Open Letter to Joe Rogan by Zarna Joshi

We need to talk about your Transphobia and Anti-Blackness

Dec 07, 2020

Joe Rogan Oct 2016 on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast

Hi Joe,

I’ve watched some of your podcast on youtube and I like your interviewing style and your humor. I’m glad that you are bringing on interesting political candidates who are often ignored or hated by the mainstream media.

I’ve also seen that sometimes, even when the conversation isn’t about trans rights, you bring up transphobic talking points and insist that you should be able to say whatever you want, even if it’s “controversial” because otherwise it violates your freedom of speech. You argue against “cancel culture” and say that no one should be “canceled” because they hold controversial opinions. (I’m paraphrasing so tell me if I’m inaccurate in what I’m paraphrasing here.)

First, I want you to know that I agree with trans liberation and try to be an advocate for their right to exist just as themselves because that’s my responsibility as a person with cis and straight privilege. As you know, trans people have always existed in every culture all over the world so their struggle for liberation is not new.

Second, I want you to know that I agree with freedom of speech. I agree with you, Joe. Everyone has an opinion and they have a right to their opinion. They shouldn’t be excluded from the discourse because of their opinion. And while everyone has opinions, I also agree that some people’s opinions are not accurate. Someone might have an opinion that the earth is flat. They have a right to that opinion but they are also factually wrong. I have a right to state this because I also have a right to freedom of speech and a right to be part of the discourse. I have a right to share my opinion as well as facts. This is why even if I don’t agree with someone, I share resources with them to help them understand why I’m saying what I’m saying. If someone doesn’t want to understand me, that’s up to them, but the resources are always there for them. The earth is not flat, no matter how strong someone’s opinion on it might be. I hope that at some point we might all learn facts, and set inaccurate opinions aside.

That’s why I’m writing this open letter to you. I have freedom of speech. And I have the freedom to share resources and continue the discourse. I hope you and your audience won’t dismiss me for sharing this with you, Joe. I hope you’ll respect my right to an opinion and my freedom of speech.

So here’s my point: Because of how the term “cancel culture” has been co-opted and misinterpreted, you don’t actually know what it means or how it works. And because you misunderstand what it means, you’re dismissing it to justify your own transphobic opinion, which invalidates trans people and their freedom of speech.

The term “cancel culture” actually comes from African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and means specifically when Black people on this continent call out people with power who commit harmful behavior towards Black communities. Black people do this to create safety for themselves because it removes that harmful person from proximity to them. What this means for the rest of us is that only the Black community can “cancel” someone and the primary reason they do so is for their own safety. They don’t have any other options, Joe. They can’t call the police like white people can. Black people are killed when the police are called as we have seen in heartbreakingly numerous cases that continue to happen every single day.

Do you believe in the right to defend yourself, Joe? Do you believe in freedom of speech? It seems to me that you do believe in both of those things (correct me if I’m wrong). But when you argue against cancel culture, you are arguing against the Black community’s ability to use their freedom of speech to defend themselves against racism and white supremacy. You are weaponizing their own term against them, when you could instead help them to fight white supremacist violence. They need their freedom of speech to defend themselves, Joe. I support them. I hope that you can also support them, now that you know what cancel culture actually is.

I’m trying to explain this because as a non-Black woman of color, I have a responsibility to show up for my Black siblings and support their struggle for liberation.

Regarding transphobia — and your transphobic opinions — your dismissal of trans people’s experiences is an example of the harmful behavior that trans people work so hard to protect themselves against. Why would they let you into their community, into their spaces and their lives, when you are dismissive of their issues? You complain mistakenly about “cancel culture”, but don’t want to take any responsibility for your own actions or why people might not want you in their space. They have freedom of speech. They have a right to say “no” to you.

Because here are some facts about trans experiences: Even as children they are isolated, abused, told they shouldn’t exist, often sexually violated, and many suffer violence every day in the form of being beaten up, assaulted, targeted with hate. As adults, if their workplace finds out they’re trans then they might lose their job, which means they also often lose their housing and healthcare. Because of this, many trans people have to resort to survival sex to get housing and food, even if they don’t want to do sex work. Then they are criminalized for that sex work. They are often criminalized for sex work even if they don’t do sex work. Sometimes, if they tell their families they are trans then their own family disowns them, kicks them out before they even reach adulthood, and they become homeless and even more vulnerable than they were before. Because of this, so many trans people stay in the closet, unable to be who they really are. The agony of this invisibilizing of their identity can be just as destructive as all the oppression they face as trans people who are out of the closet. Many trans people, particularly trans youth, commit suicide because they hear so often that trans people shouldn’t exist — from their families, their religious teachers, their classmates, their communities. From the media. From podcasts like yours. Trans people who do manage to survive childhood are disproportionately criminalized and imprisoned, even when the statistics show that trans people are more often the victims of crime than the perpetrators. It’s worse for trans people of color and indigenous trans people. It’s even worse for Black trans people and the worst for Black trans women because transphobia, misogyny, and anti-Blackness work hand-in-hand to direct the most violence towards them.

These are facts, Joe. Actual facts. People have life experiences to back this up. Ask any trans person and they will tell you the same (they’re also exhausted from having to educate everyone which is why cis people like myself should speak up). The statistics and official narrative sometimes doesn’t reflect the thoroughness of their reality because our patriarchal transphobic society ignores trans people. As a result, trans people are left out of certain statistics. Our society doesn’t respect trans freedom of speech, or the truth of trans life experiences. Our society attacks trans people for speaking up and gaslights them by telling them that they are the problem. Black trans people have the right to create some type of safety for themselves by canceling harmful people.

When you complain about “cancel culture”, misusing the term and centering yourself, it’s because you’re worried about being unpopular. When trans people talk about how society invalidates them, they’re talking about real violence and oppression. They’re talking about being raped and criminalized. They’re talking about being forced into poverty and silenced. They’re talking about police brutality and being denied healthcare. They’re talking about being killed just for existing.

So while you are mistakenly worried that “cancel culture” is stifling your transphobic opinion, they’re worried about the actual violence in our society wiping out their lives. Those are two very different experiences. Both are “controversial” opinions. Only one of those controversial opinions is fact.

Because who harmed you, Joe? You are a popular comedian, you are on Netflix, you have a popular podcast, you have safe housing, you get to say whatever you want without being assaulted, you get to go anywhere without worrying about being sexually abused. So who harmed you? Who blocked your freedom of speech? From where I’m standing, you’re popular and free and safe and get to say whatever you want. Correct me if I’m wrong.

I’m writing this letter because I’m hoping that you might be open to continuing the discourse and learning, instead of saying you are protesting “cancel culture” when really you are perpetuating harmful inaccuracies against Black culture and the trans community.

Despite your “controversial” opinions, you still have the privilege of being a male, who is white, who is famous, who is wealthy, who is free, who is listened to by thousands of people. You’re doing OK, Joe. So why are you using the power of all your privileges to spread transphobic and anti-Black rhetoric about people who suffer from a violent society? Do you have to wield your power in such a way that it hurts vulnerable people and continues to invalidate the facts of their life experiences? Or could you wield your power to actually protect the freedom of speech of those vulnerable people? Could you show up in solidarity with trans people and the Black community, Joe?

You have freedom of speech to do either. You can have whatever opinion you want, but remember, the earth is not flat. Just because you have a right to an opinion doesn’t mean your opinion is fact.

I have tried in my life to change my opinions when they don’t reflect the facts. I continue to do this as I learn more. I take part in the discourse to point out the facts I learn and experience and to continue learning from others. Maybe you could join me in doing so. It’s up to your opinion, which you have a right to have. You have freedom of speech to react to this letter however you want. You also might not react. That is your right and your freedom, Joe. I hope you won’t dismiss me but my opinion is that you might because I don’t agree with you. My opinion on your reaction is not a fact, as yet.

I wrote this letter with advice and guidance from friends in LGBT+ communities and Black communities. I am not an expert so I reached out to learn from them and they responded. Notice how they wanted to help this discourse. Notice how they didn’t cancel you, Joe, despite how you have been spreading rhetoric that harms them.

Sincerely,

Zarna Joshi