Stanley-Eric-Captive-Genders-Trans-Embodiment-and-Prison-Industrial-Complex

Identities Under Seigeis harmed or murdered. This does not tackle the structural roots of transphobiaor homophobia but simply puts people who are found guilty ofcommitting these crimes behind bars. As numerous studies have shown,prison systems are ineffectual at “reforming” criminals, deterring or decreasingcrime, and reconciling the victims of crime. 59 Therefore, hatecrimes legislation does not benefit anyone. Passing hate crimes legislationto protect queer folks after they have been harmed is only feeding a racist,classist, and transphobic/homophobic industry that disproportionatelytargets and punishes those with the fewest resources. Moreover, relyingon a punitive system to hold an individual accountable for their crimepromotes more oppressive violence: Individuals are simply locked up, notactively educated about or engaged in repairing the harm they have created;they are further divided from their families and support networks,perpetuating more damage, isolation, and devastation within their communities;and the system upholds the legacy of racism and classism thatis and has been so prevalent throughout all aspects of the criminal justicesystem. Acknowledging, targeting, and punishing perpetrators of antitransgenderviolence is necessary but must also be placed within a largercontext of the growing prison industrial complex.Given the lack of access to support and resources due to transphobia,classism, and racism, as well as the disproportionately high rates of violencedirected toward transpersons, making connections between broadersystems of oppression and hate-motivated violence is imperative. Abroader, systemic approach to problems of violence and oppression couldinvolve cross-community coalitions opposing police brutality; local commitmentsto resist the processes of gentrification that criminalize homelessnessand drive out poor, immigrant families; coalition work betweensex deviants who frequently face criminal justice consequences, such as sexworkers and people who engage in public sex, and those who face suchconsequences less often. 60 Addressing the unequal distribution of wealthand structures of inequality, including racism, alongside of transphobicand homophobic violence would challenge the uncritical reproduction ofmarginalization and open up sites of resistance and activism that all queerscould collaborate in, benefit from, and support.NOTES1. Audre Lorde, “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action,” in SisterOutsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde (Trumansburg, N.Y.: CrossingPress, 1984): p. 41.157