Comments on: I’m worried. This concerns me.

By: Feministe » Siriano, your license to fierce is hereby revoked

Feministe » Siriano, your license to fierce is hereby revoked — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:35:37 +0000

[...] on Bravo by flinging around 80s drag ball terms like “fierce” and deriding outfits as “a hot tranny mess” over and over. In case anyone was confused about whether he meant “tranny” as a slur, [...]

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:35:23 +0000

Hi! This is Margaret who wrote the editorial for _Bitch_. I am SO IMPRESSED with this discussion. It makes me feel like you should have written the editorial!

The only comment on the _Bitch_ blog right now is someone who apparently doesn’t think “tranny” is a slur, or at least Highly Questionable Language For Non-trans People To Use, Especially on National TV. :P

So, I’m grateful for y’all.

By: Liz

Liz — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:20:03 +0000

I stopped watching ProjRun a few seasons ago, but I still like to catch it every so often. I would think that most gay men, or men who are NOT complete LGBTQ hating idiots, would know that tranny is a slur.

It’s like being black and not knowing that a white person calling you a nigger is a slur. Ridic.

By: Morejello

Morejello — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:42:41 +0000

I found Christian to be annoying as hell. We called him ‘cockatoo-head’ at my house because of his goofy hair.

By: Alana

Alana — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:26:51 +0000

is it a sign of internalized homophobia or something that people like christian annoy the fuck out of me? i’d like to think not, that it’s just that i’m a bit quiet and introverted – but what if i’m buying in to all that “straight-acting” stuff? is christian what it means to -not- be straight-acting?
I’ve entertained the same worry before – am I homophobic to find certain flamboyant mannerisms grating? I think not – first, because I reserve the right to feel irritation at just about anything that irrirates me, and second because it’s not that I’m so much annoyed by non-gender-normative behavior as by the obnoxious immaturity and loudness that seem to constitute “fabulousness” (or perhaps, in this case, “ferocity”) for a small sub-set of mostly young gay men like Christian. I actually find femmey behavior sort of endearing from some guys; my problem is when “femme” begins to mean “characteristic of a particularly silly twelve-year-old girl.”

In Christian’s case, I actually think his persona has a lot to do with calling attention to himself and claiming “a stake” in queerness, as if membership in the gay community is partially contingent on acting like a gay caricature that he’s probably translating from Will and Grace. I suspect he’ll eventually realize that the social approbation he gets for being the most outrageous person in the room is a shitty kind of attention, and mellow a bit.

By the way, to comment on the actual topic of this thread: I think that there are a depressing number of people who aren’t aware that “tranny” is a slur, or at least treat it as somewhere in the semantic range of “queen” or “dyke,” which tend to be anything from neutral to insulting to terms of endearment depending on the context.

By: belledame222

belledame222 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:34:56 +0000

Dennis: yeah, I had the same thought. Or at least, he’s still figuring his shit out.

By: belledame222

belledame222 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:32:48 +0000

It’s been the thing to do for some time now — when you feel the need to break out and distinguish yourself from the “preppy, boater kind of style” of your surroundings (his own words to describe growing up in Annapolis) the best way to get more “fierce” is to adopt as many mannerisms and slang as you can from black women. This is what a lot of white boys consider “gay culture” to be, more or less.

I remember a similar discussion coming up wrt Chris Crocker.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:36:48 +0000

But I imagine that he isn’t always read as male by the dominant culture,

I was watching the finale while my 10 year old son was nearby and he was casually glancing up now and then. At one point I said something about “i’m sure he’s (meaning Christian, who was onscreen) going to win” and he said “wait…. that’s a man?” I agree that his entire manner is extremely affected and silly and very very young, and that his use of “tranny” is not the most sensitive thing but to him it might feel like he’s almost trans anyway and just thinks everyone should be his brand of trans, and thus “fierce” rather than a “hot mess.”

I hope he grows up a bit soon!

By: boystowners.com » Out, proud, GLAAD

boystowners.com » Out, proud, GLAAD — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:36:15 +0000

[...] of Christian Siriano, there are those who’ve taken issue with his use of the word “tranny” as a derogatory put-down. We have to say, it’s bothered us. [...]

By: femme

femme — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:53:25 +0000

Tiny twerp who lives nothing else but for himself.
And his tranny crap? How about an effeminate gay male mess?

The kid is offensive and I doubt I could have watched a show with him on it, I didn’t watch the show so all I know about it is the piece you have posted.
I suspect I’d have to kill myself if I was forced to sit in a room with him for an extended time, unless of course I had duct tape to close that yap of his.