Trans and gender diverse young people experience higher levels of psychological distress than their cisgender peers. But trans and gender diverse people’s decision to transition (whether that be social, medical and/or legal) is almost always involuntary and out of necessity to live their lives authentically.Īlmost 50% of trans young people in Australia have attempted suicide at least once in their lives. London, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, has actively chosen a “transracial” identity. It also undermines the importance of cultural connections for many communities.Įxplainer: what does it mean to be 'cisgender'?
The very idea of being able to transition to a difference race discredits trans and gender diverse people’s experiences of gender affirmation. Race and gender have very different histories, understandings, experiences, and implications in the face of discrimination. This is often not the case for trans and gender diverse people. People who face discrimination based on their race or cultural background can usually go home to members of their family who understand them. This is particularly the case, for example, in considering trans people of colour and their experiences of both racism and transphobia. While multicultural communities and LGBTQ+ experiences of discrimination are sometimes compared, it is important to understand these experiences are different and complex. Colin Mulvany/The Spokesman-Review via AP In 2015, activist Rachel Dolezal faced questions about whether she lied about her racial identity, with her family saying she is white but has portrayed herself as Black. There is also much more to one’s racial identity than physical appearance - it’s also about culture, community, connection and even trauma. You can’t inherit your gender, this is internal and something individual to you - but you do inherit the social construct of race. Unlike gender, race presents as categorised (often physical) traits that are socially constructed and understood. Most people have an idea about their gender at two to three years old - this may not align with the sex assigned to them at birth. Gender is our internal sense of self, whether that be man, woman, neither or both. Trans and gender diverse experiences don’t equate with someone deciding to change their appearance to be part of a group whose experiences, community and struggles they can’t fully understand.
Unfortunately, it seems we haven’t learned much in this space.Īt their core, London’s words and actions are a prime example of racism, cultural appropriation, and transphobia, enacted from a perspective of considerable privilege. Debates about “ transracialism” followed. The same reasoning behind London’s Korean identity (they have asked to be called Jimin after a K-Pop star) can be compared to that of Rachel Dolezal, a white woman who identifies as Black and made headlines in 2015. Having undergone surgeries to change their appearance, they equated being “transracial” with the experiences of transgender people who affirm their gender. Send us feedback.Earlier this week, online influencer Oli London responded to criticism after saying they identify as Korean. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'transracial.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. 2021 So how could parents embarking on a transracial adoption prepare themselves better to raise their children to feel seen, and prepared for the world? Tara Adhikari, The Christian Science Monitor, 27 Oct.
2021 The film also draws out themes, well documented in research on transracial adoption, about the complexities of navigating an Asian American identity. 2021 Advocates were also pushing for kinship care as an antidote to transracial adoptions, after agencies had moved a disproportionate number of Black children into the homes of white foster families.Įlinor Carucci, ProPublica, 1 Dec. 2021 Advocates were also pushing for kinship care as an antidote to transracial adoptions, after agencies had moved a disproportionate number of Black children into the homes of white foster families. 2021 At times scathing and hilarious, the rollicking tale considers the thorny themes of assimilation, identity, pride, filial piety, transracial adoption, and interracial relationships.Ĭhloe Schama, Vogue, 20 Dec. Grace Hauck, USA TODAY, The growth in transracial adoptions from foster care in recent years has far outpaced the growth in same-race adoptions, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. 2021 The trauma of transracial adoption Karasalla Patton, who is Black and Samoan and lives in Portland, Oregon, was adopted by white parents at 2 years old. Recent Examples on the Web About one-third of all adoptions between 20 were transracial, according to the U.S.