Welcome to Dear Marsha, a weekly column where writer Jayson Flores rounds up the new stories that matter to the queer community and examines them through the original, intersectional, radical, inclusive lenses with which the queer rights movement was founded. For more on Dear Marsha (like why it's called that) check out the first post in the series!
Let’s get into this past week! (It's been a crazy one...)
"Comedian" Lil Duval Wore His Transphobia and Toxic Masculinity with Pride on The Breakfast Club
Last Friday, “comedian” Lil Duval went on The Breakfast Club radio show and, as mainstream media would have you believe, simply made "transphobic comments." What he really did, however, was encourage violence against trans women of color—a community which already experiences exponentially high levels of harassment and violence. It started when the hosts started discussing 45’s military ban of trans servicemembers, and then Lil Duval was asked about what he would do if he dated and slept with a trans woman who didn't come out as trans until later on in the relationship. In lieu of watching the video, which is highly triggering, here's the comment Lil Duval made on the show:
"If one did that to me, and then tell me, I'd be so mad, I'm probably going to want to kill them."
Meanwhile, the co-hosts (none of whom I’ll name because there are too many people who defend them if they’re mentioned) laughed and let hatred run freely throughout the interview.
Keep in mind that all of this happened despite The Breakfast Clubjust having journalist and transgender activist Janet Mock on the show last week, where she gave a wonderful, informative interview talking the trans community. But some people never learn. Or, in this case, some people refuse to learn.
People often think of transphobia as a form of harmless but annoying social hate, when, in fact, transphobia is an act of violence. Transphobia means opposing someone’s right to exist as they are, it means normalizing the act of thinking and asking about someone’s genitalia, and it means perpetuating archaic, man-made gender norms that insidiously encourage violence. Transphobia is not some PC, SJW crusade—it’s a matter of freedom, and, in many cases, life and death.
Instead of continuing to listen and watch The Breakfast Club, we have to elevate the voices of trans folks in these times. Laverne Cox and Janet Mock are two great, popular examples. It’s important that we challenge any and all trans antagonistic behavior because even the smallest stereotype and bigotry can grow into something much worse.
This news is heartbreaking and terrifying, but the trans community remains as strong, beautiful, and brave as it always has.
And...Janet Mock responded to The Breakfast Club in her column for Allure
I can’t do her column justice. Just do yourself a favor and read it.
Ashlee Marie Preston and Patrisse Cullors Disrupted Politicon to Let The Breakfast Club Co-Host Know That #TransFolksAreNotJokes
Ashlee Marie Preston, the editor-in-chief of Wear Your Voice, and Patrisse Cullors, founder of Dignity & Power Now and co-founder of Black Lives Matter, disrupted a co-host of The Breakfast Club at Politicon to let him know trans folks aren’t jokes. Their passion and courage show that, once again, it is always black women and trans women of color who are willing to do the hard work and stand up for their brothers and sisters.
Please share their story and highlight these powerful activists. We need to celebrate them as icons, because the rights we have now only exist because brave trans women of color stood up and disrupted the violent forces that threatened them!
What important LGBT stories were on your radar this past week? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!
