Rachel Dolezal, faux black NAACP chapter president — Page 4

Im glad this happened, otherwise I never would have learned the word "transracial".

I ask this with all sincerity. Why isn't it a thing? If transgendered is believing and feeling like you were born of the wrong gender, can't the same be said about race? I mean, we have "transable" people who feel like they were born with limbs they shouldn't have and try to get them removed.

So as weird as this story is, why is it different and not a thing?

I guess you could try to make it a thing if you want and know that I will privately support you 100%.

Gender dysphoria is a thing people have. I have yet to hear of a 7 year old telling her parents she's not white.

My wife's immediate response when I mentioned this story was to ask why it's okay to have gender dysmorphia, but not race dysmorphia. We've had some interesting discussions. Ultimately, gender is a social creation, but those things that a transgender person might do to adapt to the gender they are most comfortable in are basically the same things that Rachel did. She changed her hair, her skin tone, somewhat, made up a back story that for more comfortably with the image she wanted to present, possibly changed her speech pattern, immersed herself in things connected to the culture she embraces. Is it really that she wants to be something she isn't or does she want to behave a way and embrace a culture that isn't necessarily accepted in the culture she was born into? I can't really wrap my head around why wanting to be a different race is so different than wanting to be the opposite sex. It just feels like it is.

I mean, I have a friend who is as white as all-purpose flour, who only dates black guys and got a masters degree in African-American studies. He's said many times that if he could flip a switch and be black he would.

It's complicated, and I think it's a question a lot of us are trying to find the right answer to.

I think the waters get muddier when one considers that we're told that race (or ethnicity? I think there are layers upon layers of confusion here) is a social construct as often as we're told gender is a social construct. And I keep looking around the internet for a sound bite I think could explain the difference and I've get to find it. Like many of us, I feel that there is a difference, but I can't articulate it.

There is a circular logic going with those who say there is a difference. When asked on twitter what would be the difference between Dolzeal running the NAACP and Caitlyn Jenner running the Girl Scouts, Capehart replied, "FTLOG, Caitlyn Jenner is not "pretending" to be a woman. Move along.." And while I get what he means there, it still doesn't really answer the question. (Granted to question is baiting and was posed by a right winger, but there's still a discussion being glossed over). And there's this by Meredith Talusan, a transgender woman: "The people using her mistakes to try to 'understand' or 'explain' the experiences of trans people have none of my empathy; they’re simply propagating the stereotype that trans people are out to fool the rest of you. I don’t need to pass as a woman the way Dolezal needs to pass as black, for the simple reason that I am a woman." I mean, I'm not trying to propogate any myths, nor am I trying to undermine the work being done for and by trans people. I'm not even trying to find a way to "excuse" what Dolezal has done. I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of this.

Maybe ultimately there is no logical answer. But maybe it's not fair to pile this on to Dolezal as well, and suddenly make her be a symbol of our latent confusion and discomfort with transgender people.

Updated On: 6/13/15 at 01:42 PM

This one as well. A point raised is that "transracial" identity can only really go one way, which I think I accept.

I'm not saying I believe that "tranracial" is a thing, but is it right to dismiss it outright, the way gender dysphoria was dissmissed not so long ago?

But again, I just don't know. And my compassion for Dolezal has been tempered by being reminded about that crazy sh*t she used to build her backstory, like being beaten for her skin color by her stepdad, who used a whip similar to those used to whip slaves.

This whole thing is just super effed up.

Updated On: 6/13/15 at 01:49 PM

Is it okay if I say she can do whatever she wants to do, but it's still kind of funny?

She had the longest damn microbraids I have ever seen in my LIFE.

Well, you know that you and I totally disagree about that

Steven Thrasher writes about equality and social justice for the UK paper The Guardian. Here's his take:

THE GUARDIAN: STEVEN W. THRASHER: Rachel Dolezal exposes our delusional constructions and perceptions of race

I'm glad you're raising these discussion points, PRS. And I don't know how I feel about Rachel Dolezal - who DOES seem to have a lot going on other than "I don't wanna be white"- in relation to trans issues.

I think this is new ground that trans advocates did not at all anticipate- the larger issue of "what is identity?" As trans visibility increases, these issues will only become more and more evident.

I'm of the mindset that, if the means are available, people should be able to modify their bodies however they see fit, and be referred to however they feel most comfortable. Change your sex, change your race, change your face- it's yours to change.

But that malleability is problematic for a lot of people, since it erases established markers of identity.

Jordan, do your feelings change if you stop using Caitlyn Jenner as the bar for all trans women? I don't mean that to be bitchy, but I do wonder if we were talking about a trans woman whose politics were more in line with yours, if you might dial it back a notch.