The transgender community has always been a part of Hawaiian society, where people who don't conform to the binary system of man/woman, masculine/feminine are accepted or, at minimum, tolerated.
Janet MockRead
It's great to engage with the mainstream media to get messages out, but the most empowering tool is to create records of our lives, and our own images, which are not filtered through judgements, biases, or misunderstandings.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Creating unfiltered representations of our lives empowers individuals and counters mainstream narratives.
In this quote, Janet Mock emphasizes the importance of self-representation and the power of creating our own narratives through personal records and images. While engaging with mainstream media can be beneficial, it is crucial to produce and share our authentic stories without the distortions or biases of external influences, thereby reclaiming our voice and agency.
Themes
EmpowermentSelf-RepresentationMediaNarrativesIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
A speaker at a media literacy workshop might use this quote to highlight the necessity of personal narrative in a world dominated by mainstream media.
More from Janet Mock
All quotes →When you hear anyone policing the bodies of trans women, misgendering and othering us, and violently exiling us from spaces, you should not dismiss it as a trans issue that trans women should speak out against. You should be engaged in the dialogue, discourse, and activism that challenges the very fibers of your movement.
Janet MockRead
I am a trans woman. My sisters are trans women. We are not secrets. We are not shameful. We are worthy of respect, desire, and love. As there are many kinds of women, there are many kinds of men, and many men desire many kinds of women, trans women are amongst these women. And let’s be clear: Trans women are women.
Janet MockRead
Because trans people are marked as artificial, unnatural, and illegitimate, our bodies and identities are often open to public dissection. Plainly, cisgender folks often take it as their duty to investigate our lives to see if we're real.
Janet MockRead
Media gatekeepers - editors, publishers, film studios and the like - need to begin investing in talent behind the scenes, developing and resourcing marginalized voices to tell their own stories. At the end of the day, it's about the story and what will enable the audience to truly see, understand, and know the life and times of the subject.
Janet MockRead
Self-definition and self-determination is about the many varied decisions that we make to compose and journey toward ourselves, about the audacity and strength to proclaim, create, and evolve into who we know ourselves to be. It’s okay if your personal definition is in a constant state of flux as you navigate the world.
Janet MockRead
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