Comments on: A Letter to Mama Chaiken From FTM Computer Search Champion Mighty Max Sweeney

By: SPS

SPS — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:27:37 +0000

Well-written article.

I’m a gay trans man with ZERO experience in the lesbian community. And this article sadly reminds me of all the times people in the lesbian community at the (theoretically) all-female college I went to have tried to make me into a “proper” butch- even though I have never been sexually attracted to women. I even had one woman tell me that I should read Janice Raymond’s The Transsexual Empire and basically STFU and be a lesbian. I had crazy, Jenny-esque female stalkers on campus who would try to either seduce me or harass me into being the HOT BUTCH DYKE everyone wanted. Because of my sexual orientation and my disability, people made up the acronym “TUG” (Trans Until Graduation) for me- and had the balls to tell trans speakers coming to campus that I had gone back to being a girl (which was BULLSHIT- and many of the other FtM’s were on my side!)

It’s as if Irene got lost in the 1970′s and never came back. I have a feeling if the show were to have gone on, Max would have de-transitioned back to Moira because OF THE WOMYN-UNIFYING FEELING OF CHILDBIRTH!!!! *gag*

I will never get pregnant. EVER. I have zero interest in being a dad (and, training to be a high school teacher, I’m going to be raising everyone else’s kids anyway)- small children drive me nuts and I’ve been put on birth control by a transphobic OB/GYN who thought he could “cure” me because of my orientation towards men, and had ended up in the psych ward because of it (almost slit my wrists), so I cannot handle the hormones associated with pregnancy AT ALL.

Sorry for the rambling; this triggered a lot of stuff from my past. Anyway, this letter kicked ass and you should feel awesome.

By: kieran

kieran — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 01:54:22 +0000

I agree with a lot of the comments, but a few ENRAGE me. Why should Max be with Grace “or one of the girls” instead of with Tom or another man? That is heterosexism, plain and simple…he is a trans MAN, why couldn’t he be a GAY trans man? Lots of former lesbians who transition in the FTM direction find that either a. their OBJECT CHOICE changes, but they are still queer/gay (ie they still want to be in a same-gender dynamic, so after transitioning they date other queer boys instead of queer girls), OR that prior to transition, they always felt more like a gay man than a lesbian anyway, but had no way to express this IN A FEMALE BODY. After all, it’s bad enough being forced to live in a woman’s body when you are male-identified; it’s even worse to be the “woman” in a typical male/female heterosexual relationship in that kind of situation. I have my own gender dysphoria issues, and have ALWAYS felt more like a sissy boy than like a “tough dyke” or a “girly girl”, and I usually date other girls in the same boat. But I knew that if I had the courage to transition (AND the extra inches of height that would keep me from looking ridiculous; I’m four foot ten) I would not hesitate to date other sissy boys who were BOYS, although dating a boy as the “girl” I am regarded by society as now REPULSES me. The Max and Tom thing is therefore COMPLETELY understandable to me. What isn’t is the absolutely DEGRADING and disgusting tabloid pregnancy thing that IC has put Max through. Awful, awful, awful. By the way, it is also irritating how many other plots in the L Word AND shows where there is a token lesbian centers around baaaaabies…as if all lesbians were baby-crazed harpies. Ick.

By: jayjayjay

jayjayjay — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:38:37 +0000

I just want to correct one thing. Saying it’s totally impossible to get pregnant on testosterone is not true…it’s happened to a few trans men I know of–one of whom had a trans female partner who also was on hormones. It’s certainly not very likely to conceive…but some trans men continue to ovulate on testosterone.

By: Meg

Meg — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:01:00 +0000

i’m not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but i was just reading the “new” ourchart which is sho.com and ilene answers this question about her own “thought process” re: max. yikes.

02/24/2009 11:18 AM NIC: What was the writers’ thought process of having Max get pregnant?

ILENE: The character of Max has always given us the opportunity to tell stories about the transgender community that are usually overlooked or ignored in the media. Moreover, we always strive to tell stories that are authentic, within the confines of an hour-long television show. Pregnancy while taking testosterone is something that really happens—and not just in the tabloids, as Max points out. Max’s pregnancy also allows us to explore another idea of family and parenting, just as we’re able to do with Bette, Tina and Angelica.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:26:00 +0000

there are a lot of plot-lines in this story that are un-believable.

The max story-line got unbelievable to my once he kicked tom in the “balls”. Domestic violence to lets have a baby, is totally unrealistic. Lets not forget that stupid fight they had, which only conveyed that fags are scared and immature.

By: Reb

Reb — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Dear Thor, I’m very sorry that you’re the victim of Ilene loosing her mind! Please remember: she doesn’t know what she’s doing anymore. I think we should admit her.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:33:00 +0000

Didn’t read through all the comments, so I apologize if this is repetitive, but…you wrote this note from Max’s POV, not Moira and not Daniella Sea. YET! You refer to being upset and not complaining ‘…like the other girls’. A man would not say ‘other’ as though he is one. He would say, ‘…like the girls’. Just a thought!

By: Ad

Ad — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 23:59:00 +0000

yes and no,

YES
I can understand the need of being seen happy in shows, that’s a big point. And you are completily right regarding the fact that Ilene did chos to make Max aside from the rest of the L word cast.

Inbetween
I wouldn’t had let Max kept the baby, that’s non sence, you can’t really want to be a man and at the same time want to be a mother. I imagine that Max would have liked to be eventually a dad ! But I can’t really tell as I’m not in this situation and even tho, that’s really personnal. That’s why we can’t really blame Ilène for this choice, that was hers, and then obviously that was representing only one point of view.

NO
For the part of Max / Thor /… Why? What’s your point, i mean that’s just a name, if you are speaking about a caracter maybe it would help focus to stay on the right battle. And I would say the same reflection for the PPPS…I hate the L world. One’s again what’s the point !

Finally your letter needs to be heard because you are defending a good cause but please keep doing it with passion not hate. Sounds kliché I know but then you’ll fell in the same easiness that Ilene fell in by putting aside Max. Sorry my english is not so good and I’m filling the limit, I hope your letter will be read

Adélaïde

By: Tati Karoli

Tati Karoli — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:02:00 +0000

thank you for this, maaarie.
i just kept nodding my head. sentence after sentence.
xxoo
natalie

By: Denise

Denise — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:42:00 +0000

I’m really glad someone wrote this! I always loved Max, but his storyline keeps getting stranger. I know a few people complain that his FTM character exists just to give lip service to another component of queer experience, but there is the potential to do so much more!

By: Arielle

Arielle — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 17:23:00 +0000

If you haven’t already, you REALLY should send this to Ilene. That was incredibly written and really depicted the absurdity of the storylines she came up with. Great job Riese!

By: Sara

Sara — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 05:45:00 +0000

This should be sent to Chaiken ASAP!

the things she did to Max’s character are unforgivable.

someone should start a crusade against her.