Years ago I wrote a long position paper about trans & queer identity, in which I invoked Aretha's treatment of "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman" and asked the musical question:
If even Aretha can only "feel like" a "natural" "woman," what hope is there for the rest of us?
Here's this position paper, which I wrote & presented at the 2002 Radical Philosophy Association Conference: Yet Another Effort, If You Would Become Gender Outlaws. It was a brash, radical transfeminist salvo when there was very little discourse about these things. I'm sure parts have not aged terribly well.
Posted in honor of the passing of Queen Aretha Franklin.
