Comments on: Letterman Jokes And Religious Right Goes Ballistic Over Simpson Appointment

By: BridgettePL

BridgettePL — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:55:10 +0000

With regards to his use of the term “transgender person”, even I confess to some problems with many of the different ways in which transpeople are referred in this community, and that is coming from a transwoman. It took me a year of writing to get to the point where I was using the terms transperson, transpeople, transwoman and transman.

As for the rest of it, I just wanted to make the point that not everyone, even within our own community, were going to find it offensive.

By: Abby

Abby — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:42:03 +0000

Regardless of whether this skit was intended to mock the reaction of trans-haters, or Amanda, and/or trans women, in general, it was based on the idea that trans women are disgusting and that responding to a trans woman with disgust is an understandable reaction. In other words, it was based on transphobia either way.

And Letterman did not make clear that Amanda is a woman. Although her did use feminine pronouns to refer to her, he identified her as a “transgender person,” *not* a “transgender woman.” There’s a world of difference between those descriptions in the context of Amanda’s appointment and the position of many that trans women aren’t “really” women.

By: CanuckJacq

CanuckJacq — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:38:53 +0000

Saw the clip. It was really awful. Completely unfunny and yeah, unfortunately, promoting transphobia just a little bit. They could have been more pointed in creating satire, but what I saw didn’t qualify.

By: lezgetreal

lezgetreal — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 23:10:55 +0000

New on LGR Letterman Jokes And Religious Right Goes Ballistic Over Simpson Appointment: 01/07/09- by Bridgette P. … http://bit.ly/5knq4G