Reconno (trans)Man

You Can’t Buy Your Way Into the Workingclasses

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 14:00:53 +0000

You can’t buy your way into the workingclasses. No matter how much money you spend. “But what about the $300.00 1930s inspired work shirt I just bought?” Nope. No matter how hard you work, you can’t use clothing to pretend you’re something you’re not. And the search for real masculinities will never be found in [...]

Here’s a Quick Way to Alienate Trans and Genderqueer People in Your Political Work

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:00:53 +0000

(A work in progress. Ink and pencil in a moleskin. I’m thinking of transferring it to some kind of art board.) The cartoon reads, “WTF is gender performativity any way. I am who I am.” Seriously folks, if our theories can’t reach every day people, what’s the point? Restate Foucault all you want. But if [...]

Summer Suitings: If You Don’t Command Respect, You Won’t Be Respected, Part Deux

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:44:52 +0000

My thanks to mewmewfoucault (MMF) for dialoging yesterday. I crystalized my thinking last night and realized my responses to MMF’s comments were circuitous at best. (All quotes unless otherwise noted are culled from MMF’s comments.”) MMF’s main criticism of my previous post is that it suggests that I advocate disrespecting people because of what they [...]

Summer Suitings: If You Don’t Command Respect, You Won’t be Respected

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:26:37 +0000

Seersucker jacket by Ibiza bought at Sierra Trading Post. Neckerchief by New & Lingwood. Shirt by Richard Anderson. (Summer wear for adults includes cotton and linen, in light and pastel colors. Think relaxed, playful and colorful). For more on why I care about how I dress and why I believe it is important for everyone [...]

Socks and Sex: Little Known Ways to Reveal Your Trans/Genderqueer Masculinity

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:29:47 +0000

(Shoes from Peal & Co at Brooks Brothers (got them on sale for 70% off). Socks from New and Lingwood.) Like many of us, I’ve spent a lot of money on the body I have now. I choose to honor my path by dressing as well as I can. Doing so sets me apart from [...]

What Dr. Cornel West on can Teach Us about Political Work and Sartorial Armor

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:00:33 +0000

Dr. Cornel West quotes Ephesians 6:11 when talking about why he dresses the way he does. As a transman, the simultaneous desire to wear an armor as well as participate in the fun through my clothing inspires me. I hope it inspires other transmen and women to do the same. Put on the full armor [...]

Vacationing until June 1

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:36:05 +0000

I’ll have little access to internet. Therefore I’m going on a blog/twitter/facebook hiatus until then. I hear it’s good for the soul. I’ll let you know if that turns out to be true.

You Don’t Have to Be an Ableist Turd to be Accepted as a Trans Person

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:48:33 +0000

I recently received a Faceb**k friend request from an organization called the Gender Identity Coalition. Their aim is to have GID (Gender Identity Disorder) removed from the DSM. Fifteen years ago I agreed that this goal was valuable and necessary to our inclusion in larger society. “I’M NOT CRAZY,” was what I told everyone. Now [...]

Here’s a Quick Way to be a Top-Notch Trans Activist

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:23:13 +0000

If you are trans and you don’t have a disability, you don’t have a birth defect. If you are trans and you do have a disability, you don’t have a birth defect. Besides being an incredibly boring story, saying you have a birth defect is, more often than not, terribly, terribly hurtful. Anarchafemme writes: [C]alling [...]

If Gender is Socially Constructed, Why is Science Not?

jay.sennett@gmail.com — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:38:12 +0000

How many trans and gender queer folks get hung up on the science of gender? You know what I’m talking about. We really want to believe that gender is socially constructed but we get caught up in these little scientific facts like biology. The whole chromosome thing is the killer app of the gender-isn’t really-socially-constructed [...]