Op-ed: Who Cares If Ann Coulter Looks Trans?

[William769]

No, I’m not defending Ann Coulter’s egregious use of the r word in a tweet about President Obama. As usual, she was wrong. But equally wrong was the slew of responses calling Ann Coulter a “tranny,” “transvestite,” and “cross-dresser.” Some even poked fun at her Adam’s apple. My parents taught me that two wrongs don’t make a right. And Ann Coulter has done a lot wrong. However, these reactions, aiming to silence Ann Coulter, only furthered the marginalization of women and transgender people.

Women have Adam’s apples too. Saying that Ann Coulter’s Adam’s apple makes her transgender just doesn’t make any sense. But the more sinister harm here is the thought that her appearance somehow makes her less worthy of respect. Images in advertising contort women’s bodies in ways that render them unable to be seen or heard. And images like these support the idea that women should only speak when they’re called on, a perspective that has had a real impact on women. A new study by the American Association of University Women found that full-time working women still earn only 82% of what male peers earn. And so when people aim to silence Ann Coulter because of how she looks, they only help drive women’s inequality.

Judgments against Ann Coulter because of how she looks are also an attack on transgender people. The difference is transgender people often can’t shrug their shoulders and move on the way Ann Coulter can. Indeed, this kind of prejudice has a role in the staggering rate of suicide attempts among transgender people: 41% (compared to 1.6% of the general population). While Ann Coulter gets to stir controversy like it’s a game, everyday transgender Americans have to deal with the bias and violence at the core of these messages.

Many have weighed in on how words like “tranny” and “faggot” hurt people. But here’s the bottom line: Who cares if Ann Coulter looks trans? Of course these words are offensive. These words are among America’s most reliable epithets — they somehow always get the job done. But these words also do something much worse. When used to silence someone for their beliefs, these words normalize a narrow picture of who gets to participate in our politics. The last four decades have not seen even a dozen openly transgender elected officials. This is changing as more transgender people become national advocates, but for a lot of people, “trannies” and “faggots” still don’t get to be part of the conversation.

http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2012/10/30/slam-ann-coulter-looks-trans-wrong

I'll be the first to admit that I can't stand Ann Coulter but some of the comments I have seen on DU have been ignorant and repulsive. Attack her because of her ideas and how vile they are, not how she looks or how you perceiver her to look. All you are doing is showing your own bigoted ignorant self by hurting other people in the process. If this is how you have to debate a subject, then you don't deserve to be part of the debate.

P.S. for the truly ignorant, this OP in no way is defending Ann Coulter, it's defending women & transgender and pointing out the ugliness of people who who resort to RW tactics.

[LynneSin]

1. It disgust me that there are people here on DU that still make those insults

Honestly, a long time ago I did but thankfully some DUers explained why it was wrong to do this and honestly it just made sense.

[William769]

2. Good for you.

We all make mistakes and when people learn from them thats always a plus.

But when you have the same people making the same comments again and again, it really makes you wonder what their agenda really is.

[mysuzuki2]

3. These kinds of remarks about her are obviously wrong.

If said about anyone else I would be greatly offended. But in all honesty, I really can't get too upset about ANYTHING anyone says about that witch (apologies to Wiccans) . She has said much worse about others with no apologies by her or her followers.

[William769]

5. You should be greatly offended that women & transgender are the one's being hurt

If I understand your post correctly you don't care who is hurt in the process as long as it is against Ann Coulter? Is that correct? If so...

[Brickbat]

4. K&R. She's contemptible because she is cruel, not because of how she looks.

[Scuba]

6. I'd still disrespect Ann even if she looked just like me. If you want to disrespect her in person..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10845460

[Ikonoklast]

7. Her looks are irrelevant. Her hatred is what makes her an ugly person.

She is not my type in any way, I like my women to have souls.

[jmondine]

8. Even if she looked like an angel, she'd still be scum sucking vermin.

[TBF]

9. It's not her looks - it's her lack of conscience that makes her so deplorable

good OP

K&R

[jmondine]

10. Actually, if she were transgendered, she might be a more sympathetic person...

... I've known many trans folks in my life. The hardships and challenges they've endured, internally and socially, have generally made them some of the most understanding people, especially to the less fortunate of all stripes.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

16. AND her physical ugliness would not be as apparent to people...

Personality makes a huge difference.

She would come across as more attractive were she not so full of hate.

[freshwest]

19. +1

[LaydeeBug]

11. Laydeebug: turnabout is fair play.

and when I call her a c*nt, it is not a barb at women or vaginas.

Sometimes this just goes too far.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

13. +1 nt

[catrose]

12. Could I add a corellary?

Who cares if Gov. Christie is fat? Would it be possible to restrict our attacks to ideas and not appearance? Do other people owe us to meet our standards of beauty (or sexuality)? Democrats are the big tent of tolerance, right?

I can't find a link at this late date (at least not without wading through pages of Coulter quotes), but when Michael Moore and she covered opposing primaries (and hers wasn't printed), she wailed about the nasty media trying to silence her conservative voice and posted her column herself. It started out by sneering at how unattractive Democratic women are. I don't want to be like Ann, marginalizing everybody who isn't like me. I hope you don't either.

Thanks for the op-ed.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

14. Well, we all have our opinions...

Some of us believe in progressive policies... but aren't necessarily the bleeding heart, try not to offend everyone, while wearing flowers in your hair and singing Kumbaya type of liberals.

I find it completely acceptable to attack someone's physical appearance. As a fat ass myself, I am not offended when fat GOPers are ridiculed for their weight. I usually join in.

People like Ann Coulter are ugly on the inside and their physical ugliness is more amplified because of that.

[snooper2]

15. She has Marfan syndrome, same thing Bin Laden had...

[RebelOne]

21. No, she does not have Marfan Syndrome.

I have known 2 people who have had that. One died at 32 years old. The other is still alive, but has had to have 5 heart transplant operations and she is only 35 years old. Those with Marfan Syndrome do not normally live past 50. She is over 50 and I have not heard of her having any heart transplants.

[obxhead]

17. Coulter is one of the ugliest I have ever seen.

The filth that comes out of her mouth and the hate that is spewed from her will forever tarnish her.

As for her appearance, I couldn't tell you. I can't get past the hate speech long enough to evaluate it.

[fleabiscuit]

18. Why

Why give Coulter press either direction?

[demmiblue]

20. K&R