I assign this reading every semester. However, it takes on particular gravity right now given the global response and protests to the killing of black people by law enforcement. Particularly, in recent days, we have seen a 15,000 member protest in Brooklyn in support of black trans lives. And yesterday, the supreme court made a landmark ruling that will change the way LGBTQ+ people live and work. The highest court in the country ruled that the Civil Rights Law of 1965 protects LGBT workers.
This reading is different from the readings you have had up until this point as it is not from a textbook. This reading is written more like a scholarly article. It is your only reading for the next due date so please take your time with it and read it more than once if you need to. I usually spend time discussing it at length in class. So feel free to ask questions on the discussion forum.
This reading looks at the intersections of the criminal “justice” system with race, gender, sex, and sexuality. To help guide this reading, I will suggest some terms to note, questions to ask yourself, and a video and film recommendations. First, these are the terms you should understand and be able to explain upon completing this reading:
trans*
morphology
cisprivilege
cissexism
transphobia
intersectionality
Here are some questions to ponder before, during, and after reading:
- How does Johnson define “transgender” in this essay, and why does she argue that her definition is problematic? What term does Johnson ultimately settle on using for the purposes of this essay and why?
- How does Johnson define “cissexual” and “cisgender” and why does she argue that those definitions are significant? How does CeCe McDonalds’s case connect to definitions of cisgender? Of Cissesexual?
- According to Johnson, how does the intersection of race, gender, and sexuality impact McDonald’s life and, in particular, this case against her?
- In this essay, Johnson argues that intercultural communication “is enhanced by attending to concepts such as cisgenderism, cisprivilege, and cissexism.” Although Johnson is speaking specifically to her own field, to what extent could her argument be applied to your own field of study? Consider the way in which gender and sexuality are perceived in your own discipline. For instance, would a trans*- individual be able to openly secure a job in your field? Why or why not?
MEDIA
I usually show the film, Free CeCe in class. It is a beautiful documentary about the case discussed in the reading. However, it is owned but the highly proprietary Amazon, so it wasn’t possible for me to find a free version for you. And I don’t want to require you to pay anything. Thus, I would like everyone to watch this youtube interview with CeCeMc Donald on YouTube. It is less than 40 minutes.
I would also like you to watch one additional full-length film chosen from those below. Please note that the content is about police violence. I have chosen films that do not show the actual videos, but there may be language and content that is not appropriate for all. Please be aware of this before watching. All of these films deal with media bias, the criminal justice system, and race, gender, and sexuality.
- Free CeCe: If you have access to amazon prime, it is included with Prime Video. If you don’t have access to an Amazon Prime Video account, you can rent it on Amazon Prime for $1.99. You can also watch it on Vimeo, rentals are 4.99 for 24 hours or you can purchase for 6.99 to stream and download anytime. PLEASE DO NOT FEEL OBLIGATED TO PAY TO WATCH.
- If you have access to Netflix, and alternative film to watch would be The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson. Marsha was a trans woman of color, one of two along with Sylvia Rivera credited with starting the riots at Stonewall in the West Village in 1969 that led to the Gay Liberation Movement. You can see that her treatment 50 years ago isn’t all that different from CeCe’s treatment.
- Everyone should have access to Kanopy via the BMCC library. You can contact the library if you need help logging in. Out in the Night is described as follows “Under the neon lights in a gay-friendly neighborhood of New York City, four young African-American lesbians are violently and sexually threatened by a man on the street. They defend themselves against him and are charged and convicted in the courts and in the media as a ‘Gang of Killer Lesbians’.” One of the women in the film is a BMCC alum. You can also buy or rent it on YouTube.
You should also complete discussion 5 replies, write discussion 6 (a prompt will be posted shortly), and complete reading journal 5 reflecting.
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