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Stephen Ira

WHY ARE FAGGOTS SO AFRAID OF FAGGOTS?

by Stephen Ira on April 2, 2012

Why Are Faggots So Afraid Of Faggots?

I’ve spent the last week reading Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore’s latest editing effort, Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots, and I have to tell you: it is a good book. But before I begin to explain why it’s such a good book, what I think it’s trying to accomplish and why I think it succeeds, I should make something clear: Even though up until this point, I’ve only given positive reviews, I’m not trying to to. This is because I get to choose what I’ll be reading and reviewing, so I pick books I already know I want to read, with authors whom I already know of, and luckily enough they haven’t disappointed me. I just wanted to let you know.  Don’t worry, eventually my reading list will run out and I’ll have to read some vile young adult book about a brave and special young trans man who inspires everyone in his rural but surprisingly accepting rural village, or something. Then I’ll be real mean.

Now that I’ve excused myself– faggot time.

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TAKE ME THERE

by Stephen Ira on February 17, 2012

Take Me There

Take Me There is an anthology of trans and genderqueer erotica edited by Tristan Taormino, and it is good porn.  I’d like to say that before anything.  But I imagine you’ve heard that.  So mostly I want to talk about something less visible about Take Me There: it is the product of successful allyship.

This is an anthology of dirty stories about trans people, and it’s edited by a cis woman.  That could go from zero to creepy fetishization in thirty seconds.  But it doesn’t.  Instead, Taormino manages the balancing act of privilege with grace.  She directs the attention of her privileged peers to oppressed voices, allowing some cisgender voices in, but refusing to let them dominate.  Taormino has learned what I would argue is both the hardest and most important skill for an ally: shutting up.

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Why I’m Not Saying “Tr*nny” And I’d Like It If You Guys Didn’t Either, Please

by Stephen Ira January 23, 2012

Trans brothers, dear dear dear men, whom I respect and look up to and adore, allow me to quote noted gender theorist Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. I’m writing this because there’s been tons of talk about this slur recently. Trans men, [...]

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NORMAL LIFE : A REVIEW

by Stephen Ira January 10, 2012

Hi, I’m Stephen.  One time, I was outside of a theatre with Rocco and Katz. No big deal.  I was like, “I REALLY JUST WANT YOU TO THINK I’M COOL,” but you know, I didn’t say that, due to I’m very cool.  But then I was emailing the OP email, and then Amos was emailing me, and now here I [...]

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