Here's the thing: Buck says a lot of shit that is highly problematic, and sometimes outright dangerous. He's told younger trans guys to be happy little butch lesbians, defended the use of a horribly transphobic slur, and now he's reduced trans women to a sum of their parts, effectively blaming victims for their own injuries at the hands of cis people. In an interview with an online dating forum, the porn star blurted out this lovely rant that is sure to shock anyone with a sense of compassion:
That brings up the question of disclosure, which seems like a difficult one. What’s the best point, if you do just meet someone in a bar, to reveal that you’re trans?
I’m a huge advocate for disclosure, because I believe a lot of people get themselves in bad situations because they do not disclose. For example, trans women who might hook up with a cis-gendered guy and then he goes home with her and finds out she has a penis and flips out and beats her up or kills her. That’s horrible, and I really believe by not disclosing it’s very disrespectful to the other person because they might not be into it and it makes them feel very freaked out about themselves. Disclosure is huge for me, and how do you do that in a bar situation? You’re right, it’s very strange. For me, how I always did it was if I knew it was going to turn into a sexual situation, immediately, immediately, I would say, “I need to let you know about this situation.” But the dating site puts it right out there: I’m a man with a vagina!
One issue with the perspective of Buck Angel is that all-in-all he caters to fetishists and curiosity-seekers for a living. Almost everyone he encounters sexually knows exactly what to expect because they've seen every manner of porn stud and starlet fuck him. Buck has very little fear of ever winding up in a situation where he may not be expecting nookie and shit just happens. And as a macho white male, his chances of being attacked on the street by a stranger for being trans are near zero.
The fact is that, while there have been trans men killed for "disrespecting" our cissexist society, the vast majority of victims are women, and they're often of colour. Often times, a rapist or murderer intentionally seeks out transgender victims because they're easy targets for their sociopathic leanings. All they have to do is say that the girl didn't disclose or invent some other stupid reason to justify their crimes and try for a light sentence. This is exactly what happened in 1996 when a guy sought out 3 people (including 2 I knew personally), assuming they were all trans, and shot them to death. He claimed that it was the will of God. Now, in this instance the court didn't buy it and handed Marcello Palma 3 life sentences, but the audacity of his defense is worth remembering. The reason why the defense was even introduced was because it had worked before. Cis folks just do not like trans people, as so inelegantly explained by Buck Angel himself.
A continuing issue I find with the entire article is the overwhelming gender and physical attribute essentialism. Buck mentions the abuse of trans women, but reduces them to a singular body part that they may or may not possess, as if possessing one specific body part means that harm against her is somehow excusable. Additionally, he seems to believe in this as well as statements made in other interviews, that all 'good' trans men have vaginas. This isn't true for many trans guys to be sure, but also for some cis women! Due to metaodioplasty, phalloplasty, cancer, prolapse, or any number of reasons both elective and not, a trans guy might not have exactly what you would expect in the basement, and that's just fine and dandy.
Hell, I'll admit that even before transition, I didn't exactly have Playboy model netherbits. Should I have been beaten or killed for not disclosing this? How about survivors of female genital mutilation? The intersexed? Post-operative trans people? Should they meet the angry fist as well? Where the Hell do we draw the line here?
Buck often mentions disrespect. So what of it? As a visibly trans dude who is active in the Aboriginal community in a small town, I'm subject to constant disrespect that ranges from backstabbing chatter to death threats. I'm called names and I've been harassed by the police. There have been innumerable things done to myself and others on this island that would most certainly fall under the category of disrespect, and you and I know that if I beat or killed one, let alone all of the people, who engaged in this behaviour, I'd be locked up for the remainder of my days.
Numerous trans women have stated in their written and spoken word that they do not trust the men of our small community, and Buck Angel's opinions are often used as an example. Not only does he not think before he speaks, but he becomes angry when someone points out that he may have said or done something absolutely destructive. It's not his occupation that makes him immoral- adult stars like Nina Hartley, Annie Sprinkle, and Drew Deveaux are only a few examples of film sex stars who continuously offer up evidence for the fact that intellect can indeed exist amongst those who work in a much-maligned industry. Porn stars are not idiots, even if Buck Angel is.
Buck Angel should not be looked at to represent sex workers, transgender people, or even men at large. He perpetuates stereotypes, affirms misogyny, and degrades those he claims to defend. Buck is not a role model for anyone and he most certainly does not speak for me.
I don't drop a bunch of responses, however i did a few searching and wound up here "More Bang From Buck". And I do have some questions for you if you usually do not mind. Could it be just me or does it seem like a few of these remarks come across as if they are left by brain dead people? :-P And, if you are writing on additional online sites, I would like to keep up with anything fresh you have to post. Would you list of every one of your public sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?
ReplyDeleteAlso visit my web blog; directory