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Wednesday Google hosted a special edition of their annual "Demo Day" event featuring 11 early-stage startup companies founded by women from eight different countries. More than 450 women from 40 different counties applied for a spot, and the winner of the competition was Bridgit, a fast-growing Canadian company which provides a mobile communications platform for construction teams. Online voters also awarded the "Game Changer" title to KiChing, a startup that's actively addressing Mexico's unique e-commerce challenges. But all of the startups at Wednesday's event were already actively raising series-A funding, and "We aim to help connect them to mentors, access to capital, and shine a spotlight on their efforts," said Mary Grove, the director of Google for Entrepreneurs, addressing the Demo Day audience in San Francisco.
(Score: 1, Offtopic) by kurenai.tsubasa on Monday December 14 2015, @11:14PM
Eh, I'd say it pretty much meshes with my experience, at least the part that was quoted. Not bragging, but I do pass well as my actual gender (not the one on my papers, but whatever) to the point where many people gender me female even when I'm clearly dressed as male.
On the other hand, other trans women I know who don't pass well, not that it would matter in a perfect world, well, that's a mixed bag. I have a habit when I notice somebody I'm with is getting the stare treatment to just stare right back at the person doing the staring. That usually gets the message across when they notice I've been staring at them for a few seconds. Otoh, it's kind of awkward when it starts getting to the minute mark. Other times… I get nudged a little closer to getting a concealed carry permit and a decent handgun. Fortunately, it hasn't come to violence. Yet. So far. For me. Examples of that are just a DuckDuckGo search away. This is quite the YMMV territory, and as John Wayne said once, “Out here, due process is a bullet.”
(To be fair, one victim was murdered in cold blood because she passed too well. Remember, ladies, make sure you give a man you're about to get in bed with “the talk” first! For me, every guy has been cool about it, even if they decided to decline or to give it some more time.)
Let me put it to you this way. When people ask me what gender I am, they're legitimately, honestly curious. Whatever gender I have, I tend to have one or another!
Intentionally misgendering a person or misnaming or mis-whatevering a person is quite the risk, and it's often done with bravado and meant to intimidate. It goes two ways. It's very easy for a man to get stripped of his manhood (“you punch like a girl!”) and generally we're ok with that. In fact, if you met a trans man tomorrow, you wouldn't even know it unless the person were presenting as genderfuck, which is presenting using elements of both genders (no, women wearing pants doesn't count unless it's the 19th century—I'd link to a certain photograph by the late Nimoy [rmichelson.com] but it's NSFW; Secret Selves series, title: Aimee¹).
I'm sure everybody here, myself included, has actually mistakenly gendered someone. It's natural. When we recognize our error, we simply apologize and move on. Not so with a trans woman who has great difficulty passing. Suddenly, we're no longer interested in being polite. Suddenly, we take up a completely bizarre attitude that this time we aren't going to even entertain the notion that there is anything feminine about this person.
Honestly, from over here, it all looks quite bizarre, but I have another rant (more on topic) along those lines formulated in my mind I need to find a home somewhere else in this discussion.
¹ “Aimee — tattoo and body piercing / I like being a girl…no one knows I am a woman, let alone a lesbian. My beard is natural, there is no imbalance.”
(Score: 1, Insightful) by kurenai.tsubasa on Monday December 14 2015, @11:21PM
we simply apologize and move on
Full disclosure. A cisgendered lesbian was being so unbelievably rude to one of these people I know that he deserved it. Eh, what do you want? I'm only human. Another example is Runaway and AC's habit of intentionally misgendering certain celebrities like (trigger warning!) Chelsea Manning and Brianna Wu, as though they don't deserve to be women and have lost the right to be men.
Anyway, on to that rant.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:30AM
I think the number of AC's in this thread are causing some confusion (I think I count at least 3).
I should actually register an account.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:39AM
I should actually register an account.
No I shouldn't.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @12:47AM
No I shouldn't.
On second thought...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 15 2015, @05:14AM
I should actually register an account.
No I shouldn't.
Yes, maybe I should! It would help with the gender confusion here. I'm Pat.
(Score: 2) by kurenai.tsubasa on Saturday December 19 2015, @05:53PM
I'm Pat.
Lol. Nice to meet you, Pat. Have you decided on a gender yet? They tell me it's a big decision, but I just don't get it. Apparently, they force you into choosing one despite your biology. I knew an intersexed guy/girl once, and she couldn't even.
[Comment intentionally aborted before finishing the sentence. She couldn't even, and I agree.]