Would we all be better off with a dedicated transgender forum?

Azure_sky

Cool heads, mutual respect and objectivity from all sides please.
Every week it seems there's a thread and a few transphobic comments from a significant minority of gay members. There was a significant minority of people who didn't want the T. They are entitled to their opinion and at the end of the day we can't force them to embrace us.
To be frank I feel there is a really bad atmosphere on the forum. Every second time I log into the LGBT forum I come away depressed, disillusioned and irritated. I, as a transsexual, feel like an unwelcome guest at times.

The moderators are doing a fantastic job and come in for some terrible and undeserved criticisms quite often. Now, when there was the big debate a few months ago the possibility of a dedicated transgender forum was raised. I personally thought it was a good idea as I had an inkling that this aforementioned atmosphere would flourish. Some other transsexuals wanted it to remain LGBT and no transsexual including myself was willing to moderate the hypothetical transgender forum. Thus, it was ultimately rejected for the current state of affairs.

Perhaps those transsexuals may agree with me now. Also I would be willing to volunteer as a moderator for the hypothetical transgender forum on a trial basis. If people don't feel I'm moderator material I would be happy to step down and leave someone else assume the role.

So I've decided to create a poll. It's anonymous of course. It goes without saying that this poll is just a form of feedback as ultimately the decision rests with the Admins.
So lets be polite, objective and mutually respectful as we discuss this.

Aoifums

I glance at trans related issues from time to time but if they weren't under my nose then I probably wouldn't (how lazy do I sound ) I think I've learned some new things from these threads. So having us all on one forum might have taught me something. Which I can't see a downside to, so it must be a good thing.

I don't get people hopping on threads if they're just going to be bitchy. If you dislike the look of a thread then stay well out of it.

Azure_sky

I'm genuinely glad you learned things about trans related issues and I completely agree that if some people don't like a thread they should just ignore it. However sometimes a thread is started and developes a distinctly transphobic feel to it. I can't leave this go unchallenged anymore than a gay person could leave a homophobic comment go unchallenged.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056236820

Chuchoter

No, there really aren't enough members to support one and you can't just have 10 people with a forum all to themselves. I think a change to the charter and a support/advice forum would solve more of the problems.

BanzaiBk

Division makes me sad.

deirdre_dub

I think a better question to ask is - do we need a dedicated LGB forum? i.e. a forum where those who don't like the T can go, and leave the rest of us in peace in this LGBT forum?

Just as with society at large, the transphobes here are a small minority. If we run to our own forum, before you know it, we will be finding reasons to run to our own web site. And then we will find ourselves running until there is nowhere left to run. No - I say let's make a stand here. And we have enough allies here to make it work.

TaraJo

deirdre_dub wrote: »

I think a better question to ask is - do we need a dedicated LGB forum? i.e. a forum where those who don't like the T can go, and leave the rest of us in peace in this LGBT forum?

Just as with society at large, the transphobes here are a small minority. If we run to our own forum, before you know it, we will be finding reasons to run to our own web site. And then we will find ourselves running until there is nowhere left to run. No - I say let's make a stand here. And we have enough allies here to make it work.

What about the trans people who still identify as LGB? I'm trans but I'm also lesbian; does this mean I can't have a place in here?

I think it's only fair to have a dedicated trans forum, but there are so many of them out there. As it is, I'm feeling more and more like I'm moving away from the transgender label and wanting to get more involved with the lesbian world. Sadly, transphobes tend to be everywhere, especially in lesbian culture, and I can sometimes feel a bit unwelcome.

Wolfe Tone

As an "outsider" I think its foolish to have such a wide and varied group as the LGBT "community" under the one umbrella.

deirdre_dub

TaraJo wrote: »

What about the trans people who still identify as LGB? I'm trans but I'm also lesbian; does this mean I can't have a place in here?

Woah - I'm talking about having an LGB and an LGBT forum. I think it's pretty clear which one you would belong in.

The idea behind the LGB forum is it is a place where the T-haters could congregate and leave the rest of us alone.

Put it another way - if there were to be an LGB forum and a seperate T forum, one of the first things that I would be doing would be to petition that the T forum be changed into an LGBT forum. The T-haters would have no reason to post to the LGBT forum (as they have their own LGB forum), and the new LGBT forum would become a lively place safe for trans people.

OK - maybe that's naive, but it's a thought.

I think it's only fair to have a dedicated trans forum, but there are so many of them out there.

Yes. There are actually relatively few LGBT forums, which is why I think this forum is important.

deirdre_dub

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

As an "outsider" I think its foolish to have such a wide and varied group as the LGBT "community" under the one umbrella.

The diversity in the LGBT community is probably no greater than the diversity in, for example, the stamp-collecting community.

TaraJo

deirdre_dub wrote: »

Woah - I'm talking about having an LGB and an LGBT forum. I think it's pretty clear which one you would belong in.

The idea behind the LGB forum is it is a place where the T-haters could congregate and leave the rest of us alone.

Ok, in that context, yeah, I can totally understand what you're saying.

Seems strange to me, though, that so many of the T-haters want to come here. If you're GLB but you hate trans people, there are forum after forum after forum for you out there.

Yeah, having a GLBT forum is important for people like me who are both T and L (not to mention my life has so little focus on the T aspect of it lately).

If we had a forum specifically set up for trans people, I could see it being good, but unless it's well moderated, what's to stop a hater from going on there and posting transphobic garbage anyway? I guess that's my big concern.

Asry

...what's T & L? And yes, I agree. I think we should all stay together. Or if we don't, I want a forum for bisexuals.

rainbow kirby

BanzaiBk wrote: »

Division makes me sad.

^ This

This discussion has been done to death on here - there is no need to split the forum. There are far too many overlapping issues at play here.

OP - please use the Report Post function if our attention needs to be drawn to something.