The recent backlash against Chaz Bono signing onto Dancing With the Stars ( DWTS ) confirms that, yes, the world is still terrified of anyone whose gender falls somewhere between Little Bo Peep and the Terminator.
Commentators on the DWTS message board don't want ABC to flaunt Bono's transgender "lifestyle choice."
Protecting children is a common theme, as with many anti-LGBT arguments. "I am not about to risk the potential for on screen dialogue about sex changes and gender confusion while my 7 and 9 year old are watching," one commentator wrote.
The public response to Bono confirms the persistent discrimination against the trans community. It's no secret that transgender people face violence, unemployment, homelessness, and high levels of incarceration.
However, while mainstream gay organizations have rushed to support DWTS' controversial contestant, transgender people have been less vocal in Bono's defense. I suspect this is no accident.
Cher's son is an unlikely and often unwanted hero for this highly vulnerable community.
Bono isn't exactly a glowing example of what it means to mean a man—trans or otherwise. For Bono, "being a man" requires a healthy dose of misogyny.
Throughout his documentary, Becoming Chaz, Bono calls his girlfriend "woman," bosses her around and insists that she make him sandwiches. On the David Letterman Show, he confessed, "I can be insensitive and be a guy in that way." Letterman responded with an "Amen, brother" and a fist bump.
If my father called my mother "woman" and told her to make him a sandwich, he'd be eating Lean Cuisines in the basement for a week.
Bono's actions reinforce all of our preconceived notions about gender—especially the negative ones. If Bono thinks that dismissing women is just part of "being a man," he's not only harming women—he's harming his own community.
Transwomen are part of Bono's community. Misogyny hurts all kinds of women, including transwomen who already face discrimination as gender-variant people.
Testosterone does not turn people into Neanderthals. However, Bono acts like taking testosterone inevitably results in dismissive behavior. "There is something in testosterone that makes talking and gossiping really grating," he told the New York Times. "I've noticed that [ my girlfriend ] can talk endlessly. I just kind of zone out."
Becoming Chaz leaves viewers with the impression that hormone therapy has turned Bono into a completely different person. That person happens to be a sandwich-eating, woman-hating stereotype of everything that we associate with testosterone, which doesn't bode well for other transmen who work to maintain their feminist ideals.
I know many transmen who become even more aware of their actions as feminists after they transition. They acknowledge that passing as men gives them access to privilege that must be handled with care. Unfortunately, Bono gives the world little hope that these men exist.
Even worse, Bono uses his experience with hormone therapy to make blanket statements about gender that are often grossly inaccurate.
"I've learned that the differences between men and women are so biological," he told the New York Times. "I think if people realized that, it would be easier. I would be a great relationship counselor. I know the difference that hormones really make."
Bono's participation in DWTS marks a significant yet awkward moment for the trans community. Families who watch DWTS this season might take this opportunity to talk about gender diversity. However, if Bono is the face of the trans community, we're not making our best impression.
Malic White is a student and freelance writer who aims to smash the gender binary and build community in unexpected places.
