We Are All Freaks

Did you see “I Am Cait” with Kate Bornstein? What did you think about where Kate Bornstein said about the freak factor?

Cait vs. Kate vs. The Kids: How Kate Bornstein is Out of Touch with Today’s Youth
On S1 E4 of I Am Cait, Kate Bornstein labels the trans community "Freaks"
Planet Transgender
By Claire-Renee Kohner
August 19, 2015

What’s not listed and seemed to be a surprise to most was the appearance of “Gender Theorist” Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw and Queer and Present Danger. The appearance of Kate was brief, and after some harmless flirtation on both sides, Cait and Kate sat down to talk what one would assume to be about gender; what happened seemed to be a co-opting of the conversation by Bornstein towards the negative.

“You and I share timelines, we go like this” Bornstein says making a crisscross sign with her arms before she says, “Well, you’ve joined the club, your mind must be fried.” Although we were never told what club Caitlyn suddenly belongs to, but if one assumes the queer or transgender community, then what are the qualifications must one meet to get in to this so-called club? Pain? Suffering? Multiple Suicide attempts?

Although Kate Bornstein’s visits was only a few minutes of the show, Kate happened to mention or refer to the transgender community as “freaks” no less than six times.

“Have you been dealing well with the freak factor? Because that’s a fact” Kate says before she continues with, “We are freaks to a lot of the world.” Jenner’s response to this sudden barrage of name-calling was on point when she said, “I really feel like what we are trying to do here is to kind of normalize this as much as we can.”

Surprisingly, Bornstein minimized Caitlyn when she verbally slapped back, “Part of the reason you want to [normalize this experience] is because you don’t want to be a freak…And who does?” Kate Bornstein continued, “The only way I’ve gotten through it is to accept the freakdom.”

Congressman Barney Frank called it the “Ick Factor.” Whatever you call it I think it is real.

For those of us who can integrate into society might not think it is real but for those who live on society’s margins it is real. If you cannot blend into society, society punishes you, the giggles, the laughter, the stares are all part of societies attempts to fit you into a neat little gender box. Those who are readily identified as trans are the ones who cannot find jobs, the ones who face violence every day, the ones who make their living off the street.

As Kate said, “Part of the reason you want to [normalize this experience] is because you don’t want to be a freak…And who does?” and the whole “I Am Cait” show is about normalizing being trans… “See we are just like everyone else!” It is a trait of all marginalized communities. The gays and lesbians did it back in the 70s they didn’t want any butch lesbians or flaming gays to be associated with them. Immigrants do it, they have a derogatory phrase they use for immigrants who just arrived here. Those who can assimilate society rewards.

In my PowerPoint presentation on Cultural Competency one of my slides says,

Visual non-conformity is a risk factor in causing anti-transgender bias and its attendant social and economic burdens

Caitlyn is still living in a bubble. She is attempting to learn, but when your whole entourage is beautiful trans women and men and you go to private events you are sheltered from what it is like getting on the bus by yourself and wondering if you are going to be harassed today.

I am not saying what Caitlyn is doing is somehow wrong, I think it is good and the show is positive role model not only for trans people but also for non-trans people. What I am saying is don’t crucify Kate for speaking the truth.

Headwig and the Angry Inch - Freaks (with Girls Against Boys)