White man’s bait

Recently at a gathering of several transgender groups accusations were made by each group that the other was racist. All this right in front of me. It was amusing as I sat silently listening to shoddy political arguments. Either way I know where the argument was going – you don’t talk about trans people of colour – you are racist you talk about trans people of colour you are an interfering white supremacist racist.

Through all of this I was silent knowing I was invisible bait. Neither group was wrong but neither was right. Should we address issues of intersectionality – yes. Should white people get involved- yes. However throwing the race card in to prove you are not a racist I find a way to self justify one’s own discomfort with the issue.

That I was invisible during this argument proved to me I was to be spoken of in abstract terms and if I did speak I would be told off for not being authentic enough. the accusation was that there were no ethnic sounding names being called out at an event. I did try and point out that some of us have western sounding names..... I was unheard...... as I usually am. I found it insulting that we people of colour are not accepted unless we fulfil a certain stereotype. Only white people are allowed to experiment with other people's culture the rest of us must sit around being petrified in time. 

Being a transgender person of colour might have its own issues however to assume that no one in the community has thought of these issues and started their own group reeks of ignorance.

I am not anti inclusion but forced inclusion and representation is worse than not being represented at all. People of colour don’t exist to be used as political  bait neither do we exist to reassure white people of non racist they are. If your group does not have trans people of colour ask yourself if you have done something to prevent them from coming in or do they have their own groups?