Normativity Across The United States

     Social norms vary in different locations. Even though trans people are generally accepted in the United States, there is still intolerance. Janet Mock went through her transition in different cities in the U.S., where masculinity was favored, and femininity was seen as fake. Even though Janet experience adversity, her story can inspire and guide trans people today.

      In Oakland, Janet had to mask her femininity to be accepted by her family because Oakland was a patriarchal area. When Janet was not as masculine as her father or brother, she was referred to as a “sissy”. At first Janet’s father did not even accept the fact that she chose to be feminine. Janet states “my father, though he didn’t have the words, couldn’t understand why I would choose to be feminine when masculinity was privileged” (Mock 74).

      In Hawaii, Janet still dealt with discrimination with respect to her gender, but also her race. She grew up as one of few people with African American descent in her area, so she got teased for having a Texas accent and looking different from the other kids at school. Because Janet’s identity was not always accepted, she “straddled the lines of gender as well as she could and made concessions and compromises” (Mock 124). At home, Janet had to face intolerance, a mix up of gender pronouns, and dress codes. Janet also was going through a stage in life where she was a pubescent girl with few resources to change what she didn’t like. Negative self-image was haunting her, and this was when she learned about beauty standards and “realness”. She discovered “realness” is “the ability to be seen as heteronormative, to assimilate, not to be read as other or deviate from the norm” (Mock 116). Trying to blend with beauty standards was difficult because femininity was seen as artifice and fake whereas masculinity was seen as real.

      Even though Janet’s experience facing discrimination in Oakland and Honolulu, shaped her to be who she turned out to be, one of the key components of the story is that it is important to have role models and surround yourself with a support system everywhere you go. Janet’s support system included Wendi, Alison, her siblings, and even her parents later on. Even though the country as a whole was not as tolerant as it is now, she still had acceptance and support in her life. Also, Janet Mock’s experience is only one experience, and while it provides insight on one trans person’s journey, it’s not true for all trans people. Janet’s story is inspiring and her statement of “one is not born a woman, but rather becomes, a woman” puts in perspective how our bodies are ours to do what we want with, and we should be more accepting towards others.