I love you but your comparison is facile
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Author Archives: The Anonymous Anthropologist
Back to my future
The author, from a brief attempt at drag in 1998.
My 1999 Master’s thesis in cultural anthropology was called Gender Pretenders: A Drag King Ethnography. Focused on a set of women performing in drag as men in NYC, it explored the idea of gender as a set of signs, rather than a fact of biology. My recent personal website update caused me to go back and look at the work again, 16 years later; the first paragraph rang like a bell in my head:
I have never taken gender for granted. As a very young girl, I was convinced that I’d grow up to be a big, strong man; needless to say I was somewhat disappointed when puberty hit and made it quite clear that was not going to happen. As a short-haired, overweight tomboy, I grew used to adults calling me “son” and, “young man,” and as a masculine woman have come to expect the occasional “sir.” But I am not transgendered; I’ve grown to love being a woman, to appreciate my female body, and to value my identity as a lesbian. I do not feel”like a man” and do not want to be one; still, I am often accused of harboring such a desire. I am told that I dress like a man, I talk like a man, and I look like a man; surely I must want to be a man?
I’ve obviously been thinking about my own gender for a long time. What stands out here is the description of my childhood, accurate now as it was then. It’s the first thing I tell people when explaining my recent decision to transition. What follows, however, is a strong statement of denial. I said four things which now require reconsideration:
“I am not transgendered” – The more honest statement at the time would have been, “I don’t want to be transgendered.” I didn’t know for sure that I wasn’t, but I did harbor a suspicion. Why else was I focusing on gender in my graduate studies?
“I’ve grown to love being a woman” – This was and is still true. I believe that women have a more flexible range of cultural expression (for example, in terms of dress) than men do; women are also encouraged to have and communicate emotions more so than men. This worried me until I realized that it’s okay to be an expressive man. And I admit that I grew, over the years, to believe in a sort of female superiority — in a “if women ruled the world, then there wouldn’t be any wars” kind of way.
“…to appreciate my female body” – This is a flat-out lie. I’ve never appreciated anything about my body below my neck. I’ve never really been in my body to begin with. I wrote the statement because I knew it was the most important thing to say if I were to convincingly deny that I was transgendered.
“…to value my identity as a lesbian” – This was and is still true. It’s one of the things I’ll be giving up in my transition. This troubled me for a while until I realized (a) I’m still queer and (b) I’m still a feminist.
There are straight men who claim they are “really just a lesbian in a man’s body.” I will be.
One person, one identity
I have repaired my formerly fractured vision of myself and unified my various personae into one individual: LW Hasten. The general idea can be found here: lwhasten.com
It’s not okay to bully us anymore. Thank you, SCOTUS!
Perhaps the greatest impact of the gay marriage ruling today will be the normalization of “alternate” sexuality/gender in America. What that means, I hope, is an end to bullying because parents will no longer be raising children to believe that it’s okay to abuse people who do not conform to the gender role binary. So if you were an “effeminate” boy who was tortured in grade school or a “masculine” girl who never fit in, then at least you have the comfort of knowing that your grandchildren will live in a country where they simply feel normal.
No longer anonymous.
You can follow my FTM (female-to-male) transition on Twitter @LWHasten; I’m also on Instagram.
The blog and podcast will resume after the summer. While the focus will still be on culture and politics, I’ll certainly be seeing things through a new lens.
The Transgender Anthropologist
Drag King Mo B. Dick, photographed by Del LaGrace Volcano
I’ve been away from here for a very long time. My attention was focused elsewhere. Now that everything is sorted, it’s time to unify these multiple identities I’ve been carrying around into one fully integrated person who is free to be exactly who he is. My voice, this website, and the podcast are coming back loud, strong, and fearless.
No more anonymity. No more secrets. I am L.W. Lucas Hasten, formerly known as Lauren Hasten. I’m an anthropologist, a professor, a writer, a podcaster, a photographer, and an all-around decent human being. I’m also transgendered, and I’m done hiding.
Follow me on Twitter @lwhasten, #theroadtolucas #thetransgenderanthropologist
BRB
I know it’s been a long time. I’m sure you understand that life can be like that. You, too, may have a side project that you love, but no time to dedicate to it. You, too, may have a dream to pursue that is a borderline fantasy and a job that is real enough to keep you from making it happen. You, too, may know what it feels like to start something great and get stopped in the middle.
The hiatus is nearly over. I’m two months away from removing the obstacles in my path. The podcast is returning. The format may change a bit, but Episode 16 is finally on the way.
If you listened to the show, then please write to me. Ask me some questions. Give me some feedback. Toss out some topics. It’s been difficult doing the podcast in a vacuum.
My goal, to be clear, is radio. National distribution, AM or XM, broadcast or podcast. That means I need people to talk to. There’s a new voice mail line coming soon where you can leave me a message to play and respond to on air. One day those calls will be live. Send me an email or tweet for now.
#theanonymousanthropologist
theanonymousanthropologist@gmail.com
Stay tuned.
Letter to an Ignorant but Beloved Friend
I get it. You’re in a different place than I am. You weren’t into school, or it just didn’t work out for you. Or you did that but your career didn’t pan out like you thought it would. You didn’t have any job security. You don’t make enough money. You’re raising a family. You’ve had health issues. You can’t afford cable. So all of your information comes from free media — in other words, Fox, Rush, and word of mouth.
If I tell you that you’re being fed information by corporations whose only interest is themselves, you say both sides are biased. It’s all opinion. Yes, I’ll, grant you, it’s true. But you’re listening to the stupid side.
You know what I learned in school? Something called “critical thinking.” You may have learned it at one time yourself, but you’re just too tired or busy to deal with it. You turn on the TV to relax, not to think.
Well, friend, if you’re willing to do a little critical thinking, you’ll discover some pretty important stuff. Like the fact that Fox is controlled by a single billionaire whose only real interest is in remaining a billionaire. Said billionaire has freely admitted that he used his media to support the Bush agenda. Certainly it kept people watching, “Shock and Awe” and all. That’s one man. Just one man has enough power to manipulate the opinion of millions through something he calls “news.” You bought the product he was selling.
Critical thinking leads to the discovery that Rush is paid by CC Media Holdings, which owns Clear Channel Communications, Premiere Networks, and over 850 radio stations across the country. Headquartered in Texas, 70% of the company is owned by two partners, one of which is Bain Capital (Romney’s old haunt). Do you seriously think these people are interested in what’s good for you? Please. They’re interested in selling you the products of their advertisers, and their programming had better keep you listening. That Rush guy is pretty compelling, isn’t he?
Let me save you the time and give you the benefit of the critical thinking I’ve already done:
Money = Power; Wealth = Control; You = Screwed.
Get the picture? Now turn off the damned TV.
White Privilege for the Good of All
One Easy Thing All White People Could Do That Would Make The World A Better Place
Sometimes I don’t have to say anything because someone else has already put it perfectly.
Thanks go to Upworthy and CrackingtheCodes.org. Click the blue link above.
Occupy Istanbul
Turkey’s Civil Revolt: Istanbul Rising
Halfway across the world, young people are rising up to tell their government that they expect it to work for them, not against them. That’s a fundamental principle of democracy somehow embedded in the consciousness of a generation raised under the shadow of authoritarian rule but lit by the light of a million computer screens. Educated, informed, and techno-savvy, these young Turks are possessed of Western values and American-style expectations. Watch the video linked above and see it for yourself. One young woman was absolutely aghast at the oppression of her government. The job of the Prime Minister, she says, his “obvious duty,” is to protect her; she grew up in a free society. The problem is that the Turkish state defines freedom a bit differently than she does.
In the USA, the Occupy Wall Street movement built tent cities across the country. Young people gathered to demonstrate against the federal government’s propping up of the private sector at the expense of the citizenry (a gross but roughly accurate oversimplification). In some places, local police forces used pepper spray on the crowds, but the tactic was met with scorn by politicians and the media alike. Since, according to the Constitution, the people have a right to peaceful assembly, there was no official federal response. The protests lasted in some cases for months, leaving individual cities to deal with the resulting sanitation and traffic issues, but they were largely nonviolent and of little lasting effect.
In Turkey, young people are today filling the streets to protest the actions of their government in privatizing public assets (another gross oversimplification, but a decent gloss nonetheless). The Prime Minister has responded with threats and demands and a prodigious amount of street-clearing teargas. The people, horrified by the brutality of their own elected officials, are driven by greater anger to hold larger demonstrations. Both the protests and the violence are escalating. While the Turks themselves believe that they have a right to assembly and freedom of expression, their government disagrees.
The difference, dear readers, is in the document. As I tell my students, one should use the active, rather than the passive voice.
The most recent iteration of the Turkish Constitution dates to 1982. Yes. That’s right. The place has been changing quite a lot over the centuries and they believe in regular updates. Of course they tend to follow military juntas, but in general, updates are not a bad idea. They’re due for another one. But for the moment at least, here’s Article 34, circa 1982 — the one that is supposed to guarantee freedom of association:
(1) Everyone has the right to hold unarmed and peaceful meetings and demonstration marches without prior permission. [There should be a giant BUT right here.]
(2) The right to hold meetings and demonstration marches shall only be restricted by law on the grounds of national security, and public order, or prevention of crime commitment, public health and public morals or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.
(3) The formalities, conditions, and procedures governing the exercise of the right to hold meetings and demonstration marches shall be prescribed by law.
Read it carefully. Note that it guarantees nothing. Note that it uses the passive voice: “Demonstrations shall be restricted.” That says it all, really, although the active voice would have been so much more clear: “The Government shall restrict demonstrations.”
Now read the First Amendment to the US Constitution, circa 1789:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Now that’s the active voice: “Congress shall make no law.” (Passive voice: “No law shall be made.”) Thus we end up with a list of very specific stuff that the government cannot do.
The Turkish people need a better editor.