να σεβεστε την ταυτοτητα των αλλων. Να τους σεβεστε, να μην ρωτατε για το «κανονικο» τους ονομα, το ονομα που σας λενε είναι το κανονικο τους. Να χρησιμοποιειτε τις αντωνυμιες που προτιμουν, στο φυλο που σας εχουν πει. Μην τους ρωτατε πραγματα που δεν θα ρωτουσατε καποιον που δεν ξερετε (όχι ερωτησεις για τα γεννητικα τος οργανα, όχι ερωτησεις για το ποια τουαλετα χρησιμοποιουν, όχι ερωτησις για το πώ κανουν σεξ).Μην τους παρενοχλειτε, λεκτικα και/ή σωματικα επειδη δεν τους καταλαβενετε. Δωστε προσοχη σε ο,τι σας λενε και μαθετε από αυτό. Όπως οφειλετε να κανετε για το οτιδηποτε που δεν κατεχετε ως αντικειμενο.

Σας ευχαριστω.

Transphobia online by LGBTqia people: an incident

I stumbled upon a blog, while looking about FtM trans stuff.
The blog was about people’s stories about why they didn’t transition.
So the post I was reading was about T (testosterone) and its effects. I knew about most of the things written in there but, as I was reading, the language was getting more and more… off putting.

The post was written kinda like “you may know this about T, but I’ll tell you THE TRUTH!”. I won't link it because it was rude and verbally abusive, so were the comments.

One thing that unsettled me was that it claimed that T wont make a FtM person’s voice deeper, but rather make them sound like a little person (it even said “midget”) of either gender. The sources the post indicated were “lots of people on YouTube say so”.

The language continued getting more and more.. unkind, claiming that bio males have a pungent body odour and urine and that there’s a “generic trans male type” (chubby and apparently unattractive). Also apparently, people on T want cock in their mouths to prove their masculinity and also feel the urge to rape women.

Eventually, I realized this wasn’t a blog for FtMs that refused to transition, but rather a butch lesbian/tomboy blog. They claimed that doctors “make” transmen transition and take T and they said that people shouldn’t be jumping on the “trans bandwagon”.

Also, I browsed the comments, where I saw this little gem:

It’s sad but true. I think being “Trans” has become a fad over the last few years, and people are infecting eachother, especially over the internet. Of course the medical world is happy to have willing test subjects to see what the long-term effects of testosterone on the female body will be. I guess I feel sorry for most of them (FTM’s) who will never be men, no matter how much they kid themselves now.

I haven’t read anything more transphobic written by an LGBTqia person ever.

Trans people, I dont know why people may have a problem with us, but if you are reading something that’s written like this, I suggest you close the site immediately. These people are not your friends and they are NOT offering you advice.


PS./disclaimer: I have NOTHING against butch les people or tomboys or ANYONE. But NOONE has the right to tell me I’ll never be a man. NO ONE.

PPS. I owe you a post about the things I've been doing since I left Greece^^; Need to get organized to write that :)

PPPS. Wanna link that on tumblr? Here's a handy link:  http://harrysaxonpm.tumblr.com/post/57828629016/transphobia-online-by-lgbtqia-people-an-incident

Greece is not that dead yet

Ok. Alright. Yes. I’ve been silent for quite a while and I promise I’ll eventually start posting here again, but first, I have to do this. This is a SERIOUS post about serious things.

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of things about Greece. People didn’t used to pay attention to us Greeks, until the Crisis, that is. Then they decided that they were all Greeks, so they’re paying more attention to the struggles of the Greek people and care more. 

BUT, paying attention and being well-informed are 2 different things, I’m afraid. Caring doesn’t ensure you’ll understand situations fully and it’s easy to get side-tracked and for things to get lost on the way, giving way to other things, inaccurate things.

So, I’m here in Lancaster, reading things about my home country, things that are not true. And you could say “hey, wait a minute, how do YOU know what’s going on better than us?!”.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t intend to be rude. I just do know. I know more Greek people than you do, I know more people that know about specific matters that interest/affect me than you do. And I know Greek. Key element.

So, I’m here reading about Greece, things more or less like this (source act.watchdog.net/petitions/3322?l=7toLhPe2YqI)

“First migrants and recent immigrants were rounded up from Greece's streets and forced into internment camps. Then they threw the drug users in. Next came the sex workers, forcibly HIV tested, publicly humiliated, and imprisoned.
Now they're coming for transgender men and women — and the list of "undesirables" just keeps longer.”

My fellow people. I DO appreciate the concern. I am Greek. I am a trans man. I was forced to leave Greece recently because I was terrified. But, please, let’s just get some things straight.

This thing is a mash-up of different news items.

1. Migrant camps.
   The Greek state started opening migrant camps to detain undocumented immigrants, for indefinite periods of time, intending to sort their papers out somehow, or deport them.
   
   http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/29/oukwd-uk-greece-camp-idAFBRE83S0GD20120429 April 2012
   http://blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/europe/un-official-deplores-greek-migrant-detention December 2012
   
   
   
2. The arrest, compulsory HIV testing and criminal charges of sex workers in Athens, the May of 2012. Followed by their public humiliation, as the Greek Police published the full name, date of birth, nationality, photographs and medical record information of a dozen of those women with a positive HIV-status on a police website and in newspapers as a means of “punishment”.
   
   http://transgendersupportassociation.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%AF%CE%BD%CF%89%CF%83%CE%B7-%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82-transgender-europe-%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%80%CF%8C%CE%BC%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%85%CF%83/ May 2012
   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHfWNM_vGRM June 2013
   
   
3. The detention of transgender individuals during ‘Xenios Zeus’ Operations, in Athens, 9^th of August 2012.
   Specifically, on the night of Thursday, August 9th, during a massive police crackdown, 25 trans people were taken and detained at the division of Central Police Station of Athens. They were not given sufficient explanation why they were being taken. They were forced to undergo an HIV test, administered by a Center for Disease Control (C.D.C.) doctor, were subsequently found to be HIV-negative and released afterwards.
   
   http://transgendersupportassociation.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/press-release-17-8-2012-police-detention-of-transgender-individuals-during-xenios-zeus-operations/ August 2012
   
   
4.   The detention of trans women by the police, in Thessaloniki, mere weeks before the 2^nd Thessaloniki Pride event.
   The police has been targeting transgender people around end of May in a "sweep" operation in Thessaloniki. On the pretext of the verification of their ID and identification as sex workers, trans women were detained for 3 - 4 hours. In at least 3 cases traffic police stopped trans women drivers without cause for suspicion or violation of the law and took them in for identity verification. The behavior of police officers during the arrests was reportedly offensive, humiliating and intending to undermine the victims’ dignity. In one case, a trans woman was detained without justification three times within four days. On the night of June 4, the Greek Transgender Support Association’s attorney Electra Koutra was arbitrarily detained at the Demokratias Square police station in Thessaloniki, where she had gone in her capacity as the lawyer of a transgender client.
   http://www.tgeu.org/Investigate_Police_Harrassment_of_Trans_Women_in_Thessaloniki June 2013
   http://transgendersupportassociation.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/tgeu-media-statement-investigate-arbitrary-police-harassment-and-detention-of-transgender-women-in-thessaloniki/ June 2013
   http://www.lgbt-ep.eu/press-releases/greece-meps-concerned-police-harassing-arresting-trans-women/ June 2013

These are very different news items. Sure, there is a pattern. Yes, lately, Greece has been intolerant of pretty much everyone, the unemployed, the employed, immigrants, gays, lesbians, trans people, non-Christians, artists, professors, journalists, doctors, HIV patients, cancer patients, drug addicts, Greeks living abroad, people working in the public sector, people working in the private sector, et cetera.

But my country is not completely dead yet, it’s not. It’s not that dead. There are still people that are against the things happening in the country. So, on behalf of those people, thank you for caring. Thank you.
However, I’d ask you to stop spreading news you just read somewhere. Cross-reference. Ask a Greek. When it comes to news affecting someone, ask that someone, ask their friends, their mums. Don’t trust everything exactly as it’s served to you. Research a bit.

Sorry if I offended you somehow, it was REALLY not intended. Thank you for reading.