San Diego-based Autumn Sandeen, who expertly and passionately covers transgender issues for the very important blog Pam’s House Blend, issued an open letter today to President Obama to complain about her treatment after she was arrested during a protest of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.
I encourage you to read the whole letter – but here is an excerpt:
My name is Autumn Sandeen, I’m a retired, disabled Fire Controlman, First Class Petty Officer; I retired in 2000 from the U.S. Navy after twenty years of service.
You may know my name already, as I was one of the six military veterans who handcuffed ourselves to the White House fence on Tuesday, April 20th, 2010, to put pressure on you to include the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in your submission of the Defense Authorization Budget. I am writing today to bring to your attention the discriminatory behavior I was subjected to as a transgender woman by your federal law enforcement officers.
I am a strong, confident transgender woman. I served proudly as a Persian Gulf War Veteran onboard the USS Gary (FFG-51) as a Close-In Weapons System technician during that war. I was awarded both a Navy Achievement Medal and a Gold Star in lieu of a second award for my service at Naval Station Long Beach’s Shore Intermediate Maintenance Activity. I served onboard the USS Coronado when the ship was awarded a Unit Commendation. I’m also a disabled veteran; my VA Disability Rating is 100%, and is a service-connected disability. When I handcuffed myself to the White House fence, I wasn’t an impersonator wearing a costume; I was proudly wearing an appropriate uniform for my gender identity.
Sir, I engaged in civil obedience to pressure you because you told us we should.
[cut]
My peer female protesters — Cadet Mara Boyd, and Cpl. Evelyn Thomas — were in a holding cell behind the U.S. Marshal’s station. They heard that same U.S. Marshal in the fuchsia blouse state the following to one of her peer officers (emphasis added):
“Did you see it? The nerve of it to be wearing a Navy uniform. Did you see the shim in the Navy Uniform?”
Calling transgender people “it” is clearly a way of dehumanizing transgender people. “Shim” a relative to “she-male” is also a dehumanizing term to identify transgender people. President Obama, your U.S. Marshal calling me “it” and “the shim” is the equivalent to calling an African-American by the n-word, or calling a Gay-American by the antigay f-word, it is absolutely unacceptable.
I believe the behavior of your U.S. Marshal’s sent the message to the prisoners that your representatives wouldn’t protect me if these prisoners had sought to physically harm me — because I was a less than human, a “shim.” At no time did any officer correct or dissuade any of the other officers from such offensive behaviors. In fact, they seemed to feel comfortable in doing so around each other, even in front of other prisoners.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
For my own information… I thought there were some people who preferred gender-neutral pronouns like “shim”? Obviously not “it” as that implies a non-person, but I thought “shim” meant someone who was a person, but didn’t feel comfortable identifying as either male or female.
Clearly, that is not the case with Autumn, who considers herself female, and would like to be referred to by female pronouns.
But my question is: Is “shim” always offensive, the way the n-word and f-word are? Or is it just offensive when used improperly? If it is always offensive, are there other pronouns which I should use which are non-gender-specific but still appropriate for referring to people?
Tyler: Please read the letter – “Shim” was clearly being used as a derogatory word in that context, NOT as a pronoun.