[update: Click here for a discussion at TransAdvocate about the coverage of the Zapata trial by Autumn Sandeen at Pam's House Blend.]
The one thing AmazonFail and Angie Zapata in the blogosphere proves, is that the lgbt movement needs a common enemy to unite them.
After the recent Amazon Fail uproar and consequent UNITY shown in the lgbt realm, now we have the gang rallying around the Zapata case. I’m just nauseated at the hundreds upon hundreds of bloggers who add nothing to mix but reposting it as the bloody shame it is. Isn’t that at the very least, disrespectful to the family, and to the memory of a girl they pretend to care so much about? I realize it is an emotional issue, but the lgbt blogging world needs to grow a brain.
Example: Angie Zapata murder trial: Count tweets of Zapata ‘Murder Mob’ – http://tinyurl.com/dffh2n Why won’t society grow up – why won’t the mob grow a brain?? Anyone who presents a rational ideology to empower the lgbt as a whole is basically ignored. People want blood. It’s the only thing that really draws their attention. We want liberation! we want free speech! (Please coat with blood first though, thanks)
The dozens of sites that routinely re-post blogs that have violence against transgender in the headlines: These are Transgender ambulance chasers, trying to get tweets and clicks on their stat totals for the day. Are they under the delusion that they are providing some kind of service to trans folk?
I regard such things as mindless detriments to me personally and the rest of the trans world. There is too great preponderance of headlines dominating the trans image in media of us as victims. In fact our own language and appeals too often depict us in that victim role. Trans people squabble, bicker, attack each other, deride, verbally abuse – where is even the slightest attempt at solidarity or unity? What is wrong with this movement? Someone really needs to clean house in this transgender, transsexual, ‘tranny mess’ of a virtual world.
Here’s a few recent examples of the lgbt mob following a trail of blood:
1.) READ THIS: This is NOT acceptable on Bilerico Project
Filed by: Bil Browning - March 20, 2009 4:00 PM
2.) Here is a subsequent continuation of this ‘community’ discussion over at Dented Blue Mercedes via Mercedes Allen (Bilerico contributing writer) and a comment from that post which demonstrates the kind of confusion all the rank and file nit picking causes to newcomers and the rest of the world.
comment by Corona:
As someone who is new to this, and very motivated, and even a little bit smart, who was sent to your blog by another TG person, as a first-time visitor here, as someone who wants to get involved in TG politics, who is not a political noob by any means — what the heck is this all about? Do I want to read umpteen hundred words of he-said, she-said, internecine tempest-in-a-teacup trivia before I can even figure out what the issues are? No wonder we can’t get anywhere, no wonder our oppressors always outrun us, no wonder we are marginalized, if this kind of crap is the best we can do.
————————– Angie – Tori Amos
Here is a site for Angie Zapata that is not slanted with sensationalism, and I think that bloggers should just give it a rest and maybe start doing a little praying instead. http://www.angiezapata.com
While I agree there’s a bloodlust in the trans blog/twittersphere, I don’t think our lack of ability to move things ourself has to do with the lack of unity, but the trust in people that have nothing but their own self interest at heart who depend on the GLB community to gain rights for transgender people. Every movement has had divisiveness in its ranks.
Fantastic post.
HRC is one the most sabotaging destructive “gay organizations” there is.
These “gay organizations” are nothing more than democrat apologists rather than what they say they are “lgbt activists/advocates”. They put party before gay rights, and are particularly disgusting on trans issues.
You make some strong points. The Amazon nonsense was certainly absurd.
However, speaking for myself, I am ashamed that I only recently heard about Angie Zapata. I don’t think many people are aware of it outside of the blogosphere either. I am a news junkie, & I never heard a mention of Angie Zapata in the corporate media OR most of the leftwing media.
That is so wrong.
So I am trying to spread the word. I apologize if it appears as though I am “using” trans people to get hits. That is not my intention.
I also understand the bloodlust. Some people are angry. Understandably so. It will subside in time I suspect
@ Elián – I would not look at your coverage that way at all. You are making a strong statement against the sleepy silent majority, AND – in a positive way. I am not criticizing that type of coverage. I simply mean that there are hundreds upon hundreds of ‘copy cat’ blogs that merely post the basic facts in two lines, or in the case of twitter, in 140 characters, stating the same thing that has been stated already hundreds of times. These people need to wake up to the fact that they are ‘dumbing down’, fictionalizing & mezmerizing the audience of the trans-movement, which includes the transfolk themselves. It would take a pretty chunky post to explain it properly, which I just don’t have the patience for. I’ve spoken about this numerous times. I just hope the word gets out a bit and people become more conscious and responsible news bloggers. I appreciate your stance, and you play an important role. Just keep doing it, with my support.
@The Lesbian Mafia – Thanks for backing me on that, your support is very appreciated.
You’re kidding, right? You should know your HRC history before making such a claim. HRC endorsed Al D’amato in 1998, and there’s been allegations that HRC gave the LCR 10k for a convention, but not Stonewall Dems (http://transpolitical.blogspot.com/2008/09/hrc-lcr-gop-not-glbt.html). They are political opportunists, with plenty of rich, white, conservatives within their ranks. And their first choice for President wasn’t Dennis K. or any other GLBT friendly candidates, but Hillary Clinton (who is a DLC’er and DINO).
That Lesbian Mafia, “What a bunch of kidders!”
hey there – just found you via Twitter. I am hopeful that I am not one of the copy cat bloggers you mean — I do occasionally report/repost things on my site that I have found elsewhere — but most of my readers are not trans or even queer, and so this is all new to them. I don’t care about my clicks, and I care only marginally about how many followers I have. But I care deeply about how many people find out HOWEVER that HRC is a bunch of jackasses, or about the Angie Zapata trial.
Anyway. I’m glad I found this blog. Lots of important & thought provoking stuff. Thanks for speaking up about the need for cohesion in the trans (and larger queer) community.
Like Elian, I also only recently found out about Angie and I also spend a lot of time on the news sites
You are angry and have every right to be. Heck I am angry! But the truth is as long as the community is not cohersive, then this will continue.
Forget about bloggers who will jump on anything topical to ‘promote their blogs’ They are not the enemy. In a strange way they actually spread the word.
The haters,murderers, abusers, they are the ones to focus on
Oh, please hun. What would talking to yourself (a/k/a prayer) really get accomplished?
Just sayin’.
I’m not, but I guess I was making assumptions about the ambulance chaser crowd. I really have no idea, I was just getting fed up with the viral-ness of hate crimes.