This weeks topic is slurs and language in the trans community. Certain words like she-male and tranny have for many years been labeled as slurs that few used. These words have come up for debate recently when Ru Paul a drag queen used both of them on his popular TV show Ru Paul's Drag Race. Ru Paul a cis gendered gay man says that he has the right to use these words because transphobic slurs have been used against him for many years. He says that he has a right to reclaim and use these slurs in a positive way but many in the trans community disagree.

Some trans advocates say because Ru Paul is not trans himself (he identifies with his birth sex and prefers male pronouns) he does not fall within the trans* umbrella. Because of that he is just a cis person who wants to use slurs and not be reprimanded for it. Parker Marie Molloy a trans activist says that "While I'm sure drag queens have had the word thrown at them, they have the benefit of being able to wash off their makeup, take off their dress, and fade back into their male lives. I don't have that luxury. This is my life. This is my identity, not an activity, and not a hobby. This is who I am, forever trans, forever vulnerable to the damage this word can cause."

Others within the trans community disagree with Molloy. Advocate and activist Kate Bornstein self identifies as a Tranny. When she became pulled into the discussion on whether or not hateful slurs should be reclaimed she said "Tranny is not a reclamation. Tranny has been our word for nearly half a century. Some trannies in Sydney, Australia came up with the term as an umbrella term to unite with love and as family the disparate communities transsexuals and drag queens. This makes it unlike words like nigger and slut. These, and other words invented by haters, have been reclaimed and are being reclaimed with great difficulty. "

This conversation has been going on for months and while Ru Paul has pulled the segments "Female or She-Male" and "You Got She-Mail" from his show that caused the uproar in the first place the wider discussion is still going on and will continue for a while. Who can use these words and if anyone should use these words at all are questions we need to ask. Is a slur inherently harmful or can it truly be reclaimed and used in a good way? Should you use a slur to self identify? These are questions our community is currently tackling.