The Politics of "Tranny," Debated By Trans People on I Am Cait
[There was a video here]
On last night’s I Am Cait, a spirited debate between trans people over the social acceptability of the word “tranny” erupted while Caitlyn Jenner lounged idly in the background. Her hanging back was probably for the best as she allowed two very smart people—writers Jenny Boylan and Kate Bornstein—with very different relationships to a word that many consider to be derogatory to hash it out.
On the pro-“tranny” side was Bornstein who uses the word as a self-identifier, and who says its origins are based in the trans community. “We developed the word ‘tranny’ ourselves,” says Bornstein. Regarding “tranny” being used as a slur by cis people, Bornstein says, “Our word got stolen.”
Boylan is anti-“tranny.” “For me, it’s like saying the F-word to a gay man, or the N-word to a person of color. It’s a word I associate with beatings, being diminished, being on the receiving end of violence,” she said before sharing that she’s been bashed more than once. She elaborated that a man called her “tranny” and other slurs before dragging her around by her neck for a half an hour.
The episode deliberately correlated the way Bornstein and Boylan relate to their gender identity and their feelings about this word. “I identify myself as a non-binary trans person. I call myself a ‘tranny.’ I’ve been a tranny for 30 years. If you want me as part of your family, you say my name,” said Bornstein. Meanwhile, Boylan said, “My identity as a woman is much more important to me than my identity as a trans woman.”
It’s tempting to view I Am Cait as a showcase of the stupid things that Caitlyn Jenner has said (this week’s episode featured Jenner saying that Trump as President would be “very good for women’s issues”). Jenner is the most famous trans woman in the world, and the stakes are so high (life and death for countless trans people) that her bumbling can seem hazardous. The fact of the matter, though, is that without Jenner, there would not be this particular giant platform for smart trans women to debate trans-specific issues with nuance in front of an audience that generally isn’t presented with any sense of social consciousness in their trash reality TV programming. Jenner may be prone to ignorance, allergic to reason, and anti-discourse at times, but her mere presence has elevated the conversation. Before her coming-out interview with Diane Sawyer last year, had sexuality and gender identity been delineated with such specificity and nuance on a major U.S. TV network? Jenner’s politics and expression of them often leave a lot to be desired, but the women she’s been surrounded with on her show are more than capable of picking up her slack. The bigger picture includes sharp minds and strong voices that are hopefully shaping Jenner’s nascent understanding of trans issues.
In the episode clipped above, Jenner reflected on the “tranny” debate by saying, “Jenny Boylan, Kate Bornstein look at this issue very differently. They’ve both written books on it. They’re both very smart. And so for me, it’s great, ‘cause I love taking a little bit here, taking a little bit there, put it in my little computer in my head, and find out what works for me.” That’s right, Caitlyn, just lay back and let them do all the work.
