From: celeste%express@freedom.msfc.nasa.gov (Celeste)
Subject: Re: Self Appreciation (was: Re: Elle MacPherson causes rape?)
Followup-To: soc.women,alt.feminism,soc.men
Organization: AEGIS
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 01:23:14 GMT

In article <By0rrA.7Kw@apollo.hp.com>, nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter
Nelson) wrote:
> 
> In article <BxzE9z.11A@news.cso.uiuc.edu> levine@symcom.math.uiuc.edu (Lenore Levine) writes:
> >nelson_p@apollo.hp.com (Peter Nelson) writes:
> >
> 
>  Are there any feminist scholars who have taken a position on
>  the philosophical implications of transexualism?
> 
> 
> ---peter

Yes.

The reference is "Fantastic Women: Sex, Gender and Transvestism"
by Annie Woodhouse.

From the back of the book:
'"What distinguishes Fantastic Women is its feminist perspective.
Woodhouse links what could bee seen as an esteric issue with other
feminist concers -- patriarical power in gener, wife abuse in particular."
-- Suzzanne J. Kessle; State Univeristy of New York, Purchase

Fantastic Women is the first book to explore transvestism from the
standpoint of the politics of gender. According to Annie Woodhouse,
transvestism transgresses teh "rules" of gender in direct and 
extraordinary way. Tranvestims does not mean becoming a woman,
event on a temporary basis. Although the transvestite goes
aginst the unwritten rules of masculinity, he does little to
dimish male power. Instead, he realies on a masquerade that bears
little relation to most women's experience of daily life. Transvestism
involves switching roles and idenity, not only from masculine to feminine,
but also from reality to fantasy. It is a form of fractured bhevior
that maintains masculinity and feminity as separate, exclusive entities.
In this sense the trasvestite enjoys "the best of both worlds," taking
what he wants from feminiity, while retaining the prvilieges of
masculine status.

Typically heterosexual, the transvestite is often married. Until now
the wives remined largely invisible. Their own accounts of marriage
to transvestite men stand in stark contrast tothe views of not only
of the "experts" but often also of the transvestites themselves.

Tranvestism presents serious contridiations for feminism Outright
rejectionof transvetism lends support to the idea of rigid
division of gender. Yet to clame that transvestism blurs the
edges of the divide is to ignore the feelings of women married to
transvestite men. The issues raised here extend beyond the issue
of men dressing up as women and into the broader area of gender
politics.'

She also spends time on transsexuims. Woodhouse proceeds to
rip apart the logic of Janice Raymond's book "The Transsexual Empire"
"The Transsexual Empire" puts down transsexualis and anit-feminism
and degrading to men as well. To quote Woodhouse (on Ramond)
"Raymond takes as 'First Cause' patriarchal society with its
attendant gender roles. Transsexualism is simply the 'logical
econclusion' of patriarchy, and thus it is society, not the 
transsexual, which must be changed. However, transssexualism has
been taken over by an 'empire' of medical personnel, clinicians and
therapiests, and thus any 'initial protest again sex-rol
stereotyping.. becomes short circuted. In short, she is saying that
those who attempt to break the barries set up by the cultural
definitions of masculinity do not require sugical reassignment.
Rather they could become some sort of political vanguard in the
battle against patriarchy."

Also "In attacking post-operative transsexuals for joing lesbian-
feminist groups, Raymond seems to suggesting that there is something
curcial about femininity which cannot be acquired or learned, that
such grups must be the preserve of 'real' women. While this
is particular problem does not arise with transvestims,
sine the constrution of femininity remains superficial and
temporary, the underlying questions are relevant."

"The end product of Raymon's thesis is culture feminism and 
a position which is, in Echol's words, 'committed to preserving
rather than annihilating gender distinctions'"

"Carol Riddel is a post-Popertive transsexual, an active
feminist and totally opposed to Raymond's analysis. She
argues that the transsexual is unlike to a feminist because of
strictures imposed partly by society in genderal but particularly
by the specialist medical profession, the 'empire' referred to
by Ramond"

These are a few excerpts that may make some sence.

As for myself. I have been activily involved with feminism
several years befor I discovered that I could express the
feminine half of myself. In fact I get treaded "like a woman"
by feminist in appreciation for my efforts to help them.
Many feminist see that I see and feel the oppression that they
experience and in their eyes they guide me how to work around
the "white male system" (even though I am a white male!).
Many a woman has read my presentations and said, "That's great!
That is what I have been trying to express. Let me show that to
to others! But we better not show that to the men! (They migh
not (and don't) understand)"

I was talking with a woman friend when another woman, who
I had not meet, walked up. The new woman needed to talk about
her relationship with her husband. My friend introduces
me with, "You can talk about your husband in front of him.
He is one of us. We are going to make him and honorary woman!"
Neither of these two women know of my transgendered nature
but they know I understood what they experiance.

Love and hugs,

Celeste
Newsgroups: soc.women