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Protests Erupt Over Trans Woman Disrobing in L.a. Spa


Carolyn Marie

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When I first read this story, it struck me that it was assumed the person in question was transgender.  As the person who allegedly walked through the facility disrobed has never been identified, we can't know what they identify as, and it seems to me several people along the way jumped to conclusions.  The initial report I saw from The Hill stated the individual in question was bearded, and while there are some odd trans girls out there who sport rather lush beards, it is much more common for us to get our facial hair removed.

 

The folks who showed up protesting seemed to be more about the male genitals in cis-female spaces than specifically targeting trans people.  The counter protesters seemed  to have equally made assumptions the individual in question was transgender and used that as a basis for a counter protest.  I also noted some of the protesters matched the profile of Antifa affiliated individuals.  I personally think a lot of people jumped to conclusions and the whole thing got out of hand over an unidentified individual.

 

I am not sure calling the whole thing a hoax is valid either.  Just because none of the regular trans folk were there that day doesn't mean there wasn't someone there who was either trans, a cross-dresser, or someone who was mentally ill.  The outrage of the woman who complained about the disrobed individual seems hard to fake, and I kinda doubt she'd be smart enough to pull off some sort of hoax.

 

I think we have a lot of folks playing to their confirmation biases.  On one side there's the group who wants to turn this into "See, see, them trannies are all perverts tryin' a git in a peak at lady

's privates."  On the other side there are people trying to turn this into another incident of being picked on by "them fundamentalist Christian types."  The nation has turned and unknown penis into a great trans debate.  Ridiculous if you ask me.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Admin

A very good explanation of the disinformation behind the event.  One error in this is that it is a City of Los Angeles Health Ordinance backed up by State law that includes Trans women in the clientele able to use the facilities there and not entirely company policy.  Mild mistake on that and she makes a good analysis of what is and isn't show in the videos. 

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The incident was discussed at Tuesday's Police Commission meeting.  The Chief of Police indicated that investigations are underway regarding the alleged police abuses and tactics.  The LAPD has a long history of unnecessary and excessive force at such events, but I'm not going to prejudge their actions on this one.

 

Carolyn Marie

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Living here in Los Angeles is anything but dull!! 

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Urgh. Sorry if any of this is irrelevant.

 

This feels so ugly.☹️

 

Completely agree with much of what Kat says in the video. As she rightly mentions ...

 

1) Seems fundamentally against any understanding of general Transgender Psyche. The last thing a Transwoman wants after all is to expose her male bits. Goodness.

 

2) Also more an indictment of the Prudish (and generally odd hangup) fundamentalist view of sex and body, equating nudity to sex or something perverted.

 

Normally I don't bother with this sort of nonsense.

 

But I must say it bothered me somewhat today...

 

Somehow it makes me feel psychologically at least, vulnerable and wanting to get on hormones bc it feels as if I don't measure up to a Transwoman let alone a Cis-woman.?

 

Of course this is how they want us to feel. And I know its silly to be affected. But sometimes you just can't help feeling it.

 

Like today, I was rushing to buy a Graduation gift for my niece (a four set of plates- side plates- bowls) from Target as she is also moving into an apartment with her boyfriend.

 

I had to get back in time to take my daughter somewhere being the glorified unpaid Uber driver that I am...?

 

So I made a beeline to the self check out. However as I got close, there was an employee lady at a makeshift check out counter not that the place was terribly crowded mind you.

 

She saw me struggling with the box set...what were those plates made of concrete? Seemed awkwardly heavy.

 

So she called out across the store "Miss do you want to check that out here?"?

 

I should have just ignored and done self check out on hindsight but she just gendered me feel good and the bloody thing was heavy. So I went to her.

 

I must have passed wearing my Black cotton Dungaree, a Trilby hat and a crop top I suppose ...but I certainly did not pass when I opened my mouth.?

 

She checked out my stuff no issues but you could feel the unspoken mental gears going I suppose...at the end she asked me if I wanted a receipt and said "Thank you sir".

 

Now I don't think she was being malicious in anyway more its just difficult for average people to put us in context sometimes and know how to react when caught off guard. Certainly not equating this to the Spa incident of course particularly if it was pre-meditated.

 

But in her case (like many other episodes), I just felt they try to right what they may perceive as misgendering on their part with initial call (Although what kind of male outside of West Hollywood parades around in a brazen crop top?)...and many times they knee jerk correct themselves by double down on the other gender pronoun to so to speak cover the bases.?

 

I do not make an issue of pronouns.

 

I try to be polite and gracious through out minding Ps and Qs but sometimes, it just gets you.?

 

Particularly compounded with the Spa incident in my mind, I suddenly started to feel an unmitigated pressure to consider pushing further, taking hormones to make myself more feminine.

 

Certainly in my mind thoughts swirl around that I am the sort of male masquerading as woman they speak of bc my shape isn't enough never mind the wrong part I use to wee with.

 

I know of course this is all silliness since for this crowd agitating against Trans rights at the Spa, nothing will be perfect enough for them in terms of Trans women.

 

but sometimes, you feel weak and bothered.

 

This then took me back to a conversation with my friend couple of days back who asked if I would considering myself as Non Binary.

 

I responded to her that I somehow can't seem to feel comfortable being half of something to others even if I know I am not or never going to be a complete Cis-woman.

 

And I think the sting in not being gendered right even if I tend to brush it off most times seems to indicate that I am not comfortable as a neutral space and that I lean toward somehow wanting to be seen as a woman. Maybe this speaks something of me that needs further exploration.

 

Of course, I will have to continue to work on overcoming my mental block with my voice. That could help.

 

but even if I passed with clothes on, it now bothers me I am not feminine enough without.? But what is enough?

 

Of course I may have to make peace and be grateful with what I have as is. I am not sure if I can afford to take HRT at the moment or if it will not have any physical implications.

 

I remind myself I am what I am and if I am neither of either well so there.

 

But sometimes, that just don't seem enough.

 

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, swallow said:

but even if I passed with clothes on, it now bothers me I am not feminine enough without.? But what is enough?

 

Enough is where you feel comfortable with yourself sweetie.

 

I don't know your financial situation, but I can say that the $40 a spend a month on HRT is well worth it just for the mental benefits. The boobs are nice, but I can get prosthetics for those. The ability to actually THINK is priceless. Also, you and I are about the same age, so it's never too late. I mean I didn't blossom into Dolly Parton or anything, but I feel very feminine.

 

So on the actual topic? I'm leaning towards staged. The staff straight-up said that they're appointment only and they didn't have any trans clients in that day. I smells a rat.

 

And you're absolutely right, pre-op (honestly I don't want to show off my vag post-op either) there is no way in hell that I'd enter a woman's space to begin with, let alone naked. The very IDEA of making one of my sisters uncomfortable like that is unpalatable. OK, sure, I was a little bit of a bathroom commando, but those have stalls with doors and I had to pee while wearing a skirt. That wouldn't fly in the men's room.

A locker room or a space where I'd be naked though? Absolutely not.

 

Hugs!

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7 hours ago, swallow said:

I remind myself I am what I am

You, me, and Popeye. 

 

2 hours ago, Jackie C. said:

I'm leaning towards staged. The staff straight-up said that they're appointment only and they didn't have any trans clients in that day. I smells a rat.

That's pretty much what I figure.     Just shytte stirring.

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Well, this sounds worse than a rat:
Misinformation about Wi Spa, a Korean spa in Los Angeles, quickly spread around the world. Since then, trans women in LA have faced violence and online abuse. Precious Child, a trans activist based in Los Angeles was targeted by anti-trans activists after a spa video went viral.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/28/anti-trans-video-los-angeles-protest-wi-spa

 

Prayers for Precious Child.  ?

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Apparently some people have such a need to hate that they can't even see how they're being played.

 

I've just had enough for now.   I'm going to bed.

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The original video of the faked incident has been taken down by You Tube or the OP.  I have only heard of the one person actually being threatened, but a few Trans Supporters did get roughed up a little bit during one of the Trans supporter rallies outside the spa. 

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