The Erasure Continues

Part of this will be familiar to those that read my first post about my transition from TRA to "TERF", but I feel this needs to be said more. Part of why I stand with women and not the "trans community" is that I feel the "community" is trying to erase me too.

The "trans community" want to erase women by making the word "woman" mean whatever they want it to mean, and not "adult human female". Do you have to be female to be a woman? "No! Stop reducing women to their biology!" Do you have to medically transition to be a woman? "No! Stop gatekeeping!" Do you have to present in a way that people expect of someone who is a woman? "No! Women can be women however they want! Butch women are women you bigot!" So what makes someone a woman? "They identify as a woman!" So what are they identifying as? "A woman! Why don't you understand you transphobe!" At this point I usually pass out from hitting my head against the brick wall.

When I first transitioned I was told "We no longer use transsexual. The word is trans woman, it means a person who transitions to live as a woman." OK, that sounded reasonable. Then I was told that transition wasn't necessary, that a trans woman was anyone that "identifies as a woman" and that expecting transition was "transphobic". What? So a trans woman is any male that says they "identify as a woman" even if they do nothing and look like any other average male? "Yes! If you expect them to do certain things or look a certain way, you are gatekeeping." So any male that says they are a woman belongs in women's spaces whether they transition or not? "Yes! Trans women are women you Truscum!" So a trans woman with a penis should be allowed to be naked in women's spaces? "Yes! TWAW! a TW penis is a female penis!" Oh hell no!

Talk to groups like the HRC, ACLU or Mermaids and they will tell you that transsexual is an outdated term. Some may claim that the problem was that "transsexual makes people think it's a sexuality." No, the fact that the T is included with the LGBT when the other letters ARE sexualities makes people think that. But you don't want to be separated from the LGB, do you? Or they may say "Transsexual implies that you change sex which you don't." True, we don't change sex, but we do go through a medical process that permanently changes our sexual characteristics. Plus you don't appear to mind when trans people DO claim that they have literally changed sex, so nice try.

What they are really saying is "We don't want a way to separate some "trans people" from other "trans people". When most people think about "trans people" they assume you are talking about transsexuals: a person that suffers from gender dysphoria and as a treatment for that condition makes social and medical changes so that they can live and blend in as if they were a member of the opposite sex. Now though "transgender" means a whole host of things. and transsexuals make up a very small percentage of who is now considered "trans". Whether you agree with such laws and policies, the initial intent was to allow a transsexual person to more easily blend into society after transition. TRAs will shout that "TW have been using the women's bathrooms for decades and you didn't care!" Possibly true, but by and large those TW blended (or made serious effort to blend) in with women. (The ethicacy of this is another topic) TRAs will say "TW have been allowed in the Olympics for a long time, where are the gold medals if it's an issue?" They neglect that until very recently reassignment surgery was required, which excludes the vast majority of trans people.

I use "transsexual" because transsexual still has meaning. I have tons of documentation to prove I'm a transsexual. I have therapist letters, doctor letters, surgeon letters, court documents. Yet I still find myself being told I'm not "trans", all because I don't hold the beliefs of the trans community.

They've taken our word away. They now say we are this other thing "transgender", and that all these people that are not like us, are suddenly the same. Why? Because if we have a word, if we have a distinction, then others are "left out". That sounds pretty familiar. Oh right, that's what they are doing to women too. If women don't have a word, if there is no distinction between who is and isn't a "woman" then no one is left out. The fact that it makes the word "woman" meaningless is of little concern though, right?

So yes, I stand with women against the erasure of their words and language. Partly because I don't like that it's happening to me, but also because it's the right thing to do. I am not a woman (although in plenty of causal and social settings it may be perfectly acceptable and preferable to refer to me and other TW simply as woman) and the distinction can and is important sometimes. I may be "transgender" under your new umbrella, but I'm also a transsexual, and THAT distinction is also important sometimes.