Nowadays a lot of problematic issues and controversies about people’s social, religious, racial and gender identity have been discussed. Equality of human rights, recognition of basic moral and ethical principles, tolerance and respect towards people with different background are the main conditions of real freedom and democracy. Although, people have started realizing new progressive ideals and there has been a significant decrease in the race discrimination rates, the problem of transgender identity still remains unsolved and public offense or misunderstandings still very frequently occur in different mass media sources. Many people wonder, why one should change his or her gender and define this such phenomenon, as a kind of abnormality and deviation from normal life order. However, transsexual people appear to be very successful in their lives and be more conscious, self-determined than anyone else. Change of gender is rather a complex process and if one feels that he or she belongs to the opposite sex, it takes quite long to get various therapies and surgeries to conduct it. It is time- and money-consuming, but at the same time such a decision requires a lot of internal strength, patience and what is even more important, external support and understanding.
This paper presents, how one transgender person Laverne Cox positions herself in the society and tries to break the stereotypes about the moral prohibition of being someone different. As it has been stated in the Juro’s (2011) article, transgender identity matters indeed, because this kind of transformation cannot be evaluated as a kind of homosexuality. She argues, that in comparison with lesbian or gay people, transgender people face much more disapproval and have to to do a lot of paperwork, appear in the court, get examined by psychologists and social workers. They have to fight for their identity and still have less opportunities to get socially and legally recognized (Juro, “Why Transgender Identity Matters”). Laverne Cox has become socially recognized and people now enjoy watching television series Orange is the New Black, considering this actress to be just another very special and unique phenomenon in the film industry. It is very hard to imagine, how many obstacles and challenges she had to overcome before becoming so famous and well-known.
Each transgender person has a story to tell and explain what made him or her realize the fact, that they do not actually belong to the gender, they were born with. It is not so obvious in an early life, but many of them get already deprived and diminished at school. Laverne Cox attempted suicide by eating a lot of pills, when she was 11 and for the first time realized, that she felt quite differently than other girls, developed feelings towards male classmates. Today she says that “it is revolutionary for any trans person to choose to be seen and visible in a world that tells us we should not exist” (O’Neill, “Why Transphobia is a Feminist Issue). Simulation of being like others and suppression of one’s feelings are not the ways of handling of the existing problems. Today’s society must act and pursue the democratic and philanthropic ethos in this respect. President of the USA Barack Obama has recently signed an order about prohibition of any kind of discrimination towards transgender people and from now health insurance companies are not able to refuse to pay the coverage to such people anymore. Such processes and actions stop the transphobia spread and transsexual women or men do not think of suicide anymore.
The main principle, which serves as the most important background and explanation of the transgender existence, lies in the fact, that there is no direct dependence and relationship between the human anatomy and emotional, psychological desires. Transgender people are born as the representatives of gender they are actually attracted to. They realize that their inner moral state does not correlate with their outer appearance and body. “Feminists have explained to us that anatomy does not determine our gender destinies (our masculinities and femininities). But we’ve only recently begun to consider that biology does not settle our erotic fates” (Katz 239). According to the recent findings, people’s feelings and self-determination very often depend on the social organization they are involved in. Therefore, it was rather difficult and almost impossible to be explicit about one’s erotic desire towards an opposite gender a few decades ago. The facts that transgender people still experience high unemployment rates, harassment, discrimination and mistreatment at the workplace dehumanize, disadvantage and moves our society backwards into the past. Prohibition for the men to get transformed into women somehow relies on the old patriarchal ideology, when the lack of masculinity has been claimed to be a serious flaw and disadvantage. Laverne Cox is even proud of her being so feminine, because the way she looks, speaks, acts and moves reveals her inner state, inward habits and spiritual reality. Once a person fails to reflects what he or she really is, they are likely to make up the rubble without individual positions and unique character.
The idea of liberal self-expression and free transformation has won and got over many people’s old stereotypes and beliefs. Although many transsexual people like Laverne Cox have become public and generally recognized, a lot of transgender men and women keep silent and try to hide their real identity. Silence makes this gender group’s existence possible and helps to prevent from any kind of judgment and disapproval. Many people live behind the social borders and do not even try to prove their official rights and desires. Another kind of silence is the silence of the neutral people, who allow any kind of discrimination, passively observe the violence, poverty and sexual assault of those, who need some minimal support and recognition. “Shame leads to silence - the silence that keeps other people believing that we actually approve of the things that are done to women, to minorities, to gays and lesbians in our culture” (Kimmel 34). Homophobia is not just a fear of being homosexual or transsexual, but rather a much deeper fear of explicit and public self-identification, being ashamed of own feelings and emotions, preferences and life positions. This fear and shame very often have to do with a personal experience, because children do not think of some higher principles of tolerance and respect, they just start teasing each other of being less manly or womanly. They betray their inner feelings for the sake of not getting kicked out of the society and lose friends.
One’s abnormality and being different can block a person’s possibility to become successful and prosperous in his or her life, but the life of such people as Laverne Cox serves as an excellent example of people’s great courage and heroism. She has become a first Emmy nominee and a first transgender person at Madam Tussauds’ wax figures. Moreover, she does not want any further physical transformations and is very self-confident. When she appears on the screen or at different public events, such notions as homophobia or sexism do not seem to exist at all. “Heterosexism creates the climate for homophobia with its assumption that the world is and must be heterosexual and its display of power and privilege as the norm” (Pharr 16). There are no “musts” anymore and people can express their real gender identity without any fear or worries to be heavily criticized. Of course, Cox has had much more opportunities, than transgender people a decade ago, because nowadays such topics and problems are also very frequently screened. The roles of transgender or homosexual people must be played by the people, who feel that way and Cox has shown her great sense of freedom and being independent.
Movements and riots of people with an unusual gender identity have not been so effective and influential as the personal success of such people as Laverne Cox, Alexis Arquette, Candis Cayne, Chaz Bono and many others. These people have shown their indifference about people’s judgment and disapproval and have made their fortune in the very difficult and negative conditions. It is important to understand, that people acquire their social habits and behavior, their life position cannot be innate, inborn, but gets developed with gaining of experience and practice. “Individuals are born sexed but not gendered, and they have to be taught to be masculine or feminine” (Lorber, 57). Their right to choose their gender and sexual orientation should be viewed as a right to choose a religion and belief. Once people intervene and interference with one’s personal inclination and decision, a great conflict is likely to take place. Nobody has a right to diminish or discriminate, because such a behavior can lead to the spread of violence and suicide in the society.
Diverse society is a result of long and complex integration and globalization processes. All transformations are very tightly interrelated and interdependent and people’s possibility nowadays to be explicit about their sexual orientation or gender belonging. It is unfair to put inaccurate labels on such people and call them what they indeed are not. Doctors’ consultation and thorough examination before the official recognition and getting of a new ID serve as a reliable evidence for their choice being adequate and well-planned. Transgender people do not pretend to be this way in order to get other people talk and discuss them, but they really want the world to look at them the same way they do. They represent a minority and therefore, will always face some kind of disapproval or discrimination, but different state and international organizations now work towards making this attitude less frequent and intolerant. Nevertheless, they enjoy their life and represent a great example for other people, teach them how to be always satisfied and happy. Every person deserves to be happy and live the life he or she prefers: “Years ago, I wanted really highly invasive surgical procedures to feminise my face. All these years later, I have the money to do it, but I don't want it. I don't want it! I'm happy that this is the face that God gave me, and it's imperfect” (Mail Online Reporter). These words of Cox inspire every person to defeat any kind of fear and move towards one’s successful life.
Works cited
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Apr. 2016.
Katz, Jonathan, The Invention of Heterosexuality. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2005.
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Kimmel, Michael. “Masculinity as Homophobia: Fear, Shame, and Silence in the
Construction of Gender Identity.” Pp. 213-219. Print.
Lorber, Judith. “Night to His Day: The Social Construction of Gender.”Paradoxes of
Gender. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1994. Print.
Mail Online Reporter. „'I'm happy with my imperfect looks': OITNB star Laverne Cox says
she's ruled out having surgery to 'feminise' her face“, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.
O’Neill, Terry. „Why `transphobis Is a Feminist Issue“. Huffpost Women, 2014. Web. 29
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Pharr, Suzanne. Homophobia: A Weapon of Sexism. California: Chardon Press, 1997. Print.
