Self-Organizing Man

I wrote in the comments section at Feministe:

And on a slightly different point, I’m not sure I agree that transition isn’t subversive. Unless we’re defining subversive as successfully achieving political revolution, the endless process of redefining people’s assumptions about my gender so that I can obtain: a new driver’s license; health care; a job; the correct name of all manner of forms (birth certificates; passports; transcripts; library cards; financial documents; health documents; etc.); is something I think.

Each undoing of a hook that has trapped my gendered body is a kind of subversion in my book. But then I’m passionate about transsexuals and transsexuality. So I’m opened to accusations of bias.

I think in the end what pisses me off about the whole transition-isn’t-subversive thing is the entirely dismissive tone. Like transitioning requires as much thought and effort as taking a shit after eating a big bowl of bran. It’s all over if you just push hard.

Transitioning is a verb for a reason.  What with all the actions and choices and revisiting of choices and recommittment of choices required to effect all that is necessary to achieve the desired results. Frankly I’ve come to believe that we trannies do ourselves a tremendous disservice by not talking about the details of transition. In retrospect, all of it, and all who accomplish it - especially those with fewer financial resources and less privileges - I find astonishing and amazing.

But, as I said before, I’m biased.

Is transition subversive?