“'Normal Life' looks at the current moment in trans politics, understanding that it is often assumed that trans resistance strategies should mimic the lesbian and gay legal rights frameworks that have become so visible in recent decades.” ShouldLooksMomentsUnderstandingRightsGayNormalStrategyCurrentsDecadesResistanceVisibleFrameworkTransNormal LifeLegal Rights Author:Dean Spade
“I argue that legal equality has failed resistance movements aimed at transforming material conditions of violence, and that trans activists should take a decidedly different approach.” ShouldDifferentViolenceConditionsMovementMaterialsApproachArguingResistanceActivistTransformingTransDifferent Approach Author:Dean Spade
“Instead of focusing on what the law says about trans people, which is really what the law is saying about itself as a protector of trans people, we should be focused on what systems of law and administration do to trans people and our interventions should aim to dismantle harmful, violent systems such as criminal punishment and immigration enforcement.” PeopleShouldLawAimFocusedCriminalsPunishmentViolentImmigrationAdministrationEnforcementInterventionTransProtector Author:Dean Spade
“In addition to encouraging us to participate in narratives of "deservingness" that cast large parts of our constituencies as "undeserving," legal reform strategies encourage us to valorize harmful systems that our movements should be seeking to dismantle.” ShouldMovementStrategyCastsSeekingReformNarrativeUndeserving Author:Dean Spade
“I am not arguing that we should never use legal reform as a tactic. Instead, I argue that it should not be a goal.” ShouldUseGoalArguingReformTactics Author:Dean Spade
“We should understand that in the context of the US, where our legal system is based in settler colonialism, capitalism and white supremacy, changing laws will never sufficiently change the conditions of harm and violence our movements seek to transform.” ShouldLawWhiteViolenceConditionsMovementCapitalismHarmColonialismWhite SupremacySupremacyLegal SystemSettlers Author:Dean Spade
“We should interact with legal reform tactically, knowing that it will not meet our ultimate goals but asking whether there are ways that engaging with particular reforms might benefit our work and help reduce certain harms or dangers.” WayShouldHelpingMightCertainGoalKnowingDangerParticularBenefitsUltimateAskingHarmReformEngagingUltimate Goal Author:Dean Spade
“Over the past decade I have watched many friends go through graduate school and write dissertations. Through that process, I have seen how they are guided by mentors to understand particular norms within their disciplines and to learn about what they can and cannot, should and should not say, and which ideas can go together and which cannot. I never went through this process.” ShouldWritingIdeasSchoolTogetherPastProcessParticularDisciplineDecadesGraduatesMentorNormOver The PastMany FriendsGraduate SchoolDissertation Author:Dean Spade
“One particular debate that I have seen play out again and again is whether trans people who have more traditional gender expressions or who "pass" more should be the ones who are represented. A recent advocacy guide focused on advocating around trans health care access produced by the largest trans advocacy organization in the US instructs readers that advocacy will be more successful if the message is delivered by people who pass as non-trans men and women.” PeopleIfsMenShouldPlayCareSuccessfulParticularExpressionReaderMessagesMen And WomenOrganizationGenderFocusedGuidesAccessDebateTraditionalHealth CareAgain And AgainTransAdvocatingAdvocacy Author:Dean Spade
