As Vanessa wrote yesterday, author Cintra Wilson (who has a history of fail) comes off pretty terribly in her New York Times profile of Chaz Bono. You know who else ends up looking bad? Chaz Bono.

Given Wilson’s self centered, transphobic (yes, even though she has trans friends!) article, I’m willing to give Bono the benefit of the doubt. He could be quoted pretty out of context, without qualifying statements that add nuance, Wilson certainly could have pushed for this sort of quote, and in a short profile it’s all on her that this is what gets attention. Bono deserves a lot of credit for speaking so bravely and publicly about his experience. Having said all that, this is just sexist:

“I never really understood women before, to be honest, but I had a tolerance for women that I don’t have now.” I laughed. Chaz blushed. “No, really. There is something in testosterone that makes talking and gossiping really grating. I’ve stopped talking as much. I’ve noticed that Jen can talk endlessly.” He shrugged. “I just kind of zone out.” “You just don’t care!” “I just don’t care!” He laughed. “I’ve learned that the differences between men and women are so biological. I think if people realized that, it would be easier. I would be a great relationship counselor. I know the difference that hormones really make.”

Ugh.

I don’t care how new testosterone is to your body, it’s no excuse to talk about women in such a condescending way.

Sadly, this sort of narrative of the trans man who becomes sexist has happened in the media before, including a lousy episode of This American Life about testosterone. And it’s a shame. I’ve watched plenty of my trans guy friends go through transition super conscious about the shifts happening in their bodies, knowing they’d have to be even more deliberate about their feminism as men in the world who also might be experiencing changes like increased sexual desire, which the article goes on to talk about. I want that to be the gender role model. Not this crap of using trans guys to reify gender essentialism and sexism.

I don’t care how much of your brain is in your crotch. It’s no excuse to be a dick.