I appreciate your genuiness and commitment to practicing an anti-racist queer politic....GOD if we could get others to do even a little bit of reflection in queer comm! I just watched a video on female masc, & it had no brown or black bodies in it--truly sad in this day/age. But your video shifted some of my anger after watching that video by Meiko. So thanks Reese...and btw, you look just like George Michael when he was young in the 80s...I'm sure you've been told that :-)
@trystancotten Thanks Trystan. It's a slow and lifelong process and I'm still peeling back the layers. There are some great articles by Eve Shapiro on Race and Drag Kinging and Cori Jo Hammers on Race and Queer Women's Bathhouses, and one on gay bears by I forget who, that helped me recently in seeing the invisible whiteness in queer spaces. BTW - I'm a fan of your new edited book. Great job!!!
Wow. Do people regularly tell you you are amazing and have a wonderful smile. Cos they should! LOL
I really relate. I hated being seen as feminine so much at times that I would act like an aggressive working class man ("bogan" in Australianese). I would try to intimidate and be aggressive to men; slapping them too hard on the back, saying overly sexual things etc. I was acting like a crass asshole ha ha ha!
I have to say, even though this video is about a year old, thanks for posting it. I havent started hormones yet, but I'm definitely percieved as a very effeminate man, and thats if i AM passing. youre great, and so is this video! yay, reese! :]
Adopting traditional/stereotypical "masculine" black attributes is actually a part of "diversity." You are overly concerned about racism and sexism, and you should be more focused on the severity of homophobia in our culture. Nobody should know that better than a feminine male!
This is so fucking beautiful. I am always so grateful and appreciative when people are able to critically reflect on things that they feel to have done wrong or mistakes they have made. It is something I am working on myself and you are an inspiration to us all =)
"You're not a dude so it's not wrong." Yep, done this, still doing it and working on it. I know what you mean about being "better" with gender concerns post transition. I've noticed myself already adjusting to situations as a white man (no t, non op still). Not opening doors or paying for my partner. Being aware of home much public space I'm taking up. Consciously dressing to make my self accessible to people as a man (no overly baggy or threatening clothing, minding my tone of voice.
Just listening to this vid I'm in awe of how honest and brave you are in holding up a mirror to yourself. I just wanna get up and slow clap the audience into a standing ovation right now. You're awesome. =)
Wow, I love how you see yourself and the world around you. I've not heard this appropriation of perceived black masculinity expressed this way. It's rampant.
wow, I am in the same boat, I had only heard of MTF trans people and after living as a lesbian until I was 24 I did the same thing. Well, not the Black guy thing but being naive about FTM existence. But I did adopt 'masculine aesthetics'.
@abtompki - I love you too buddy :) So excited to see you in Boston in only a few weeks!! Maybe some of that optimism you have about your work will rub off on me.
I appreciate your genuiness and commitment to practicing an anti-racist queer politic....GOD if we could get others to do even a little bit of reflection in queer comm! I just watched a video on female masc, & it had no brown or black bodies in it--truly sad in this day/age. But your video shifted some of my anger after watching that video by Meiko. So thanks Reese...and btw, you look just like George Michael when he was young in the 80s...I'm sure you've been told that :-)
trystancotten 1 month ago
@trystancotten Thanks Trystan. It's a slow and lifelong process and I'm still peeling back the layers. There are some great articles by Eve Shapiro on Race and Drag Kinging and Cori Jo Hammers on Race and Queer Women's Bathhouses, and one on gay bears by I forget who, that helped me recently in seeing the invisible whiteness in queer spaces. BTW - I'm a fan of your new edited book. Great job!!!
reesekelly 1 month ago
Wow. Do people regularly tell you you are amazing and have a wonderful smile. Cos they should! LOL
I really relate. I hated being seen as feminine so much at times that I would act like an aggressive working class man ("bogan" in Australianese). I would try to intimidate and be aggressive to men; slapping them too hard on the back, saying overly sexual things etc. I was acting like a crass asshole ha ha ha!
TheVeganicWitch 1 year ago
I have to say, even though this video is about a year old, thanks for posting it. I havent started hormones yet, but I'm definitely percieved as a very effeminate man, and thats if i AM passing. youre great, and so is this video! yay, reese! :]
ABoyInGirlSkin 1 year ago
nice vid!
KingsleyLinkz 1 year ago
Adopting traditional/stereotypical "masculine" black attributes is actually a part of "diversity." You are overly concerned about racism and sexism, and you should be more focused on the severity of homophobia in our culture. Nobody should know that better than a feminine male!
stuckin1979 1 year ago
This is one of the best FTM/human youtube videos I have seen. Thank you for sharing your reflections.
RobGreatness 1 year ago
This is so fucking beautiful. I am always so grateful and appreciative when people are able to critically reflect on things that they feel to have done wrong or mistakes they have made. It is something I am working on myself and you are an inspiration to us all =)
lissaaylene 1 year ago
It is really courageous of you too do this self reflection and then to articulate for the rest of us. I really appreciate it.
agnostichaos 2 years ago
"You're not a dude so it's not wrong." Yep, done this, still doing it and working on it. I know what you mean about being "better" with gender concerns post transition. I've noticed myself already adjusting to situations as a white man (no t, non op still). Not opening doors or paying for my partner. Being aware of home much public space I'm taking up. Consciously dressing to make my self accessible to people as a man (no overly baggy or threatening clothing, minding my tone of voice.
ThaAlchemista 2 years ago
Just listening to this vid I'm in awe of how honest and brave you are in holding up a mirror to yourself. I just wanna get up and slow clap the audience into a standing ovation right now. You're awesome. =)
whatisbeneath 2 years ago 7
loving this :)
DavisThegreatest 2 years ago
Wow, I love how you see yourself and the world around you. I've not heard this appropriation of perceived black masculinity expressed this way. It's rampant.
knarigirl 2 years ago
wow, I am in the same boat, I had only heard of MTF trans people and after living as a lesbian until I was 24 I did the same thing. Well, not the Black guy thing but being naive about FTM existence. But I did adopt 'masculine aesthetics'.
cameraboi1229 2 years ago
can I just say, your videos are made of win. they've made me think very differently about gender, which I always appreciate. rock on!
transsinger 2 years ago
Reese, I love you. Seriously.
abtompki 2 years ago
@abtompki - I love you too buddy :) So excited to see you in Boston in only a few weeks!! Maybe some of that optimism you have about your work will rub off on me.
reesekelly 2 years ago
haha well i may be optimistic about the project as a whole but i am less than optimistic about finishing the paper for the conference in time! GAH!
abtompki 2 years ago
I appreciate you being able to own up on your "questionable" behaviour when you were younger. That takes balls, man!
MrImportrans 2 years ago
@MrImportrans Thank you. I am starting to see it all as a learning experience and part of the process of shedding internalized -isms.
I have to say that it doesn't take balls though - it takes eggs ;)
reesekelly 2 years ago 6