Nonprofits & Activism
Scenes from a Black trans life | D-L Stewart
Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. At the crossroads of life and livelihood, scholar D-L Stewart invites us into scenes from his own life as he resists and reflects on the dehumanizing narratives that shape the Black trans experience in the US. With each word…
Nonprofits & Activism
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Can art help us usefully address polarizing issues such as gender, abortion or race? In a performance of “Faces of X” — a series that seeks to reframe culture-war clashes — actor Bill Heck stages different sides of a debate between capitalism’s champions and its critics, illuminating a new way to grapple with complex realities.…
Nonprofits & Activism
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Nonprofits & Activism
Why You Should Be Able to Vote on Your Phone | Bradley Tusk | TED
The US political system is broken — and the solution might be in the palm of your hands, says political strategist Bradley Tusk. Drawing on his deep experience with government and technology, he makes the case for allowing Americans to vote on their phones, explaining how it can be done safely and securely. Learn why…
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Robot Doctor
August 11, 2020 at 6:57 pm
I am neither black nor trans, but I consider empathy one of my best qualities. That empathy relies on being able to listen to the perspective of another, so I wanted to thank D-L for his incredible presentation and ask for him to hold onto his patience, courage and strength. The world will get there and we are making progress, thank you.
AeonAndyy
August 11, 2020 at 9:29 pm
So true, empathy is the key to compassion/ understanding and opens a world beyond just tolerance!
Alpha
August 11, 2020 at 7:04 pm
Why would someone dislike this though? Does it offend them?
Brooklyn Mckeown
August 12, 2020 at 1:15 am
For trans people some christians don’t like trans or gay people cause it’s not gods way so they dint support it
raharu000
August 12, 2020 at 2:06 am
I’ll try to explain, but let me preface this by saying that black trans lives do matter.
This person’s Tedtalk was basically a meditation on victimhood. D-L is blaming all of their problems on racism, sexism, and transphobia, with nothing to back it up, other than an intersectional feminist perspective.
So, for example, D-L’s doctor decided D-L’s gender presentation was “more neutral.” D-L claims that this is because the doctor and all of society are racist against black women, because we see black women as more masculine. Is there any research to back up that claim? Just take a minute to think how ridiculous that claim is when half of popular music sexualizes black women. Go watch any popular R&B or hiphop video from the last 30 years and you’ll see black women hyper-sexualized. Hiphop happens to be the most popular music in the US, so this isn’t a niche segment of the population we’re talking about; this is society sexualizing black women.
D-L honestly has no clue why the doctor made that decision. Did D-L do any sort of research on how doctors perceive black trans people? Of course not. D-L just looked through the intersectional feminist lens and saw that the doctor has a privileged identity and D-L has an oppressed identity, therefore, the doctor used that power to oppress D-L. See, D-L “knew” what the doctor was thinking because that’s how the world works according to intersectional feminism. You don’t need to run any sort of scientific analysis, you just look at people’s identity. And that’s the problem with this Tedtalk. It’s just a mouthpiece for intersectional feminism.
In my personal opinion, give trans equal rights, I’ll call you whatever you want, and lets try to be more accepting. But, D-L’s approach is toxic because D-L only see’s power dynamics according to identity. You know, there’s a reason Dr. MLK Jr. was so popular and successful in affecting change. He focused on what we had in common, not what divides us.
ladi jada
August 12, 2020 at 4:49 am
Perhaps because she’s speaking rubbish? “Blackness challenges the limitations of what gender can be”
Vivian Tristesse
August 12, 2020 at 5:50 am
ladi jada that’s not rubbish. To be black is to be masculinized by society, regardless of your gender. Suddenly a particularly masculine woman is just a normal woman because she’s black. What’s rubbish is your cognition.
ladi jada
August 12, 2020 at 1:22 pm
@Vivian Tristesse Except that this speaker looks and talks like a woman, and no amount of buttons on the right side of a shirt is going to change the speaker’s height, body shape, facial structure, or voice.
William Nolan
August 11, 2020 at 7:21 pm
Two genders man woman she’s still a woman end off.
Julian Atze
August 11, 2020 at 8:11 pm
Man get outta here…
Alibai_ Moonlight
August 11, 2020 at 9:06 pm
William Nolan ikr she identifies as a man that was transphobic
AeonAndyy
August 11, 2020 at 9:27 pm
so rude…
Alibai_ Moonlight
August 11, 2020 at 9:28 pm
AeonAndyy me?
AeonAndyy
August 11, 2020 at 9:27 pm
Yes Black Trans Lives Matter! Loved your story!
Thomas De Quincey
August 12, 2020 at 8:29 am
Black lives matter covers everyone who is black doesn’t it?
kush m
August 11, 2020 at 11:29 pm
great talk, thats some real speech skill besides the great story. really enjoyed it thanks
raharu000
August 12, 2020 at 2:07 am
This person’s Tedtalk was basically a meditation on victimhood. D-L is blaming all of their problems on racism, sexism, and transphobia, with nothing to back it up, other than an intersectional feminist perspective.
So, for example, D-L’s doctor decided D-L’s gender presentation was “more neutral.” D-L claims that this is because the doctor and all of society are racist against black women, because we see black women as more masculine. Is there any research to back up that claim? Just take a minute to think how ridiculous that claim is when half of popular music sexualizes black women. Go watch any popular R&B or hiphop video from the last 30 years and you’ll see black women hyper-sexualized. Hiphop happens to be the most popular music in the US, so this isn’t a niche segment of the population we’re talking about; this is society sexualizing black women.
D-L honestly has no clue why the doctor made that decision. Did D-L do any sort of research on how doctors perceive black trans people? Of course not. D-L just looked through the intersectional feminist lens and saw that the doctor has a privileged identity and D-L has an oppressed identity, therefore, the doctor used that power to oppress D-L. See, D-L “knew” what the doctor was thinking because that’s how the world works according to intersectional feminism. You don’t need to run any sort of scientific analysis, you just look at people’s identity.
And that’s the problem with this Tedtalk. It’s just a mouthpiece for intersectional feminism.
In my personal opinion, give trans equal rights, I’ll call you whatever you want, and lets try to be more accepting. But, D-L’s approach is toxic because D-L only see’s power dynamics according to identity. You know, there’s a reason Dr. MLK Jr. was so popular and successful in affecting change. He focused on what we had in common, not what divides us.
Vivian Tristesse
August 12, 2020 at 5:45 am
My reply isn’t for you but for the trans person reading your comment and realizing they will never be heard. You will never know what it is to be another person or assume another’s identity unless you become that person or share that identity. To dismiss someone else’s observations as independent incidents and confounded by lurking variables is arrogant and unfounded. It only serves to validate one world view and invalidate another, making use of no evidence.
Any ways, you’re clearly no expert. It’s obvious in how you misrepresent MLK and bash intersectionality, which is academically validated and tested on medical school entrance exams. You clearly are no voice for prevalent institutions.
ladi jada
August 12, 2020 at 1:12 pm
@Vivian Tristesse “Academically validated” does not mean any actual validity.
A Meyer
August 12, 2020 at 3:05 am
Thank you.
Tera Nelson
August 12, 2020 at 8:21 am
Thank you for your story as a white trans woman, seeing the differences in our stories is truely eye opening.
Thomas De Quincey
August 12, 2020 at 8:31 am
Aren’t TED talks supposed to be interesting? Identity politics is niche and boring. Or is TED just struggling for talkers and will accept anyone?
Rodrigo Santana
August 12, 2020 at 5:45 pm
maybe,if he runs too much out of ideas,then we might be able to see BIG DADDY TED HIMSELF!!!!
Malcolm Jones
August 12, 2020 at 9:31 am
All LIVES matter, anything else is discrimination. There are more important issues impacting the world then focusing on WOKE identity politics
raquel rodriguez
August 12, 2020 at 11:37 am
Powerful important poetic message THANK YOU !!!!!!
Kenneth De Leener
August 12, 2020 at 12:08 pm
Interesting.
I agree in the fact that your are the sole sovereign of your body, and that all lives matter. Seems pretty obvious to me and uninteresting to talk about. Allthough it seems necessary to remind everyone of it, which is a shame.
The second part is that it seems that you want to be recognized as the gender you want to be recognized as. But isn’t that a right of the person observing? You seem to be offended that other people recognize you otherwise, and I understand that hurts. But who are you to say their observation is wrong (as long it comes from an honest observation).
Also gender stereotyping also seems like something you want to get rid of. I agree that everyone should get equal opportunity and start from a level playing field. But you cannot deny there are differences between man and women. Should we simply start denying that there are? Would women want to share bathrooms with men? Should we merge women and men sports into one? ect…
Because there are differences, you automatically associate traits to one class and another. It’s normal and useful behaviour. That being said, we should never limit another persons freedoms and abilities because of it. As long as you don’t limit another persons rights.
These are my honest thoughts, I could be wrong or I can have limited insight, but please enlighten me if I do.
Bez Dar
August 12, 2020 at 7:43 pm
43%.