From Macho Cop to Glamorous Guard
Michael was a police officer, soldier and loving dad who lived as a male for 40 years. Two years ago, he began transitioning to female, and he now wants his daughters to call him Mikayla, Kayla or Mom, because he says Dad is gone.
Some more choice excerpts:
The last time Christina saw her father was two years ago when he showed up at her work in lace and blue jeans to break the news that he's transgendered.
That's a sensitive way to go about coming out to your daughter!
Carlie's mother, Jennifer, says Kayla used to pay child support, but that now she's lucky to get any money from her.
Now, I don't want to rag on somebody whose going through difficult financial times, and also having a difficult coming out process with family. What boggles my mind is why she would go on National TV with this issue? It's clear that sensationalist TV show producers are trolling the internet among other places looking for people who are gullible enough to put themselves and their problems on TV.
I feel like this is another small step backward for Trans rights. Putting your unfortunate and sad story on Dr. Phil, when you are not paying a fair load of support for your children, and you are coming out to them in inappropriate ways is not helpful to anybody.
Why does this make me uncomfortable? Is it that seeing a semi-trainwreck trans narrative makes me defensive about my own life, and my own story? Am I so insecure that I feel others are "ruining it" for me? Or, am I reacting legitimately to someone who is playing into the hands of the "all-trannies-are-sensationalist-caricatures-of-women" media crowd.
I know I hate it when other trans folks decry the people who put themselves on Jerry Springer when they're doing sex work. It's curious why I feel differently about this.
I have the privilege of passing - does this make me less sensitive to folks whose lives are harder in that sense?
Still, this person is making a spectacle of themselves (see the Brunners below for another example) and I can't help but call out some egotistical behavior.
Why does the world need to know your story, I guess is an underlying concern. I can't help but see the specter of a person privileged with a lifetime of stereotypical masculine presentation. But maybe I'm just being insensitive?
1 comments:
I think you're right about the masculine hangover. I've seen both in person and numerous times on the internet the transitioning transwoman blaming her spouse for not understanding about her transition needs outweighing everything else. For not having read between the lines and already know that transition was going to come.
First of all, mind reading is not something assumed in relationships. I know a lot about this because my original ex-wife required that of me. To require anyone to perform that miracle is oppressive and totally out of line.
Transwomen who basically abandon their family responsibilities in favor of their transitional needs should be held to the requirements of anyone who abandons a spouse and family. It's hard enough to tell your wife you're leaving her for yourself as a female. Usually the transwoman leaves the wife to explain things to the children.
Sure, things change, but if you've brought children into the world you have a big responsibility to care for them. If you've asked your wife to stay home and raise the children you have a big responsibility to take care of her during the transition to that of a divorced woman. Words cannot replace responsibility.
What I think of the most is the man's approach resolving problems he created by saying he's sorry. "I said I'm sorry, what else do you want"? This is supposed to resolve problems from cheating on your wife, losing the family savings at the racetrack, hitting your wife and surprising her with the news her husband hasn't had sex with her because the estrogen he's taking to transition to a woman prevents him from getting it up. "Sorry" doesn't cut it. Contrition and reparation are only a few of the things that need to accompany "Sorry".
This transwoman is trying to get all the perqs of being a woman as well as keeping his man privileges, too. These people deserve scorn and a judge's ruling he/she will have to pay his wife and family through the court or face contempt charges.
You're not a real adult until you embrace responsibility.
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