I’m a little confused and there’s something I can’t quite figure out. So, I’m going to talk it through and see if I can make sense of it.
Let’s say that I’m a man, which I happen to be. But, let’s say I don’t think I’m a man. Let’s say I think I’m a woman.
Which, I’m told is possible. Because we’re told that a person can’t help how they’re born. So, it could be that I’m a woman inside a man’s body.
I could call myself “transgender” and refer to myself as a woman, and according to the rules of inclusivity, that would be OK.
I wouldn’t need to provide any proof. Everyone would just have to take my word for it. I could wear women’s clothes, and I could use the women’s locker room, sauna and restrooms. And I could check whatever gender box I felt like checking on government forms.
As long as I say I think I’m a woman, no one is allowed to complain or even question me. Quite the opposite really. I’d be celebrated for being brave and for being my true self.
So, if I’ve got this straight: I can pretend to be something that I’m not, and it’s OK.
I have to say something. This is hard because I’ve never told this to anyone. Here we go…
<deep cleansing breath>
For many years now, I haven’t felt quite right in my own body. But I’ve kept it well hidden. My wife doesn’t even know. My secret? I identify as a Hispanic. I’ve never been comfortable in my own skin but put me in a sombrero and feed me tacos and I feel like I’m finally being my true self. I don’t blame my parents. They had no way of knowing my race when I was born. I mean, it’s not like they could tell by looking at me.
Now I can proudly live my truth. And that’s all that matters.
<whew> I’m glad I shared that. I feel much better with my secret out.
Now, here’s the part where I start to get confused…
In 2017, two entrepreneurs, who just happened to be white women, started a business selling burritos in Portland. They were immediately slammed on social media and were ultimately forced to apologize and close their doors.
But they didn’t have to close shop. There was an easier way to solve the problem.
See, the problem wasn’t that they were white women. The problem was that they “identified” as white women. Had they simply identified as Hispanic, then everything would have been OK.
It seems logical. Right? As long as they claim to believe they’re Hispanic, nobody should have a problem with it. They should be celebrated for their bravery.
Here’s where I really get confused. This is where the Rules of Appropriation start to get a little fuzzy for me. Because, apparently, appropriating someone else’s gender is OK, but appropriating someone else’s culture is not.
In other words: Gender appropriation good. Cultural appropriation bad.
According to the Rules of Appropriation, I can walk buck naked at a women’s spa in front of little girls and that’s OK. As long as I self-identify as a woman. But if I’m fully clothed, and the dangly things I’m displaying happen to be dreadlocks, that’s not allowed.
I can wear dresses and high heels and that’s fine. But if I wear a sombrero, there’s going to be hell to pay.
Rachel Dolezal is a villain. “Rachel” Levine is a hero.
Here’s the thing: There is no difference between gender appropriation and cultural appropriation. Gender appropriation IS cultural appropriation. A transgender woman is trying to appropriate everything that makes a woman…you know…a woman. And clearly there are at least some actual women out there who are offended by that.
On second thought. Maybe I’m not confused. I understand the rules, it’s just that the rules don’t make any sense.
Because the way it stands, I can identify as a woman, but I can’t identify as a Hispanic woman. I can cut off my dick and get fake boobs and everything’s cool. But if I cut off my dick, get fake boobs and sell burritos, then I’ve crossed the line.
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