TSG11: Privilege is Alive and Happening

[kat21sd]

Im a Male to female ,I never ever had male Privilege you could always tell I was diffren "feminine" ,I was abused ,talk about ,judged & beating when I was living as a male ,I transitioned at 18 my life has been better since I have been living as a women ,I think this subject fits the Trans people that lived as stertipal male & females "Straight" roles

[SmoothCinnamonX]

Girl, the part about male privilege and being seen as competent: THANK YOU. Totally true. I get livid at work when I'm being treated as though I'm completely incompetent, and I will even call guys out on it "Is it because I have a vagina?". It perturbs me like a thorn.

[Renno45]

The greatest privilege of all is getting to ride my dick. Until I get cloned or get a portal gun, I will be forever exiled from that privilege.. God. Do you not even have ANY fucking empathy?

[seabee75]

i'd say responsibilty is par for the course with a man of quality. as a man you can raise hell, be lazy, profane, foul, and avoid duties & throw a hissy fit if you don't seem to get your way enough. a man of quality will not expect any privilage but would earn it.

[ChibiGeeBee]

WE3 for the win!

[nasiri78]

les- chapstick bro.

[danimo17]

fantastic video. you two are so adorably hilarious! and wise beyond your years. ;) and sooo hottsexyyummy! :P but that's just me being a perv. . . haha anyway, great commentary, five stars, and all that good jazz. keep the videos comin' -- i really enjoyed this!

[walgar2]

Hey Leith and Les: Don't forget, the underbelly of 'male privilege' is 'male responsibility'. Off to battle, down with the ship, fix that leaking roof and that sputtering car, negotiate that mortgage, drive that 18 wheeler, take charge, take out the trash, shave your face, lift anything and everything heavy, change that flat tire, never weep or lose your cool. See what I mean? (Take it from me, I lose ALL male privilege the second I open my mouth)

Keep up the great work, you two.

[froggymicwop]

@walgar2 but men have 'male responsibility' because people assume women can't do those things, or that it's 'not their place'. like how not much is expected of young children. really a slap in the face to women when you think about it.

[valeriereified]

@froggymicwop If not having a sixty-hour work week, getting an extra seven years' life expectancy, and accounting for 1 fourteenth of all workplace fatalities, as well as being less likely to be arrested, charged with, and convicted of crimes I may or may not committ, is a slap in the face, then slap away!

I tend to think we women are generally just smart enough not to bash our brains in for status' sake... that's more of a male value it seems. Also men are ugly, but I'm biased. ^_^

[froggymicwop]

@valeriereified if you're ok with women being treated like children, you need a slap in the face.

[valeriereified]

@froggymicwop I'm quite distinctly not.

I'm trying to point out that the men are treated like fodder. But the thing is that a culture of impunity is not the same as being treated like a child. Women can do anything... it just seems, in aggregate, we face a different set of consequences for not doing so than men do. I tend to trust numbers and double-blind studies sooner than I do anecdotal evidence. None of this contradicts the fact that women are people too, but men are treated as expendable.

[Asarelah]

Men have these responsibilities because they assume women can't, or shouldn't do these things. In championing feminism, women can take some of the unfair burdens off of men.

[Tabygrl]

As a guy, I never had any form of "male priviledge". In fact, quite the opposite. I found myself constantly being bitch-slapped by females getting things their way. Then I transitioned. And now things go MY way. I have gotten out of traffic tickets, have had people help me at times where if I were still a guy, no one would have given me the time of day.

Not sure why it was so different for me as per everyone else, but it was...

[mcgimpv]

part 3

. it was once told to me that females live as second class, but have the power me can never have unless you are in to the same sex.. thanks to being who you both are it helps to know that living my private hell can be easied with laughter and friends.. XOXO from CynthiaTS,

[mcgimpv]

Part 2

I am 42 at but I found my real self 11 years ago, she came out and things where so different, today my male side is back, and the only reason was for 3 wonderful kids i have. My mind fights day after day wanting my female self to come back and stay but more than anything I never want to lose my kids. Its funny I guess privilege to me doesnt means have those feeling that a FTM seeks to find in his life.

[mcgimpv]

Hello to both of you, growing up I never really found that I had any male privileges, but that could be because I was never really male but just going with what my gender expectations for me being male,

[QueenOfShemakh]

Well, i do beleive that there is 'male privilege' and some kind of 'female privilege'. I am not sure if the's such a thing as 'tranny privilege'. For ex. I started out as a shy boy preparing to become a monk, but in sted of making my vows I transitioned and became a whore (a prof. prostitute). I am back to normal now, but still - a little sad to think back at it...

[rudy412]

I think that gender dynamics are very interesting in this country. Men definetly have a great deal of privilge they automatically benefit from which is fucked up!

btw, Les is very attractive! that is one handsom man!

[jacnar]

WOW...that was very insightful, as much as it makes me mad to hear about 'male privilege,' it makes you more aware of it....which can empower you to resist it more. Thanks guys!

[LadyVIolence]

Wtf? Yeeeeeeahno. I work in a factory full of men, and bish I run the show.

[DarthYuYevon]

TGS11, I think you both in this video are full of crap. Your absolutely confusing "male privilege" with 'white privilege.' If your a white male, somewhat masculine, people listen to you. I'm a black guy, I don't have this mysterious "male privilege," nor do most blacks. The only time I felt I had some sort of privilege, is when I had an interview at a job that was run by black dudes, which is rare in my profession. Women have "female" privilege as well. It all depends on who in power likes you.

[wowsera]

As a GG, I must agree with the female privilege. It does exist, it's just different than male or white privilege. In the name of politcal correctness, most women won't acknowledge it, but I have benefited from it.

[DarthYuYevon]

Yeah thats what I find a bit irritating. That most women won't acknowledge it for the sake of ebing PC. And what is incredible to me is when transexuals say things like, "oh yeah, all men have this thing called male privilege". Right. Alll I have to say to people who think "all" men have the same high-enough-to-be-relevent male privileges, can keep pretending thats true in order to make yourself feel good about gender inequalities. Like Wowsera said, every group has privilegses, even women.

[SmileOnADog]

Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly! Ah you have good taste!

[SmileOnADog]

Oh yeah and I got to meet Neil Gaiman when I worked in comics. It was realllly cool.

[Jennylovemiller]

I lived as a Male for 32 years and got Treated like Crap, now that I am going as Female People Treat me very nice and are more Friendly, Helpful and Respectful ... :)

[stixx2000]

Yup, especially if you're hot. Hotter women get treated much better than any man or woman otherwise.

[agnostichaos]

wow is Leith hot....don't worry Less you're hot too.

[professorfoxtrot]

Gender roles have been around since the stone age. Either you roll with it or die off as a species.

[openheartzoo]

haha.

name a species extinct because of a lack of gender roles!

[professorfoxtrot]

Name a species with a lack of gender roles.

[openheartzoo]

All of them apart from humans.

You know the difference between sex and gender, right? There's a reproductive (sex) role in other species, but gender is exclusively human - we made it up.

[professorfoxtrot]

Right. And I suppose that would make the relationship between the mother bear and her cubs a sexual relationship rather than a gender role.

[openheartzoo]

that's a reproductive role! sex is only one part of reproduction and don't forget there is a father bear also.

[professorfoxtrot]

reproductive roles are part of gender roles since gender determines reproduction role. Secondly, tending to a child is a post-reproduction role. Women have a natural caregiver role in families. That is, women are the natural bearers and tenderers of children. Political correctness and feminists seek to undermine this functional relationship between women and children and in its place seek to coopt a black-widow spider approach to building the family.

[openheartzoo]

Haha, I spy yer agenda!

If you take out "gender" and replace it with "sex" your paragraph would be more accurate. Gender and sex are not the same.

Gender is to sex what "woman" is to "female" or what "sociology" is to "biology" - Female people may be the natural bearers of children, but all people are natural tenderers of children and those roles biologically have nothing to do with gender or the way you or the people you meet perceive your gender or how they treat you based on it.

[professorfoxtrot]

There is no hidden agenda. Gender concerns the behavioral attributes pertaining to one's sex. These attributes have everything to do with one's sex and biological attributes. Secondly you cannot truely switch genders or sexes since they are distinctive traits which are biologically infused before conception. I suppose god isn't politically correct :(

[openheartzoo]

"Gender" concerns the behaviours EXPECTED of you and the behavioural role assigned to you based on observation of your genitals at birth, and doesn't necessarily have to match your genitals. Binary gender isn't biological - it's a social expectation.

Not everybody pops out the womb in a neat wee cisgendered package - everybody is unique and some of those everybodies are transgender.

I feel like I've said enough for anyone reading this to see my point :) and I don't have anything against God!

[professorfoxtrot]

That's not true at all. Gender goes far beyond socialized expectations. It is encrypted in our DNA as an innate mechanisms of survival in the real world and hence women have an innate predilection towards finding a male. Some basic research on child psychology will quickly confirm this. Though many experience a pleasurable erotica when mimicking opposing genders, transgenderism is a myth.

[LadyVIolence]

Hahahahahaahahahahahah!!! Keep fucking your God

[LadyVIolence]

That's to 'professorfoxtrot' btw

[ArrrghJay]

Google "supermale". There are a number of species in which female organism physically transforms into a biological male, particularly, but not always, in the absence of a viable reproductive male in the group. Also there are species in which the male either gives birth to or cares for the young. But that's still not really the point: you clearly don't understand that sex and gender are not synonyms, "professor".

[N0ahIdea]

Banana yes! Did you real lizzard? I am totally going to look into wee three. or however you spell it.

[PurplenovaX]

Privilege exists and on many different levels.

I'm with you Les, I waited until my comprehension of that privilege was sound before transitioning. It's so different having a power for 38 yrs (me) that I know makes a difference in this patriarchial world when in fact it was entirley due to a penis or perception I have one and I would go as far as to say balls as well.

I am going to know the difference between my rights as a human 1st b4 gender.

Authors-Sir Issac Asimov & Ben Elton. xo

[AdamtoEve]

L&L, I really love all your videos.

I flagged this as one of my favorites.

[FOADDB]

As a straight man I can say without a doubt that this has never ever happened.I don't know what kind of women you deal with but they must be either very stupid or subserviant.

[OmegaTroll69]

Male privilege please don;t make me laugh, especially when women have some many more options for compensation at most companies.

It's also easier to get into college if you're a female as well, thanks to all those bogus balanced gender standards people forced upon colleges.

[xTwoOfHeartsx]

Neil Gaiman kicks so much ass! My fave by him is neverwhere.

Leith, I love how your outfit totally matches the leaves.. lol

[riftgirlblog]

Wait until winter gets here and it snows! Actually, forget that... I look too fat in white. ;-)

[blackmetalqueer]

Interesting what you say about men getting the respect of their word just by them saying it. I, even in guy mode, always have had the hardest time trying to tell any man anything. No matter who it is, or how much more educated I am than him, men always seem to think that I am talking to them just to worship their phallus. I have to really do a lot to assert myself around men.

[riftgirlblog]

I had the same deal previously as well, only now it's even more of an effort. Blah.

[unepetiteminou]

NEIL GAIMAN IS AMAZING!!!!! especially when paired with dave mckean. i concur. great video, you guys. leith- you are so much fun to listen to and watch. les- you just rock. i love watching your videos, and it was really good to hear your thoughts on male privilege- one of the things i'm really struggling with in deciding whether or not to fully transition is the idea of becoming 'the enemy' or whatever- the perpetuator of male privilege and contributing to or upholding oppression/inequality.

[riftgirlblog]

Les struggled with the same. But if you keep in mind that you can help affect change from the inside...

[artsyfart66]

look, it's a squirrel..no it's something shiney, how far is France? i want some chocolate...ahhh...can you say ADD...LOL!

You 2 were great! Have a great Turkey Day...wish i was joining in all the festivities with you all. :(

[riftgirlblog]

Sorry you won't be there, P. I'm going to be making my infamous deviled egg turkeys. They really cute! ;-)

[artsyfart66]

I expect to see some pictures Missy! LOL! Especially of those infamous deviled egg turkeys (eyebrows raised in curiosity).

Have a great time and give everyone my Love!

[paigeandpander]

Wow, you guys are hilarious. Also, Niel Gaiman wins at books in general.

[riftgirlblog]

The Gaiman fans are all fallin' out of the woodwork... ;-)

[khyrismusic]

WE3 made me cry. :-( But I can't say why without spoilers...

[riftgirlblog]

I bawled my freakin' eyes out, totally. SO SAD... Did you read the story about the lions, too? Pride?

[khyrismusic]

No, I didn't. I'll have to look for it.

[rivenrock]

I have a Banana Yoshimoto book sitting on my shelf right now, waiting for me to go on Christmas holidays and have the time to read it. Neil Gaiman rocks. I like the Two Goldfish picture book, but prefer Wolves in the Walls, because the story is so enpowering.

Speaking of power, the answers on male privilege were real eye openers. Les, I hope you're using all that new-found power for good. ;)

[riftgirlblog]

Thankfully, Les stands firm against the forces of evil. Which Banana book do you have?

[rivenrock]

Actually it's not one of her books as such, I realised when I checked, but a book that includes an essay from her. The subject she's writing on is 'Moments of Happiness'. It's in Japanese with a translation in English running along side (which I totally need). 'Kitchen' was floating around a book sharing club I was part of in Japan, but I never got hold of it. But that's where she was first recommended to me. Kitchen was made into a movie, but I don't want to see it until I've read the book.

[cheechcaballero]

Hey, I dig that Banana. I've heard detractors

say she write about love like a teen... I think

it's just passionate and sweet, and not

saccharine at all.

Splunge, couple! Good w0rks!

[riftgirlblog]

I know that some describe her stuff as simple chick lit, but I loved Kitchen and N.P., as well as some of her short stories.

[cheechcaballero]

I know I've read Kitchen... I could swear I've read Asleep, but not sure... I know I read more than one.

[lorisrevival]

All that watching til the end and.. and... ARGHGHGHG!!!!

[l35i5m0r3]

We like to mix the serious with the funny...

[riftgirlblog]

Muahhh haa ha! ;-)

[torigirl35]

(((Love&Hugs)))

*tori*

[l35i5m0r3]

Thanks, Tori!

[riftgirlblog]

We <3 Tori!

[JulieMoon131]

Great video! Loved both of your responses - Les, I appreciate your honesty. Leith, I totally agree - women are taken far less seriously than men. Ironically, as a more masculine lesbian, I sometimes notice that I am taken more seriously than my femme/straight female colleagues. Crazy, no?

I especially loved the outtakes at the end. I really needed the laughs after a stressful day at work! Thank you to both of you for being your authentic selves and for sharing yourselves with all of US. -J.

[l35i5m0r3]

Yay! Can't wait to meet you! See you soon!

[NicholeDreams]

Yes male priv does exist. Yes I lost it when I transitioned. Yes I miss it sometimes. But I got something even better and more powerful. BOOBIES!!!!!

[l35i5m0r3]

Ha! I done went and lost my boobies!

[riftgirlblog]

Nichole's right. My boobies seem to hold a lot of sway over you in particular, Les... ;-)

[khyrismusic]

That even makes sense if you leave out 'hold a lot of' ;-)

[riftgirlblog]

Dirty lady! ;-)

[Juliacubed]

ok, seriously, I watched your video a couple weeks ago, and this one, and I swear if I didn't know you were Trans, I wouldn't!! Leith, I hope like Hell I look as good as you once get some money to get myself a new wardrobe and makeup!

[l35i5m0r3]

Even my mother thinks Leith is beautiful... and she's hard to convince!

[riftgirlblog]

I think what was said is more of a matter of interpretation, but I did your version. ;-) Oh, and my clothes are cheap and my makeup's vegan - woo hoo!

[riftgirlblog]

Errr... make that 'dig your version'...

[roseblossoms00]

omg i completely agree with you all. another great video!

[l35i5m0r3]

Yay, it made it on your favorites! :-)

[roseblossoms00]

yes it did haha love this video!

[shawn3930]

You too are "Fantfreakingtastic" and Totally love ya. I love that Leith 'ah theres a squirrel' so girly girly.

My male privilege is something I still have :) Many male friends I guess, and cause I'd kick their asses if they treat me different.

you both are cute!

[riftgirlblog]

My squirrel outbursts may be one of the reasons why I'm not taken seriously anymore... Hmmmm...

[rvrwolfen]

Tell us more about WE3 pleeeese?

[l35i5m0r3]

Even though I "haven't read it," it's described as "realistic and relevant" by the Washington Post.

[gabyinsideout]

I love yall!!!! Ok Leith, where can I get one like Les ??? :) *giggle*

[l35i5m0r3]

I have a sister?!

[SegethXavior]

Seriously?! Gaiman

+10pts.

[riftgirlblog]

Another Sandman fan strikes again... ;-)

[banditgirly]

ok so your moving in together.. getting married something like that lol :P love  you guyS!

[l35i5m0r3]

Ah, this is how rumors get started...

[blackasher]

<3 you guys are the best

[l35i5m0r3]

Thanks! <3 back atcha!

[malloryspiderwick]

God, I love you guys more with each video - and then you go and talk about books!! I met Gene Yang, author of American Born Chinese, this weekend at a conference. Leith, if you haven't read that you should - fabulous book. Hearts & stars to you both

[l35i5m0r3]

You'll really love us next week, I think. It'll be like hearts and starts times seven!

[riftgirlblog]

Looking it up on Amazon now... ;-)

[malloryspiderwick]

Better yet, check you local public library!! :-)

[riftgirlblog]

Too true!

[doctormorbuis]

I love Dave McKean. Have you read his Cages? That might be my favorite graphic novel. Or maybe Gaiman and McKean's Signal to Noise.

We3 is really good, too.

You guys rock.

[l35i5m0r3]

Thanks! I'm totally going to go read now...

[riftgirlblog]

Cages was pretty fabulous. Did McKean also work on the ill fated Numbers series - with Moore? - that only came out with 2 issues? I KNOW you can answer this one, C...

[doctormorbuis]

Heh. You already know me so well...

No. That was Bill Sienkiewicz (I'm NOT looking up how to spell that), and a couple of assistants. In fact, I can't think of a project that paired Moore with McKean. Hmm....

[damageinc2]

Yall are to cute, and i love that finger gesture at the end lol, the two guns blazing. i was expecting you to say (in an bronx kinda voice) how you doin. As for book's i am reading 5 right now, the mayo clinic's guide to healthy eating,jim cramers stay mad for life,Doc Martens the history of Doc Martens, Classic American home styles it's put out by home depot and Red Dwarf space corps survival manual by Mike o'Hagen, wow i just realized i am a geek lol ha ha ha

[l35i5m0r3]

The Doc Martens book sounds great!

[Jayhawke]

the government making murderous animals...don't get me started on the government!

[l35i5m0r3]

Yeah, no wonder I haven't read it yet...

[l35i5m0r3]

Don't tell Leith, but I'm scared of squirrels...

[riftgirlblog]

If I were a nut like you, I'd be scared, too! ;-)

[Sunntucson]

I wanna read Why Les Loves Leith! Well I guess it's pretty obvious. You are both fabulous.

[l35i5m0r3]

Thanks! But I'll send you an autographed copy anyway. :-)

[mk9000]

Leith do you like anime by any chance?

-Nikki

[riftgirlblog]

Hey Nikki! I've followed a few series. Like, I loved the Cowboy Bepop movie. But I'm more of a comic reader...

[MilaMuffin]

Dave McKean is my favorite artist of all time!

[l35i5m0r3]

Soooo great! My favorite of all time, though, has to be Jon J. Muth (Zen Shorts, Old Turtle and the Broken Truth, Stone Soup). I just couldn't find any of those books because they're packed.

[doctormorbuis]

Oh, wow. I love Jon J. Muth. His take on Dracula was achingly lovely. His mentor, Jeff Jones, is trans, by the way. She changed her name to Catherine after she transitioned, though she's stuck with "Jeff" for professional reasons.

[FaceForRadio63]

Just checked out WE3. It's pretty good.

[riftgirlblog]

Pretty good?! It's fabulous! ;-)

[BoxcarJack]

Just seeing you two no matter what you do, makes my Tuesday. Beautiful women get priviledges, too. I'd say Leith falls into that category.

[l35i5m0r3]

Yeah, there are all sorts of privileges based on looks - shape, weight, physical features, hair color, skin tone, whatever. It's this crazy, complicated system of ranking people.

Leith is TOTALLY beautiful!

[AJsThawts]

OMG I so needed that after working all night at the hospital!....You guys make me pee pee in my pants.  Male priviledge...yep it exists for sure. I don't get strung along into the typical female drama at work anymore, and the doctors listen to everything I say now which is totally diff! Yep....it so exists! Thanks L & L! Good times

[l35i5m0r3]

Good thing you didn't watch this at work and "pee pee" in your pants. Talk about drama! :-p

[devlinian]

5:43-5:45... I have no clue what you're saying. What are the gaiman legions? hmmm.

[l35i5m0r3]

Re: 5:43-5:45 - Well then you'll be super surprised and excited next week!

[daonetruelamia]

haha outtakes....that squirrel thing was such an ADD moment (I have tons of those! I call em as I see em!)

Great job Les and Leith :) Male privilege surely exists. (Can't wait til that statement is to my advantage!) Lol jk :P

[l35i5m0r3]

I Leith thinks it's crazy when I do the outtakes. Glad you liked them!

[riftgirlblog]

It was just a particularly cute squirrel... ;-) He was hanging out on the porch this morning. Hope you're groovy, Nate!

[DreamClaws]

I LOVE We3, Frank Quitely is an amazing artist !

Arent they making it it to a film ?....

[riftgirlblog]

YES! Or at least they've been planning to for a while now. I think you can find some designs online, too, if you google. I can't wait! Praying they don't mess it up...

[GhostGirlsays]

heeeee. people on the street.

[l35i5m0r3]

It's the age-old predicament: do you film outside where there's better light knowing that people will think you're crazy talking to a camera?

[icecoldbath]

Ahhhh....part of the gaiman legions!!!! If it makes you feel better, I don't trust your opinion as much anymore :-P

[l35i5m0r3]

Hmm...okay. LOL! :-p

[riftgirlblog]

I was surprised the he'd even heard of The Sandman, actually...

[NoNameTransWoman]

Yup me coming out trans at work has required me to be even more bitchy than I was before.

[l35i5m0r3]

Meanwhile, men never get described as bitchy, but some positive alternative like assertive or confident.

[riftgirlblog]

I've been amazed at how much more effort needs to go into being heard.

[Widdledoo]

You crazy kids always crack me up.

[l35i5m0r3]

I'm guessing this is a good thing, ya know, unless you're at work.

[kadeclark]

you guys are hilarious.

and its so crazy-

privilege totally exists.

[l35i5m0r3]

It's even funnier when we're together - we can't stop laughing!

[riftgirlblog]

Oh, we stop laughing every now and again to make other kinds of noises...

[scottfaithfull]

great to see my favourite couple. loved the video and the outtakes were great..."ah there's a squirrel". lol. :)

[l35i5m0r3]

Another funny outtake not included was the even more obvious, "Yeah, so Obama was elected..."

[riftgirlblog]

Hey! I had to think of something to say until the squirrel finally showed up...