TEDx Talks: Joy Ladin

Show: TEDx Talks
Title: Ain't I A Woman?
Release Year: 2016

On January 7, 2016, poet and professor Joy Ladin delivered a compelling and thought-provoking TEDx Talk titled "Ain't I A Woman?" In this lecture, Ladin explored the complex, evolving definitions of womanhood, particularly in the context of transgender identity. Through her personal journey, Ladin posed difficult questions about gender, challenging listeners to rethink what it means to be a woman in a world where the traditional understanding of gender is rapidly changing. Ladin, born on March 24, 1961, is an American poet and scholar who holds the distinction of being the first openly transgender professor at an Orthodox Jewish institution. She served as the David and Ruth Gottesman Chair in English at Stern College for Women at Yeshiva University.

 

Her lecture, "Ain't I A Woman?" draws its title from the famous 1851 speech by Sojourner Truth, an African American abolitionist and women's rights activist, who asked the question during the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio. Sojourner Truth’s query, “Ain’t I a woman?” resonates even today, particularly as gender identities and roles continue to evolve. Ladin begins her lecture by invoking Truth's powerful question. Sojourner Truth posed this question at a time when she was significantly different from the majority of her audience. Truth was a Black woman, born into slavery, while most of her listeners were white women who had been born into freedom. Yet, Truth's question transcended these differences and has remained relevant for over 150 years. In this context, the word "woman" held the power to unite individuals, regardless of their race or life experiences. The word represented a shared bond, a way to connect with others who had lived through the oppression and challenges faced by women, both in the past and present. 

 

Ladin reflects on the power of the word "woman," acknowledging that it has been the foundation for many critical aspects of human experience: the relationships between mothers and daughters, female friendships, romantic partnerships, feminist activism, and the societal structures that oppress women. The word has held a profound and transformative significance throughout history, particularly for those who have fought for gender equality. However, as Ladin points out, the meaning of "woman" is no longer as fixed and clear-cut as it once was. With the changing landscape of gender identity and expression, the word "woman" is being used in different ways. For example, many women's colleges have started admitting students who were assigned male at birth but identify as female. Mainstream media outlets, such as Vanity Fair, have featured transgender women like Caitlyn Jenner on their covers. These instances reflect the increasing recognition of transgender individuals as women. As more people who were not assigned female at birth are being acknowledged as women, society is forced to reconsider the meaning of the word. 

 

For Ladin herself, the question, "Ain't I a woman?" is one that elicits a complicated response. Born and raised as a male, she recognizes that many people - her own children included - might not consider her a woman. She acknowledges the physical markers that others might use to define her, such as her male sex chromosomes (XY), her Adam’s apple, and her inability to bear children. These biological differences are often cited by those who argue that a person like her, a transgender woman, cannot be considered a "real" woman. Ladin recounts an experience where Rabbi Moshe Tendler, a colleague at Yeshiva University, publicly dismissed her identity, stating bluntly that she was a "male with enlarged breasts." While some may dismiss such remarks as outdated or bigoted, Ladin underscores that they reflect a broader societal conflict over the very definition of womanhood. Ladin challenges the idea that the definition of "woman" should be exclusively tied to biological sex, and instead asserts that gender identity - how individuals perceive and define themselves - should be the determining factor. According to this perspective, if a transgender person identifies as a woman, society should acknowledge and affirm that identity. However, Ladin also acknowledges that such an understanding is not universally accepted, and it raises important questions about the nature of gender itself. These questions, Ladin contends, go beyond the realm of politics or social justice. 

 

The debate about gender and the meaning of "woman" is fundamental to how people define themselves and each other. Ladin presents a perspective that highlights the deeply personal nature of these questions. To her wife, she is a woman. To her children, she is a "failed man." In some contexts, like at the Michigan Women’s Music Festival, she would not be recognized as a woman, yet in other places, like Girl Scouts, she might be. These contradictions reflect the societal confusion and tension surrounding gender identity. Ladin then shifts her focus to the deeply personal pain that often accompanies being transgender. She describes the struggles she faced while transitioning, including losing her family, her job, and her home. While she did not take her own life - despite being part of the staggering statistic of transgender individuals who attempt suicide - Ladin acknowledges the overwhelming risks faced by transgender people, particularly transgender women of color. These risks include violence, social ostracization, and economic hardships. Ladin notes that it is estimated that 80% of openly transgender people are unemployed, and transgender women, particularly women of color, are disproportionately targeted in hate crimes. 

 

Despite these challenges, Ladin expresses gratitude for the relative privilege she has experienced. She did not face the worst of the violence and discrimination that many in the transgender community endure. She now lives a life that is closer to her truth, though she still faces questions about whether or not she can be considered a "real" woman. Throughout her lecture, Ladin draws on the words of historian Susan Stryker, who reminds us that Sojourner Truth’s question was not merely rhetorical. Truth’s challenge was an invitation to expand the definition of "woman" to include those whom society had historically excluded, including Black women, who were seen as "other" and fundamentally different from the white women in the audience. In this sense, Truth’s question was an invitation to reconsider and redefine what it means to be a woman, and to understand that being a woman is not a simple or fixed category. Ladin makes it clear that when she presents herself as a woman, she is not attempting to "mansplain" or redefine womanhood in a way that erases the experiences of cisgender women. Rather, she is inviting people to expand their definitions of womanhood to include transgender women like herself - individuals who risk their lives to live authentically and who see womanhood as a symbol of liberation, strength, and self-actualization. 

 

The central theme of Ladin's lecture is a call for unity and understanding. Instead of fighting over rigid definitions of what it means to be a woman, Ladin urges society to focus on what women - cisgender, transgender, and everyone in between - want "woman" to stand for. This means acknowledging that gender is not a simple binary, but a spectrum, and that people should be allowed to define their gender identities for themselves, free from discrimination or exclusion. By posing the question, "Ain't I a woman?" Ladin challenges her audience to confront their biases and to embrace a more inclusive, expansive understanding of womanhood. Ladin concludes her lecture with a powerful plea: "It’s time to stop fighting about what women are, and to talk about what we, each of us and all of us, want women to stand for." In this call to action, she invites listeners to reflect on their own definitions of gender and to reconsider what it means to be a woman in a world that is shifting toward greater acceptance and understanding of gender diversity. By asking the question "Ain't I a woman?" Ladin encourages us all to rethink our assumptions and to foster a society where everyone is allowed to live and define their truth.

 

via: youtube

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Image credits: YouTube - TEDx Talks

Interview with Joy Ladin:

• Interview with Joy Ladin
  Monika: Today it is my pleasure and honor to interview Joy Ladin, an inspirational American woman, a writer, poet, Gottesman Professor of English at Stern College for Women of Yeshiva...