My Weekend Crush

As enduring all those truly terrible comments (and some that continue to trickle in) on my post about AfterEllen’s two-year turn descent into full-on transphobia, please enjoy this advertisement from the Philippines instead. I know, I know – beauty products are in the business of selling you beauty products. But even if Pantene ultimately just wants to sell us all more shampoo – they’re selling all of us shampoo. Not just cis-men and women. But also trans men and women. Also nonbinary folks. Basically just everyone who wants shiny, healthy hair. And that, in and of itself, is beautiful.

I really can’t fathom lesbians, gay men and anyone else on the LGBTQ spectrum who turn their backs on their trans brothers and sisters. Can’t you see the exact same fear-mongering and bigoted stereotypes were used to discredit gays and lesbians not that long ago? They’re a threat to children! They’re going to prey on me in the locker room! I don’t care what you do in your bedroom, just don’t be so gratuitous about it in public! Ugh, why do you have to talk about it all the time? Can’t we just have someplace of our own where we can be with our own kind without them ruining everything?

Once more, with so much feeling – equal rights aren’t pie. If one group is granted civil rights, it does not mean you take them away from someone else. It just means finally the pie is big enough for everyone to have their rightful slice. And, again, don’t worry lesbians who don’t like trans women – no trans woman wants to date you. Trust me on this. Not a one. May we leave this kind of exclusionary thinking in 2018, with the rest of the garbage. Happy inclusive and beautifully shiny haired weekend, all.