Dan Savage Gets Glittered Again by Trans Activists, Responds
Transgender activists targeted Dan Savage for the second time in a couple of weeks with a glitter-bombing, this time at a speaking engagement at UC Irvine.
Savage responds in a lengthy blog post over at Slog:
It's clear from the transcript—and it's clear from the way that my remarks are being actively and maliciously misrepresented—that the people pushing this "Dan Savage is transphobic!" meme are not honest actors. False accusations of engaging hate speech are themselves a form hate speech—particularly in the hothouse environment of LGBT activism. Any honest reader of my column, like any honest person who attended my Q&A at UCI, knows that not only I am not transphobic, I'm pretty rabidly pro-trans.
Or: If I'm the enemy of trans people everywhere, trans people everywhere could use more enemies like me.
On Glitter, Transphobia, and Hate Speech [dan savage]
Dan Savage has done so much for our community. I really don't understand this.
Posted by: JC | Nov 15, 2011 11:50:03 AM
wtf? He did nothing wrong! People are so sensitive!
Posted by: Annony Nonny | Nov 15, 2011 11:58:10 AM
i'm not sure what he's done wrong, either. i mean, i don't hang on to his every word or follow his twitter feed, etc. but, i don't see him as someone who would be stupid enough to be transphobic.
Posted by: sleepy bear | Nov 15, 2011 12:05:23 PM
Maybe I haven't looked hard enough or haven't been following him long enough to see them, but I haven't heard or read transphobic comments from Mr. Savage on his blog or interviews. Not to say they don't exist - maybe someone could point them out?
Anyways - what I HAVE read and disagree with are his still standing comments that bisexuals should only date other bisexuals and his sweeping statements against the black community immediately post prop 8. (Not bi or black btw).
Posted by: Leo | Nov 15, 2011 12:07:53 PM
@Leo, shut it.
People who do this are the same as fundies who create petitions against gay marriage, They are bigots who overextend themselves and now can go down in history as a bigot.
So the glitterbombers, great, I hope you have fun trying to stop the trans movement but you wont succeed, they are stronger then you.
Posted by: Fenrox | Nov 15, 2011 12:10:46 PM
Can someone tell me what the concerns/arguments of the trans activists are? My initial reaction is that he can't have done/said anything that bad, but I'm willing to hear them out. I know my appreciation of Dan Savage has always been tempered by some of the hurtful things he has said about bisexuals. I don't want to open that can of worms again, but the more I researched that issue, the more saddened I became. At least for a time he was not sending an "It gets better" message to bisexuals, he was sending a "no one should date you because you'll just cheat" and/or "you're lying to yourselves" message that was based, honestly, I think, in his own experience dating bisexuals, but was blind to how it might affect and hurt bisexuals, especially young or questioning bisexual youth. Ultimately, though I find him to be a hero of the movement, but not a perfect one. One who's heroism can be tempered, as it is for all of us, by personal biases, etc. Is that where this "trans fury" is coming from--a pattern of insensitive and potentially hurtful statements--or is someone, as he seems to be implying, taking his one-time words and twisting them to their own agenda, which is not right. If anyone knows more on where both sides are coming from and feels comfortable presenting it in a balanced way, I'd like to learn more (or visit links that will tell me more--can't Google right now since I'm at work.) I get uncomfortable when anyone characterizes criticism of them as "hate speech," since that's a tactic the conservative right uses against us all the time, but sometimes it is true. I'm curious to learn more about the story behind the story.
Posted by: AnonymousJack | Nov 15, 2011 12:15:58 PM
@Fenrox
wasn't insinuating or inferencing said transphobic comments do exist from Mr.Savage okay?
As far as the rumors go that this was intentionally done by enemies of the entire movement, I wouldn't be surprised.
Calm down please.
I agree with you that division within the entire community is a huge hindrance that likely needs to be solved before pressing ahead against the actually enemy, but based on the numerous comments on this board alone>
1) Can we remove the T from LGB, etc.
vs.
2) Without the T, the LGB wouldn't be anywhere!>
...it doesn't look like that's gonna happen.
Posted by: Leo | Nov 15, 2011 12:32:33 PM
The whole point of ad hominem attacks is that you can't defend yourself.
Posted by: anon | Nov 15, 2011 12:50:21 PM
It's so predictable that Savage would end his blogpost with an egotistical statement! Dude has no shame at all. Sorry, Dan-O, Transfolk don't need any kind of enemies, least of all those who exploit the disadvantaged for publicity like you do. They have far more enmity than they can humanly deal with already. Come down off your high horse, if you know how, and check out the Transgender Day Of Remembrance website:
http://www.transgenderdor.org/?page_id=1663
It should be a sobering experience, even for your smug ass!
Posted by: Stuffed Animal | Nov 15, 2011 12:55:03 PM
Dan is getting attacked by the extreme more-radical-than-thou LGBT fringe primarily because he is prominent and gets a lot of media attention. He doesn't speak in the stilted language of "X-privilege," and I guess that pisses off some gender-studies majors who have not left the womb of academia. If you're trans and you think Dan Savage is the enemy, then you probably need to get out more. But what would the left (or LGBT movement) be without pointless internecine squabbling?
Posted by: Todd | Nov 15, 2011 12:56:28 PM
Seems to me like Dan Savage has always been supportive of all types of people, unless they are ignorant and idiotic.
Posted by: Jack M | Nov 15, 2011 1:03:26 PM
I think it's possible that two things may be happening: (1) Some conservative group is posing as a "trans-support" org. and attempting to discredit Mr. Savage or, (2) Some trans extremists are , perhaps willfully, misinterpreting Mr. Savage's comments (or simply refusing to acknowledge a legitimate personal opinion).
Posted by: Chuck Mielke | Nov 15, 2011 1:21:34 PM
Dan Savage is the evil one? Is this a joke? Of all the people on the planet who are a detriment to the trans community, and DAN SAVAGE is the bad man at the top of the list?
This reminds me of the Black people who hated on Oprah. Shame on you...
Posted by: Hollywood, CA | Nov 15, 2011 1:28:44 PM
I admire Dan Savage; he's brutally honest and stands behind what he says.
Posted by: Jason | Nov 15, 2011 1:31:48 PM
I am SO sick of trans people.... Dan Savage has done more for the gay and lesbian community than all others combined... these freaks need to get over themselves and find their own champion/crusader!
Posted by: Seamonster | Nov 15, 2011 1:42:41 PM
It's a shame that a tiny group within the trans community seems so obsessed with being the victim that they're willing to attack one of their biggest supporters.
Posted by: Seattle Mike | Nov 15, 2011 1:52:32 PM
@ SEAMONSTER - REPUBLICAN ALERT!
I love how the Repugnicnts try to come on this blog and sew the seeds of discord within our community to try and pit us against each other.
Nice try.
Posted by: Hollywood, CA | Nov 15, 2011 2:11:41 PM
Seattle Mike, Dan is not one of their biggest supporters. I encourage all of you who are unaware of Dan's past issues with the Trans community to google it. There are reasons for their anger.
Posted by: wondermann | Nov 15, 2011 2:19:33 PM
I agree with TODD.
Posted by: chasmader | Nov 15, 2011 2:28:45 PM
@WONDERMANN: I probably don't have to google anything regarding Dan Savage as I've been a podcast subscriber for a couple of years now and a Savage Love column reader for what's probably approaching a decade. If you are under the impression that Dan Savage is not on the side of trans people, then I'm honestly not sure what it takes to be on the side of trans people. And, by the way, this is coming from a guy who has literally *prescribed* viewings of Boys Don't Cry for friends whom I thought were insensitive to trans issues. I recognize that there are some real enemies of the trans community out there and it would be great to put energy toward defeating those enemies. What I cannot wrap my head around – and believe me, I've tried – is how some trans activists have decided to hang every complaint that they have with the world around the neck of someone that is of no threat to them at all and who has been a great help to a great many people.
Posted by: RyanInSacto | Nov 15, 2011 2:30:46 PM
Todd NAILED it. I've been saying the same thing on social media platforms for the past two days.
EXACTLY.
Posted by: Derek in Madison | Nov 15, 2011 2:32:41 PM
The trans community is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of who Dan Savage has offended with his race baiting (after the passage of proposition 8 in California) and other forms of problematic speech and pompousness when he has been confronted.
There is a very identifiable disconnect between those who support Dan Savage and those who don't. People who support Savage tend to be white, gay men in medium sized to large urban centers who have male privilege, class privilege and other terms of privilege. People who tend to regularly take a peek behind the curtain to discover there is really no wizard there tend to be LGBT people of color, transgender people, women of color in the LGBT communities and some bisexually identified people.
If you are defending Savage here in the comments I would bet all my life savings you are very likely a gay white man with relative class privilege who also likely doesn't have a real clue about the reality of other people's struggles in the LGBT communities. You are likely very myopic in your activism and have not taken the time to educate yourself about the concerns of people in the communities beyond those who look pretty much just like you...and Dan Savage.
Posted by: sage | Nov 15, 2011 2:34:04 PM
Also, Savage is so addicted to attention and also seems to have such few scruples that I wouldn't be surprised if he hired this last group of glitter-bombers to do what they did just so he could play the victim and also create this post with impunity. I would not put such behavior past him. Its already been revealed they were not transwomen.
Posted by: sage | Nov 15, 2011 2:56:55 PM
@SAGE: You're being racist and classist. "These people are not like us, and they are therefore less (diverse/tolerant/activist) than us." *rolls eyes*
Posted by: Mike B. | Nov 15, 2011 3:10:23 PM
Well, this discussion is now over. Anytime someone brings up the ol' "if you're white, gay and male, then you'll never understand because of class privilege trope," productive conversation ceases. Call it a day. Game over. You win Sage! How does it feel to be a winner? Off to Disneyland now?
Posted by: RyanInSacto | Nov 15, 2011 3:29:49 PM