I’d written previously about internalized-trans-phobia and noted that one reason why this happens is that “trans-folk have been … misunderstood and the object of derision”. The following is unfortunately a good example of this.
(This was taken at a June 27, 2011 press conference with Presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum)
…I was with a couple this weekend who live in Vermont, and they have a similar situation up in Vermont… and their second grader has to come home and deal with Transgender Children, who are talking about Transgender Issues in second grade. These are things that are going to have a profound impact on children… when children are going to be forced to be taught about all of these issues that come with the implementation of gay marriage…it’s going to have a devastating impact on our children. It’s going to have a devastating impact on families and it’s going to have a profound impact on religious liberties….
That’s one powerful little second-grader… destabilizing religion in America. (does this mean she doesn’t have to do her homework?)
Putting aside for a moment Senator Santorum’s obfuscation of the issues of Gay Marriage and Transgender Children, the Senator as a respected member of society, is transmitting with his words and even more with his tone, the idea that transgender children are ‘less than’, ‘other’ and objects worthy of derision and ridicule. He is incredulous that a “normal” second-grader would have to associate and learn about his or her gender variant class-mate.
I would say that the Senator gets to be the poster-child for hate this week and can now consider himself to be a contributor to trans-phobia.
