The city of San Francisco is launching a program called Guaranteed Income for Trans People (GIFT), which will give 55 low-income transgendered individuals $1,200 per month for 18 months. Already the city is giving $1,000 per month to Black and Pacific Islander pregnant women and to artists.
We could discuss the wisdom and prudence of this use of taxpayer money, but what strikes me is the list of qualifying gender identities that appears on the application form for these benefits. Applicants are asked to check off their gender identity from a list of 130 choices. They are also asked to check off their pronoun preferences from a list of 15 alternatives.
I will list them for your information, so that you can understand the variety in the trans community.
Cis-gender woman; Woman; Transgender Woman; Woman of Trans experience; Woman with a history of gender transition; Trans feminine; Feminine-of-center; MTF (male-to-female); Demigirl; T-girl; Transgirl; Sistergirl; Cis-gender man; Man; Transgender man; Man of Trans experience; Man with a history of gender transition; Trans masculine; Masculine-of-center; FTM (female-to-male); Demiboy; T-boy; Transguy; Brotherboy; Trans; Transgender; Transsexual; Non-binary; Genderqueer; Agender; Xenogender; Fem; Femme; Butch; Boi; Stud; Aggressive (AG); Androgyne; Tomboy; Gender outlaw; Gender non-conforming; Gender variant; Gender fluid; Genderf*ck; Bi-gender; Multi-gender; Pangender; Gender creative; Gender expansive. Third gender; Neutrois; Omnigender; Pangender; Greygender; Intergender; Maverique; Novigender; Two-spirit; Hijra; Kathoey; Muxe; Khanith/Xanith; X-gender; MTX; FTX; Bakla; Mahu; Fa’afafine; Waria; Palao’ana; Ashtime; Mashoga; Mangaiko; Chibados; Tida wena; Bixa’ah; Alyha; Hwame; Lhamana; Nadleehi; Dilbaa; Winkte; Ninauposkitzipxpe; Machi-embra; Quariwarmi; Chuckchi; Whakawahine; Fakaleiti; Calaba; Calahi; Bissu; Accault; Travesti; Questioning
Applicants can also check “I don’t use labels,” decline to answer, and “Not Listed” with a fill-in-the-blank.
The options for preferred pronouns are:
She/her/hers; He/him/his; They/them/theirs; It/its/its; Co/co/cos; Zie/zim/zis; Ze/hir/hirs; Xe/xem/xyrs; Ey/em/eirs; E/em/eirs; Per/per/pers; Fae/faer/faers; Ae/aer/aers; Tey/ter/ters; Ve/ver/vis; No pronouns/just name
In addition, there are 17 sexual orientations, which you can see for yourself at the application linked above.
Some of these gender identities clearly overlap, so that applicants are asked to “ck all that apply.” They are evidently not expected to have only one gender. The foreign words at the end are apparently derived from various tribal cultures that recognize individuals who are thought to have both a male and a female “spirit.”
For the meanings of at least some of these gender identities, see the article on the subject by Reagan Reese entitled From Skoliosexual To Graygender, We’ve Defined The Most Vexing Of San Francisco’s 130 Gender Options.
Reese quotes Mary Hasson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a critic of transgenderism, who notes that the extensive list “really exposes the meaninglessness of these labels – and of the concept of ‘gender identity’ itself.”
“Gender identity” means nothing more than one’s ‘perception of self’ or identity feelings – it can be fluid, and can change at any time. Because ‘gender identity’ is a self-defined identity label, the list is actually under-inclusive – there’s an infinite list of possible labels, because each person can self-describe in novel terms, and invent their own meaning for the chosen label.”
I realized something else, though, from this list, which I’ll post about tomorrow. In the meantime, you now know what the plus sign refers to in “LGBTQ+.”
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