THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — When asked in an interview how it was she looked so fresh after spending the previous night ‘partying’, Gwyenth Paltrow replied: “Are you crazy? I’m like RuPaul! I have so much makeup on. Foundation! Last night, I was literally a transvestite.”
The interview was conducted and published in USA Today. It is the only statement in the interview that refers to transgender people and/or RuPaul.
Trans people are not objects to ridicule. While it may appear to be a thoughtless comment by an ignorant person, however, a celebrity of her stature yields quite a bit of influence among her fans, so she’s going to have to own up to committing this very public blunder.
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I wouldn’t go so far to say Paltrow is transphobic, but she’s in dire need of education. If we can get her to apologize, she can redeem herself and send a bit of good PR our way.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/05/12/gwyneth-paltrow-goop-city-guides/2150157/
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Categories: Transgender, Transsexual, Trans
LEXIE CANNES STATE OF TRANS 
sooooo….. you’re saying that transvestites and transgender ppl want to be a common, ordinary, accepted part of everyday society BUT they’re so emotionally delicate and fragile they can’t handle casual comments?
then i guess they have a problem, don’t they?
or are you assuming, rather like the ppl who jump on bandwagons for those they perceive to be disenfranchised or marginalized?
sorry, but if straight women have to deal with comments re blondes, boobs, and PMS, transvestites, too, will have to take the bad with the good.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I find it quite strange how quick people in this minority group are to jump down people’s throats for this kind of thing. I mean, let’s look at the evidence:
1. Do Transvestites wear a lot of make up when they are dressed as their femme selves? Almost certainly yes
2. Is this level of make up more than the average a cis-woman would wear in the day/on a night out? Once again, almost certainly yes, as beard cover alone can be equivalent to the volume of make up that a cis-women would wear on a daily basis.
As a result, Gwyneth’s remark about wearing more/the same amount of make up as a transvestite actually means something. Granted, saying “I was literally a transvestite” was inaccurate, but people have been annoyingly abusing the word literally for years now, to the point where the original meaning of the word is lost on some people, including Gwyneth.
I say let this comment slide as it was based, at least in part, on truths about the community.
Whilst it may not be PC, it would be equivalent to saying that someone was so tanned it looked like they were from The Mediterranean/middle east. Another example of this comes from those who say “she sings like a black woman” (And don’t pretend you haven’t heard that remark before) – it is clearly a gross over-generalisation on who CAN sound like what, but overall the statement is based in part on truth – Soul singers tend to be from African decent, and so those who sing like them are said to be like that. Likewise, Gwyneth used the same idea but in a different context – Transvestites usually wear a heck of a lot of make up (and given her lack of education on the subject, she may include drag queens as transvestites, making the make up comment even more true in her eyes) so saying she was like 1 isn’t a derogatory comment, just a comparison.
I usually like the reporting on this blog, as it is usually well informed and does not often blow things out of proportion, but this post really is making a mountain out of what is barely even a mole hill
Yeah I’d have to agree that there are stereotypes in all groups and at some point you have to be able to joke about them in these words or statement become too powerful….. A level or sensitivity should be shown…. But Gwyneth Paltrow really I doubt it… http://touch.blackbookmag.com/blackbook/#!/entry/514a824fd7fc7b567079e04b
Hey guys, I am transgender & proud of it. I know that I have to wear more make-up and can live with such a comment. There are more things to worry about than may be such comments. To make now a big fuzz about it may only be used by the media to polarize between us, our supporters and those who are still not accustomed to transgender people.
See it as a step into daily life as women may give us some bitchy comments. That’s nothing to start a poll, forcing someone to excuse or whatsoever, as the imagine will not be positive for us. Why not simply reacting in a way, that we acknowledge that she use comparable tricks as we do to camouflage imperfections and congratulate her on the result. This is positive imaging and would achieve much more than forcing a half-hearty apologise.
Fist of all, I want to say that Mrs Paltrow spoke lightly, thoughtlessly but I do not believe that it was any mean spirited stance from her part. It is just that indeed, many people amalgamate transvestites with female impersonators. I know from experience that there is a link, a connection between the two. I have known many impersonators who were transvestites and are creative and indeed they do use a lot of make-up with great skill. This is that I believe Mrs Paltrow referred to as she suggested that her make-up was done well enough to create the illusion that she is rested. RuPaul might be considered transgender but is a man who performs as a female impersonator. Once the show is over, He takes off the make-up and put on man’s clothes. So far as I know, he considers himself a gay man.
When my transvestite friends transform into a feminine expression, the skill some put into it makes for a great make-up illusion and indeed quite a lot of foundation. I truly believe that she referred to this without a mean streak into it.
I know that transphobia can be present in many aspects of society. I am aware of that , being intersex. However, to end this, I will add that in my eyes, she definitely will not be part of my list of priorities in terms of fighting transphobia. Maybe, if I was one of her close friends, would I mention something but not as I am part of the distant public.
In my life, I learned to be vigilant but to also to forgive mishaps, while focusing my attention to politicians or any other people of power who are acting with laws, rules and regulations who are definitively more the target of my trans-activism.
Hmmm…It may be a thoughtless comment not worth the dramas, BUT I feel a line has to be drawn somewhere. I’ve recalled other celebreties comment on themselves in similiar ways. For example, I can remember Megan Fox referring to herself that “she looks like such a tranny” I feel that comments like this just aren’t cool. I feel it just sets precedence that this language in this context is acceptable which it shouldn’t be.
I find this leading to or if not just as offensive as when straight people say “that’s so gay” to have a sexual orientation language comparison. Just my thoughts though.
in other words, she spoke with negligence…. and if she did so in a car, she could be arrested and put in jail. and fined lots of money.. and could even lose his/her driver’s license.
Knowing her and other interviews she’s had, this isn’t an insult or a jab. I take no offense at all. I don’t think there was any offense meant at all.
And I am transitioning from make to female.
you don’t have to intend to harm someone, to harm them. Drunk Driver’s do that all the time.. and lots of people get injured or even killed as a result.
Agree. I do not see anything wrong with what she says. Yes, most of us trans people wear a lot of makeup. Her comparing herself with heavy makeup to that is not a big deal. If anything is says she likes our style. Leave her alone.
she went to far with that comment.
Humm…am I the only person that agrees with Lexie? While the previous commentators all make good points and I don’t totally disagree let’s look at our situation in society.By “our” I am referring to all on the Transgender continum from Drag Queen, to Transvestite, to Transsexual. 265 of us (that we know about) were murdered last year solely because they were Transgender. In all but 13 States we can be fired for not adhering to our birth gender at work. Harrassment from bullying to rape to above mentioned murder are daily occurance in our Community. We will have a much tougher fight gaining legal protections and personal safety if Joe Blow on the street sees that it’s ok for celebrities to mock, generalize, and stereotype us. Did/or do people of Color or Latina/Latinos stand for gross misrepresentations of their Culture or persons? Is “Blackface” still considered funny? No, in order for society to advance and thrive; we need to embrace diversity in all it’s spectrum, not mock or marginalize any group. Thank you, Lexie; keep calling ’em’ as you see ’em’!
Just because Gwyneth Paltrow made a stupid joke, doesn’t deem her to be a hater of the Trans community. People, celebrities or not, say stereotypical, enveloping comments about a variety of groups of people, often because the case is likely more true than a negative stereotype. Our perception of what is negative, is determined by how receptive we are to the outlooks of others. Instead of jumping to conclusions and attacks, we should look at the positive points, and try our best to be open-minded about others’ viewpoints. Her joke wasn’t meant to offend the whole of Trans/Bi/Gender variant/etc. people. It was meant to be humourous, light, and if anything, also a stab at herself for wearing so much makeup, using the ‘most common reference’ of making-wearing people. There’s nothing wrong with wearing lots of makeup, regardless of who is wearing it. The gay male & female communities have successfully integrated into society, including primetime TV shows, and it’s due to their ability to remain objective, lighthearted, and self-loving, allowing others to welcome, accept, and adore them. The Trans community should learn to adapt similar ideals.
untrue.. it is because of organizations like GLAAD http://www.glaad.org/ that help monitor and put influence/pressure/lobby/boycott/etc on media organizations.. and also to educate them.
Ugh. This is just the latest in a series of stories with manufactured outrage to attract attention. It’s not interesting, it’s not important, and it’s sure as hell not effective advocacy either. (for reasons others have already covered) I’ve read this blog through the trans* boards on reddit; I’ll be blocking you now.
Gwyneth Paltrow says “Are you crazy? I’m like RuPaul! I have so much makeup on. Foundation! Last night, I was literally a transvestite.”
NOT
Gwyneth Paltrow says she ‘wears more make-up than a transvestite’
SO she is misquoted!
I am afraid this says more about ‘transvestites’ than about Gwyneth Paltrow…. and about sensationalism in the transgender press.
Sorry
Cross dressers are prone to wearing a lot of make-up because they are not attempting to be female, but rather to express their feminine side. So to say “Gwyneth Paltrow Ridicules Trans People?” Isn’t that entirely misleading?
I am an activist and I really want everyone in the world to treat us as human beings. But I want what we say to be accurate and fair.
Agree
Note:
Many times crossdressers wear so much makeup because they are learning how to apply make up.
so what your saying is that she could have just as easily said she is like a burn victim.. whom also often wear makeup to cover up thier scars.. and make he looks so fresh..
It seems that Gwyneth doesn’t know the difference between a drag queen and someone who is transgendered. Well, that’s OK, I don’t know the difference between her and an asshole.
Thanks for the comments everyone.
Remember, those that do violence against trans people do not check for labels — crossdressers, transvestites, transsexuals — trans people are all one and the same to them.
Being mocked in the media by a celebrity, no matter how slight, normalizes this behavior.
While readers are free to give Paltrow a pass, I’d like to think I’m helping ensure that mocking trans people isn’t so easily blurted out during interviews anymore.
My god spend 5 minutes in any gay bar in America and someone will say something way worse about the trans community. I have heard more offensive statements on Ru Paul’s silly little tv show.
I won’t watch the show .
This is ridiculous reporting, as close to “Faux News” I would say. She wasn’t ridiculing the trans community for it is based in some truth. Even RuPaul probably agrees with the statement. I like Gwyneth Paltrow and her husband because they truly do support the LGBT community. She has even noted that her daughter might be a lesbian-and if she was-she would love all the same. So please report on what is really important for our community and not over analyze things that weren’t meant harmful.