Most Trans People Probably Don't Care About Dave Chappelle or JK Rowling | Trans Sandwiched #8

Today, I want to talk about the way the media is covering debates over trans issues, and why there is a major problem there. In the past two episodes, we looked at the reaction to the Dave Chappelle Netflix special this year, and the controversy over comments by JK Rowling last year, respectively. In both cases, the 'trans community' as a whole supposedly reacted very negatively. But was that really the case?

I think a major problem with how the mainstream media covers controversial issues, is that it assumes there are two, and only two, sides to the debate. This is probably a mental reflex many people have, a result of living in a left-vs-right two party style political system, and knowing no other alternative. However, in reality, most debates really can't be simplified into just 'two sides'. The fallacy of simplifying every disagreement into 'two sides' is that you usually end up picking the two most extreme groups to amplify, because they stand in sharp contrast to each other. Everyone else is then force fitted into one group or the other. I believe this is actually one of the most important ways the media contributes to the polarization.

In fact, the trans community has always been quite diverse. There have always been arguments between trans people with different views. This was true even well before trans issues received mainstream attention, and recent developments have served to increase the diversity and the internal disagreements even more. The trouble is, the media likes to pretend that the diversity doesn't exist, as if we were a monolith, essentially represented by the loudest activists. This ultimately means that trans people, as a whole, are misrepresented to a great extent. I mean, I have encountered people who had a hard time understanding that I did not see gender as a social construct. Somehow, they must have thought that all trans people believed that gender is a social construct. In truth, there are also many trans people who are vehemently opposed to that idea!

The truth is, trans people come from all cultural backgrounds. Trans people are found in both big cities and rural communities alike, and are represented in all age brackets and demographic groups. They are also represented across the political spectrum. Hence, it isn't surprising that there are plenty of trans people who didn't care too much about the Chappelle or Rowling controversy. In fact, there are plenty of trans people who disagree in one way or another with the activists who supposedly represent us in the mainstream media. For example, there are plenty of trans people who continue to stand against cancel culture, and believe that free speech is the key to understanding, acceptance and rights. And of course, many trans people also want to see a stronger focus on the experience of gender dysphoria, in media coverage of trans issues, because that could contribute to much improved understanding among the general public. All this continues to be ignored by much of the mainstream media. The result is that many people have a stereotype of what a trans person is, and how a trans person thinks, which does not fit the reality of many trans lives.