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Help with terminology please!

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BenchPressingCats
BenchPressingCats Posts: 1,826 Member
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For my women's study class, I am doing a presentation on how LGBT individuals are portrayed in the media. One of the topics I wanted to bring up were people who don't quite fit into any group (ie, gender queer) and I wanted to use Eddie Izzard as an example. For anybody who doesn't know who he is, he's a comedian who identifies as a straight man, but dresses as a woman and he calls himself a transvestite. This was released in 1999 and I know that LGBT terminology is changing rapidly, so I was wondering if the word "transvestite" was appropriate? Obviously, I know it is not appropriate to describe a transgender person as a transvestite, but I wasn't sure of how to describe Eddie Izzard.

I really want to use Eddie Izzard and possibly some gender queer individuals because they break the stereotypes of gender and they are not well represented in media and I wanted to discuss why that is.

BTW, here's the link to the Izzard comedy skit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_kvXeMv-2k

Thanks, lovely people!

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  • UnwrappingCandy
    UnwrappingCandy Posts: 418 Member
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    Transgender is the umbrella term under which all other trans* groups are placed. Eddie Izzard is a transvestite so it is technically okay to reference him as 'transgender' or 'transvestite'. I believe it is probably good practice to use the most specific term though, which for Eddie would be transvestite.

    In the media the term 'transgender' seems to have taken on the meaning 'transsexual'. Hopefully that will start to change soon as there are so many other unique groups who exist under that umbrella.

    I am very interested in seeing other responses to this topic, especially from the transgender community. I would like to see how many people prefer the term specific to their type of trans* identity vs. how many prefer the umbrella term, and what the reason is for their preference. :smile:
  • BenchPressingCats
    BenchPressingCats Posts: 1,826 Member
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    Spank you, Candy!

    Also, if anybody can think of a trans* character who does not end up dying in a movie or TV show, please let me know.
  • SquidVonBob
    SquidVonBob Posts: 290 Member
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    I haven't seen all of it so no spoilers or the like but there's a trans woman played by a trans woman actress in Orange is the New Black. Like I said I haven't finished it but she's alive so far.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
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    Hedwig didn't die!
  • EvanKeel
    EvanKeel Posts: 1,904 Member
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    I don't know that Eddie Izzard identifies his gender as anything other than male (with an orientation of heterosexual), who happens to dress up as a woman sometimes. Thus he calls himself a transvestite, which is different from transgender. And transsexual is different from either of the other two.

    I was amused when in an interview the host made a statement saying that Eddie dresses in women's clothes.

    Eddie replied by saying "No, they're my clothes. I own them."
  • ThePinkPanda
    ThePinkPanda Posts: 208 Member
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    Spank you, Candy!

    Also, if anybody can think of a trans* character who does not end up dying in a movie or TV show, please let me know.

    i'm not up to date on terminology but in terms of characters who didn't die:

    Max in the L word was on the show until the end. He was female to male trans. but the whole show was written around the lgbt community so it makes sense they wouldn't kill off all their lgbt characters lol

    Ugly Betty featured a plot twist that involved a character's long-thought dead brother reappearing as a woman. i didn't follow the show very well, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't killed off. she was eventually written off the story though.

    And in the spirit of women dressing as men that aren't necessarily transgendered:

    The Drew Carey show eventually introduced Drew's brother as someone who was more comfortable in women's clothing. He ended up marrying a female character on the show and had a recurring role.

    ETA: I forgot movies! "Better than chocolate" is one of my faves and has a male to female transgendered supporting character. Again: targeted toward the lgbt community but she's very much alive!
  • MartialPanda
    MartialPanda Posts: 919 Member
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    How about Orange is the new Black? You have a transgendered female playing OH WAIT a Transgender female. (runs around the room with sparkles and glitter) The characters name is Sophia. Here's an NPR interview article. I love the show so much. Same director as the L Word. Check that out as well
  • imogen__may
    imogen__may Posts: 78 Member
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    Yup, given that he uses that term himself I'd be reluctant to change it even if you felt language had changed. I'm interested to hear someone use the word transsexual, I would never use that word any more! In the UK we use Trans* for pretty much everything because it encompasses everything .. and transgender for those who are just that. I don't know what Sheppeyescapee would say, do you agree?

    You seem to have a few good TV ideas, do you need anything else?

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