The above represents practically all that’s wrong about the transgender coinage myth that’s been propagated over the last 20 years. Let me just put that myth to rest with 3 simple bullet points:
- Here’s the trans+gender lexical compound being used in 1965 to describe transsexuals.
- Here’s a 1975 newspaper article from a trans leader reporting that “transgenderist” comes from the community itself.
- Here’s a 1974 UK usage of transgender (and trans people) in its modern umbrella sense and here’s a 1974 American usage of transgender in an umbrella sense. Here’s another 1974 usage of transgender referencing transsexuals. Also, here’s a 1974 usage of “transies” used as an umbrella term. Oh, and here’s a 1977 usage of “transpeople” used in its modern umbrella sense. Here’s Christine Jorgensen self-identifying as being transgender in 1979.
So, that last little fig leaf (the Virginia Prince December 1969 one-usage of transgenderal) that the Prince fountainhead myth was still clinging to has just been plucked away.
If you’re a researcher, I encourage you to read this to better understand how and why coinage myths harm the trans community. If you need an esteemed PhD to tell you that coinage stories are usually myths, here’s Dr. Daniel Dennett talking at Oxford University:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkAjS9Mfif4
If you’re interested in understanding why these academia-propagated coinage myths fueled the TS Separatism movement and why that movement is now dead without it, read this.
And, so… to all those who’ve given me so much hell over the past year for daring to expose their beloved Prince fountainhead myths… I want you to know exactly how enjoyable this moment is for me:
And, finally… to drive home how Prince promoted her own mythic fountainhead status, here’s how she treated trans author and activist Kate Bornstein:
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