American media personalities Isis King and Janet Mock discuss the need for visible role models representing transgender women. Impressive is their focus on kindness and patience as being central role to their role as public educators, but equally important is their discussion of what it means to be a transgender woman of colour. Mock argues that there is more to the transitioning experience than physical changes. She wants to see public discourses to move on from superficial questions (“Transgender 101”) to in-depth conversations about the diverse social and political issues faced by transgender people.

…of course you have the right to self identify how you choose to self identify. I think that ‘transsexual’ to me makes it only about the body and the transition whereas transgender I feel speaks more to the entire essence of what, politically, what our bodies say.

Video link via Colorlines.

Black Girl Dangerous: How To Be A Reverse-Racist: An Actual Step by Step List For Oppressing White People

blackgirldangerous:

by A.D Song and Mia McKenzie

White people who are confronted with their white privilege and the white supremacist acts they perpetuate have been known to cry, “You’re being a reverse-racist!” That is completely true: people of color have the power and control to create, perpetuate,…