Am I the Grinch for having a Christmas card destroyed nationwide? Not just any old christmas card but one featuring a person identifying as the beloved and grumpy Dr Seus icon.
A card that divides opinion across the nation. One that has left people asking themselves, is the card really transphobic?
A question I’m now debating in my mind.
It all began during a trip to my local Sainbury’s. When browsing through their selection of festive cards I spotted the now infamous card. It features a drawing of a person who looks like the Grinch (but smiling) with the text ‘This Christmas I’m identifying as a Grinch’ . Snapping a photo of the card I posted it to BlueSky with the caption ‘Transphobic Christmas card in my local Sainsbury’s (Berryden). Please do better Sainsbury’s.’ Justified or an overreaction? (Sainsbury’s have since taken the decision to remove the card from the shelves, as they had not realised it would upset anyone.) Let’s delve a little deeper.
Arguments in favour of it being transphobic
I guess it was the phrase ‘I’m identifying as’ that triggered me into taking to social media to proclaim the card being transphobic. The term ‘I’m identifying as’ has a long history of being used by transphobes to disparage trans and genderqueer people. The most famous example is a viral internet meme that features a picture of an attack helicopter with the text ‘I sexualy indentify as an attack helicopter’.
The ‘joke’ being that anyone can indentify as anything they want. This undermines and invalidates the gender/sexual indentities of any one who is not cisgender and heterosexual. It ridicules LGBTIA+ people labelling their identities to better describe the person they feel they are inside,
Many of my BlueSky followers shared my view that the inclusion of the phrase makes the card read as transphobic. Several commented that it was the ‘One Joke’, a reference to transphobes overusing the helicopter meme to mock trans people and those who don’t fit neatly in the gender binary (man or woman). It upset and annoyed many of my followers, many of whom are trans themeslves.
Arguments against it being transphobic
Many however do not share the opinion that the card mocks trans people. It has been described as just a fun card and that I should get a sense of humour. Maybe those people have a point, I mean maybe it is just a bit of fun? Who is to say trans people have sole ownership over indentifying as something? Many believed I was being ‘over sensitive’ and should not go policing the language of others.
Well known trans Youtuber Jamie Raines believes it may have resulted in more transphobia than if I had just let the card be. Something of a Streisand Effect. He is correct too. Hoards of far-right and bigoted internet commentators have mocked it being pulled. Many of them are not shy in telling me what they think about me,
Raines’ argument is a strong one and the main reason I’ll think twice about posting about such a thing in future. Thank you Jamie!
Another individual pointed out ‘the character on the card identifying as the Grinch is in fact the Grinch and they seem happy living their life. This could be seen to reflect how a trans person says they identify as a gender while being that gender.’
What did I learn?
The biggest lesson I’ve learnt from all this is that sometimes I get it wrong. Yes, that’s right! I’m constantly learning and re-evaluated my stance on subjects. After all that’s what a person with an open mind should do. I overreacted. The card did contain a phrase that has been weaponised by transphobes, but I believe on this occasion it was an accidental oversight by those who produced the card.
I have also learnt that words are powerful. Extremely powerful! Not for a second did I think it would blow up all over the internet and mainstream media like it did. Well, it just goes to show that words really matter. They can be weaponised to cause great harm and division.
I believe we should all be very careful about the lanquage we use. A seemingly innocent phrase can turn out to be deeply problematic, so it is always best to think it through before you hit that send button.
