Cisgender Privilege, Intersectionality, and the Criminalization of CeCe McDonald: Why Intercultural Communication Needs Transgender Studies

Abstract

Intercultural communication scholars should address the lives of transgender persons and the (inter)discipline of transgender studies to develop our theorizing about gender and intersectionality and intervene in the violence against trans* persons. In this essay, the author presents the concepts of cisgender, cisprivilege, cissexism, and intersectionality and examines their relevance for persons who are transgender and for the field of intercultural communication. The author also applies these terms by analyzing the criminalization of CeCe McDonald, an African American, transfeminine woman who was assaulted and imprisoned for defending herself outside a Minneapolis, Minnesota bar in June 2011.

Keywords:

• Cissexism
• Cisprivilege
• Intersectionality
• Trans*

Acknowledgments

In solidarity with CeCe McDonald, Leslie Feinberg, and the many trans*-identified persons whose courage and political clarity are an example for us all. Many thanks to Karma Chávez, Kimberlee Pérez, and Marc Rich for their guidance, alliance, and collegiality—and to the anonymous reviewers for their feedback.

Notes

1. I follow gender activists who often use trans* to signal gender nonconformity that includes persons who identify as women and men as well as persons who may reject or disrupt the gender binary altogether. Also, McDonald self-identifies as African American and trans* (As Long As We Live in Fear). To respect McDonald's identity, I use her chosen name and not the name assigned to her at birth.

2. There have been conflicting reports about whether McDonald pulled out a pair of scissors or a knife, although lawyers and McDonald referred to scissors during allocution (State of Minnesota, 2012). As Farrow (2012) reports, no weapon was found.

3. As reported by the Transgender Law Center of San Franciscso, the Department of Justice has developed national standards to help prevent sexual assault in prisons and jails.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julia R. Johnson

Julia R. Johnson is at University of Wisconsin—La Crosse