Behind the Binary Zine

www.ihateTERFs.gov/2023

This Pride, I would like to address the transphobic elephants and unbelievably spineless jackasses in the room:

Their_Blood_Is_On_Your_Hands@bffr.gov No_More_Dead_Trans_Kids@gmail.com

What the actual fuck is wrong with you?

Trans, nonbinary, intersex, and gender non-conforming people of all ages deserve to live without fear that you, as their representative, will be an active participant in marginalization, violence, and state-sanctioned persecution against them.

Whether you are authoring these bills yourself, being lobbied by anti-LGBTQIA+ extremist groups, claiming you "need to do more research" before voting, loving the sinner but not the sin, or simply staying silent...YOU are part of the problem.

I hope the leather seats in your office and the chambers of Congress are comfortable, because you're only digging the grave you will lie in. Forever.

You can never take back the fatal damage you have done to millions of children, adults, and families. I truly hope you are never in a position where your loved one needs life-saving care and someone they have never met, and will never meet, denies it and continues to kick them while they're down. Not to mention egging on bigots.

TLDR: No, seriously. What the actual fuck is wrong with you?

Except, the call is also coming from inside the house.

THESE ARE REAL POSTS.

So, to my LGBTQIA+ community: These trans women are the ones who threw the first bricks at Stonewall.

06/28/68, 4:00 AM

At what is now thought of as the precursor to Pride, Sylvia Rivera took the stage at the 1973 Sylvia Rivera & Marsha P. Johnson NYC Christopher Street Liberation Day Rally and gave her "Y'all Better After delivering a fiery, Quiet Down" speech. moving testament to the police brutality that she and other trans and nonbinary folks had experienced, she was met with boos and transphobic "man in a dress" comments. giving the movement "a bad name"

Behind the Binary: Lesson 1 Decoding the Roots of Trans Discrimination Transphobia is rooted in colonialism Many Native cultures have long recognized and celebrated gender outside the "traditional" binary, including two-spirit people. European colonizers imposed their Christian, binary-based gender system and ideals, which many continue to claim are "natural". It was introduced to enforce a gendered separation of labor via maximal religious control.

The binary is built on conquest and capital gain.

Gender, sex, and sexuality are not the same This idea is a gross misunderstanding that continues to promote transphobia and violence. It fuels false accusations that they are groomers or pedophiles. Due to this conflation of being trans with being queer, they're both viewed as "deviant", "predatory", overtly sexual, and ultimately "dangerous". It is increasingly riling up extremists who are particularly receptive to this messaging of claiming to "protect children".

The binary is upheld by targeted trans violence.

Being trans has been pathologized Previously called gender identity disorder, gender dysphoria has been classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders since the 1980 edition (DSM-III). Despite the reduction in reports of gender dysphoria and other poor mental health outcomes after receiving gender-affirming care, the pathologization only reinforces and normalizes the gender binary.

The binary is threatened by bodily autonomy.

Behind the Binary: Lesson 2 Reprogramming Your Trans Allyship Affirm Trans People in Your Life! (...including those who aren't "out" to you) a. Share your name/pronouns and ensure others' are properly used, regardless of their presence. b. If you make a mistake, don't make it a big deal. Apologize and get it right next time. c. If someone makes a transphobic and/or homophobic comment in person or on social media, call it out and educate them so queer people don't have to.

Educate Yourself About Ongoing Issues! (...especially if it makes you uncomfortable) a. Read, watch, listen, and talk to trans, nonbinary, gender nonconforming, intersex, and queer people about their experiences. b. Stay up to date with legislation and ongoing issues in your local and state area. It's on you to vote...because it matters. c. Familiarize yourself with proper terminology and nuances of gender, and be comfortable reflecting on your own experiences. d. Adopt an intersectional approach to your activism that acknowledges systems of oppression that only worsen many of these issues for members of the queer community.

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is! (...yes, you've got to open your purse babes) a. Buy from trans and queer-owned businesses, as well as vocal allies. It's the rainbow washing for me, so just...don't. b. Donate to your local trans mutual aid funds. Support their abilities to fund gender-affirming care, housing and everyday bills, those seeking abortions, and more.

There's a lot of work to be done, but that should keep you busy in the meantime!

www.References.com Alfonseca, K. (2023, March 31). Queer and trans youth plan march in the streets in 50 states amid anti-LGBTQ attacks. ABCNews. https://abcnews.go.com/US/queer-trans-youth-planmarch-streets-49-states/story?id=98232999 Ballestín, L. (2018, July 26). Gender as Colonial Object. Public Seminar. https://publicseminar.org/2018/07/gender-as-colonial-object/ Fisher, T. (2022, December 7). 404 Page Not Found Error: What It Is and How to Fix It. Lifewire. https://www.lifewire.com/404-not-found-error-explained-2622936 Gapper, J. (2023, April 28). AB InBev should defy the Bud Light culture war. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/3a84b28c-912a-4805-b942-13e597766a93 Gays Against Groomers. [Twitter Page]. https://twitter.com/againstgrmrs? ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor. Accessed June 1, 2023.

Greer, E. (2018, October 29). Powerful gay rights groups excluded trans people for decades — leaving them vulnerable to Trump’s attack. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2018/10/29/trumps-attack-trans-people-shouldbe-wake-up-call-mainstream-gay-rights-movement/ Kilbane, B. (2023, April 20). Spilling Tea With Dylan Mulvaney. Allure. https://www.allure.com/story/dylan-mulvaney-tiktok-interview Lane, B. (1973). Sylvia Rivera. New York Public Library. https://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/galleries/seen-assertion/item/10946 McGaughy, L. (2023, May 9). House version of Texas drag ban bill strips mention of drag queens ahead of next debate. The Dallas Morning News. https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2023/05/09/house-version-of-texas-drag-banbill-strips-mention-of-drag-queens-ahead-of-next-debate/ Murphy, S. (2022, March 31). Oklahoma, Arizona governors sign transgender sports bans.

Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/sports-oklahoma-oklahoma-city819e04ae365373b69d8706a6c803dbf7 New-York Historical Society Museum & Library. Life Story: Marsha P. Johnson (1945-1992).

Women & The American Story. https://wams.nyhistory.org/growth-and-turmoil/growingtensions/marsha-p-johnson/ Ngata, T. (2019). Transphobia is Settler-Colonialism. Kia Mau: Resisting Colonial Fictions. https://tinangata.com/2023/03/25/transphobia-is-settler-colonialism/ Pruitt, S. (2022, June 15). What Happened at the Stonewall Riots? A Timeline of the 1969 Uprising. History. https://www.history.com/news/stonewall-riots-timeline Wikipedia. (n.d.). Gender dysphoria. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender_dysphoria#:~:text=third%20gender%20categories.-,Classi fication%20as%20a%20disorder,in%20DSM%2DIII%20in%201980.

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Transgender inequality. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgender_inequality#Common_misconceptions