Deplatforming TERFs cannot end with performative activism
Photo Courtesy of John Bauld
Content warning: this article contains discussions of transphobia and transphobic violence.
Recently, comedian Dave Chapelle has come under fire for voicing anti-transgender remarks in his new Netflix special “The Closer.” In a slew of transphobic rhetoric targeting trans women and a handful of comments defending the homophobic comments of rapper DaBaby, Chapelle doubled down on past instances of transphobia, going so far as to pit the experiences of Black people and the LGBTQ+ community against each other in an attempt to undermine the struggle faced by queer people in the 21st century.
“The Closer” is only the most recent instance of media personalities using their platforms to promote hate, and it certainly won’t be the last. Moving forward, one thing needs to be indisputable: if you care about trans people, you need to stop supporting transphobes. Completely.
You can preach separating the art from the artist until you’re red in the face, but the fact at the end of the day is that continuing to platform bigots does nothing but embolden their message, thereby endangering the marginalized communities they target. Consistently turning a blind eye to bigotry and passing off violent rhetoric as “a joke” forces marginalized communities to face increased violence while also undermining and overlooking their experiences.
Take, for instance, J.K. Rowling – a known transphobe defended by Chapelle, who proudly assumed the label of “Team TERF” as he came to her aid in reference to her past remarks. Her books are chock-full of racism, antisemitism and transphobia, mirroring her values in real life.
It’s insufficient to write her TERF, or trans-exclusionary radical feminst behavior off as a small misdemeanor in her otherwise lovably nostalgic franchise because her continued success allows for trans-exclusionary radical feminists to be emboldened by the sheer scale of her bigotry in the media. Rowling’s transphobia isn’t just harmful rhetoric confined to a fictional narrative – it actively contributes to anti-transgender legislation and policies, seen when Republican Senator James Lankford quoted her while fighting the passage of the Equality Act.
The fearmongering generated by trans-exclusionary radical feminists is seen in the widespread yet disproven narrative that trans people are dangerous, which in turn creates more danger for visibly transgender people simply existing in public spaces. A woman trying to use the restroom is now more likely to be harassed because a cisgender person deemed her very existence a threat.
Making dehumanizing jokes about trans people isn’t funny or subversive – it’s violent. The most recent reports from the Human Rights Campaign suggest that at least 42 transgender and/or gender nonconforming people have already been killed since the beginning of 2021, with 2020 being the previous most violent year on record for transphobic violence. GLAAD also reports that these numbers may often be lower than reality due to underreporting.
By extension, transgender people are more likely to have less legal and healthcare protections, are more likely to live in poverty and are more likely to face harassment and discrimination. Trans women specifically are more likely to face violence than their cis peers, according to reports from GLAAD. I include these statistics not to use their suffering as a talking point, but rather to emphasize the reality experienced by so many transgender and gender nonconforming people in the wake of bigotry by those who cry injustice at being “cancelled” for their hateful remarks.
It’s naïve to say that jokes in poor taste have no effect on the world around us. Every time a public figure with a large following spouts harmful rhetoric, real people will be hurt. As such, the dollars you spend supporting these people are just reinforcing their impact.
It’s insufficient to say you “support trans rights” while doing nothing to materially improve the circumstances in which transgender people live. What heavy lifting are you doing to deconstruct transphobia in your daily life? Do you see your trans peers as their actual gender, rather than simply memorizing their pronouns? Do you call out casual transphobia when you hear people using it – including your friends and family? Are you taking time to educate yourself about the issues facing the trans community? Are you putting in effort to help trans people receive gender affirming care?
As harsh as it may sound, your words mean nothing if they aren’t reflected by your continuous action. If you aren’t consistently and actively listening to transgender people and fighting for their rights to respect and safety, you need to ask yourself why that is.
