WHIPPING GIRL A TRANSSEXUAL WOMAN ON SEXISM AND THE SCAPEGOATING OF FEMININITY 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Julia Serano | 9781580051545 | | | | | Whipping Girl A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity 1st edition PDF Book Shelves: non-fiction , queer. Feminine self-presentation is interpreted as existing solely to attract men, denying any possibility that feminine people might wish to adorn themselves for their own pleasure there is a big issue of status and class that is left out of the discussion here. As a pretty feminine guy myself who loves my femininity and feminine things, I felt so validated upon reading this book and Serano's celebration of femininity. At first, she thought she must be gay influenced by stereotypes but she was further confused by finding herself attracted to women, not men. In which case.. Serano coins the term effemimania to describe the societal obsession with male and trans expressions of femininity—an obsession that she claims is rooted in transmisogyny. Which means that if every transsexual in society were to come out at once, people would probably not think they were so rare, and might be less inclined to be afraid of them. The intrinsic inclinations model is an idea of gender and how there came to be the variation that exists amongst people in modern society. An ongoing issue that touches everyone in some way, and it shouldn't be ignored. Reader Reviews. Sort order. In addition to the rigid, mutually exclusive gender categories established by oppositional sexism, the other requirement for maintaining a male-centered gender hierarchy is to enforce traditional sexism—the belief that maleness and masculinity are superior to femaleness and femininity. This book opens with a quote by Audre Lorde and, near the end, it references bell hooks to explain living as people on the margins. I seem to have fallen squarely in the category of feminists who believe the concept of feminity and masculinity are as a whole constructed, and to some extent, I still believe this. I can also be effected by these issues, but I recognize it's different. Again, the point is that we are listening, or at least many of us are. Trivia About Whipping Girl: A The media also hypersexualises trans women, suggesting they transition mainly for sexual reasons. There was a lot I did understand and it opened my eyes. All told I would recommend this book to anyone interested in equality especially gender equality. Yes, they are much more extreme than general society would accept — but it is hard not to see these actions as being natural consequences to the strict gendering of our society. I am not surprised that many would assume that I was simply writing yet another variation of this archetype. That concept seems problematic to me now. But I think it must be a deep expression of gender socialisation, as no matter how much I want to think of the author as female, in the flow of conversation I found myself constantly using the male pronoun, despite myself and despite my frustration and annoyance with myself for doing so. The point being that the Irish were metaphorically negroes for a long time before there were black slaves in the USA. Did I mention I was straight? By using our website you agree to our use of these cookies. Whipping Girl A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity 1st edition Writer I assume, then, that understanding genders other than our own must be much the same problem. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. The fourth and final tenet of this model states that "each of these inclinations roughly correlates with physical set, resulting in a bimodal distribution pattern i. She challenges assumptions, educates, and really makes the reader think. One of the most eye opening books I have read even if some of the information I held beforehand and i hope to be able to use this knowledge to become a better person. Now Toronto , August 23, The idea that there are both biological and social factors at play in the variation that occurs in sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression is at the core of the intrinsic inclinations model, and it is how Serano attempts to explain both the typical and atypical forms of each of the three traits. Some more recent examples of problematic depictions of transgender in media include the HBO movie, Normal , and Jeffrey Eugenides's novel of the same year, Middlesex. They later nearly beat him to death. Read and learn and, most importantly, don't forget to listen. While it's become quite common for literature to talk about femininity and masculinity and how problematic those terms and definitions are for everyone involved, Serano's book enters the arena from the perspective of transsexualism. Serano doesn't spend much time talking about the ways trans people have internalized these ideas and police ourselves, but I found it helpful to learn where the shitty ideas I used to beat myself up in my head have come from. Serano focuses It's deeply cathartic to read Julia Serano deconstruct and absolutely destroy pervasive myths and lies about trans people. Julia Serano was like a more experienced, smarter, older sister, showing me that it is ok to be myself, whatever shape that is. And now, as an out transsexual woman, I find that those who wish to ridicule or dismiss me do not simply take me to task for the fact that I fail to conform to gender norms—instead, more often than not, they mock my femininity. To ask other readers questions about Whipping Girl , please sign up. In which case.. Or you order someone to get it for you. The discussion in this book on how feminist and gay rights activists treat transsexuals is another example of how we always love to find someone lower in the pecking order than ourselves to affirm our self-worth. Especially interesting is the discussion of sexism and the scapegoating of femininity. In that case, we can't Meanwhile, some in the feminist movement use the same tactics. On the surface it seems like, great, transgender and intersex conversations are beginning to happen! She doesn't try very hard to make room in her big gender theories for non-binary folks, either, or even to use language inclusive of non-binary genders. So what exactly are they saying or providing to the audience? In contrast, deconstructive feminism focuses on oppositional sexism rather than traditional sexism. I freely admit I was unable to comprehend a lot of what she was writing about. Serano prefers her terms "gender discordance" and "concordance" to "gender dysphoria" and "euphoria", respectively, and so do I. The point being that the Irish were metaphorically negroes for a long time before there were black slaves in the USA. The book's only mention of Iran evaded discussion on American domination on global media coverage of international relations and global security. And there were other times where I felt so empowered by the way she'd put something forward- Julia's book is important not just for understanding the complexities of the gender-queer community, but for everyone who identifies as a woman, or is interested in understanding womanhood. Biologist and trans woman Julie Serano reveals a unique perspective on femininity, masculinity, and gender identityA provocative manifesto, Whipping Girl tells the powerful story of Julia Serano, a transsexual woman whose supremely intelligent writing reflects her diverse background as a lesbian transgender activist and professional biologist. Serano has such a clear analysis of the mechanics of the oppression of queers, trans people, and women, and how these interact for trans women. But the part about feminism was frustrating and terrible. A brief paragraph about subconscious sex that illustrates Serano's ability to write in an informative and understandable way: "Many cissexual people seem to have a hard time accepting the idea that they too have a subconscious sex - a deep-rooted understanding of what sex their bodies should be. If that doesn't deserve full marks, nothing does. Seal Press has just released Whipping Girl Second Edition - it is basically the same book, but with a few clarifying changes, and a new Preface chronicling how the book came to be, plus the many changes in transgender activism since its initial release. She grounds her arguments in biology, sociological perspectives on gender, and her lived experiences as a trans woman. I know a couple people who found Middlesex personally liberating and changed their lives, and that's not something worth diminishing. On the downside, the book is littered with weak arguments, her politics is both limiting and conservative, and she seems entirely in the dark about positions outside her own world-view. Serano argues that "oppositional sexism" is a driving force behind cissexism , transphobia , and homophobia. By embracing diversity, Serano argues we can leave off policing other womens' experience of sex, gender, and femininity, and agree to reject devaluations of femininity and female experience wherever we see them. Julia Serano offers a perspective sorely needed, but up until now rarely heard: a transfeminine critique of both feminist and mainstream understandings of gender I eventually reached the conclusion that my female subconscious sex had nothing to do with gender roles, femininity, or sexual expression — it was about the personal relationship I had with my own body. Revolutionary in its repeated insistence that the perceived inferiority of feminity to its masculine counterpart is the sole reason for gender-based discrimination, Whipping Girl is sometimes insightful, sometimes redundant, sometimes radical and always challenging.