I have been called out. Not personally, but I sure caught the message. I have not made a statement specifically denouncing the transmedicalist or "truescum" ideology. As a result, I am doing it now.
Another trans blogger, Sam Dylan Finch : WHY AREN’T MORE TRANS PEOPLE DENOUNCING TRUSCUM?, states pretty eloquently something more trans folx need to do; namely denouncing this ideology.
So here is my statement: the only criteria for being transgender is a person has a gender different from that they were assigned at birth. Full stop, no qualifiers, no exceptions.
I am doing this because the views of the transmed people are directly causing harm to trans folx; they are part of the problem rather than a help. There is nothing they say, tarnished by their ideology, that helps anyone.
So you are a transmed, fine. You think that the definition of transness is predicted on having dysphoria, wrong but you are entitled to being wrong. But why do you have to say anything about that opinion?
All stating that does is give transphobes of any stripe another way to attack trans folx. Saying that causes young trans folx to stop questioning and exploring and leads to even later transition, or suicide when no answer is forthcoming. It causes marginalized trans people to not seek community and support from their trans peers because of fears of judgement or rejection for not being "trans enough".
There is no way saying that helps anyone, it only hurts.
So stop!
Increased access to the medical support many trans people need, does not need to be through the medicalization of transness. We can fight for equality and support without bowing to the forces that want to make us a disorder or mental illness.
The existence of trans people who are also gender non-conforming or don't have elements of dysphoria around aspects of their bodies doesn't invalidate those who do. The existence of people who are not at one end or the other of the gender spectrum do not invalidate those who are. The lack of need for some, or even all, of the medical procedures for treatment of dysphoria doesn't invalidate those who do.
I love and respect my trans siblings who can embrace all or even many parts of their bodies and see them as part of their gender. Trans folx who love their genitals as is, are heroes to me; even though I am not one of them.
I need my HRT and my (hopefully soon to be scheduled) GCS. But the fact I need them doesn't make me transgender! The fact that a doctor made a determination that would be right about ninety-seven percent of the time, but wasn't for me, makes me transgender.
I could, maybe, understand the view that any variance from your assigned gender that causes you to explore transition is a form of dysphoria, however mild. And that euphoria only exists as dichotomous opposite of dysphoria...
BUT WHO CARES!?
As I wish more cis people would internalize: another person's transition has nothing to do with you, and doesn't effect you at all. Leave them be! Let them find their truth and happiness for themselves. And welcome them into the transgender family if and when they come looking.
That I don't understand the various ways to feel non-binary, and what it means, because it isn't my path -my truth- doesn't mean they don't exist. I don't have to understand, though I would like to. I just have to welcome them and love them, and I do.
Another trans blogger, Sam Dylan Finch : WHY AREN’T MORE TRANS PEOPLE DENOUNCING TRUSCUM?, states pretty eloquently something more trans folx need to do; namely denouncing this ideology.
So here is my statement: the only criteria for being transgender is a person has a gender different from that they were assigned at birth. Full stop, no qualifiers, no exceptions.
I am doing this because the views of the transmed people are directly causing harm to trans folx; they are part of the problem rather than a help. There is nothing they say, tarnished by their ideology, that helps anyone.
So you are a transmed, fine. You think that the definition of transness is predicted on having dysphoria, wrong but you are entitled to being wrong. But why do you have to say anything about that opinion?
All stating that does is give transphobes of any stripe another way to attack trans folx. Saying that causes young trans folx to stop questioning and exploring and leads to even later transition, or suicide when no answer is forthcoming. It causes marginalized trans people to not seek community and support from their trans peers because of fears of judgement or rejection for not being "trans enough".
There is no way saying that helps anyone, it only hurts.
So stop!
Increased access to the medical support many trans people need, does not need to be through the medicalization of transness. We can fight for equality and support without bowing to the forces that want to make us a disorder or mental illness.
The existence of trans people who are also gender non-conforming or don't have elements of dysphoria around aspects of their bodies doesn't invalidate those who do. The existence of people who are not at one end or the other of the gender spectrum do not invalidate those who are. The lack of need for some, or even all, of the medical procedures for treatment of dysphoria doesn't invalidate those who do.
I love and respect my trans siblings who can embrace all or even many parts of their bodies and see them as part of their gender. Trans folx who love their genitals as is, are heroes to me; even though I am not one of them.
I need my HRT and my (hopefully soon to be scheduled) GCS. But the fact I need them doesn't make me transgender! The fact that a doctor made a determination that would be right about ninety-seven percent of the time, but wasn't for me, makes me transgender.
I could, maybe, understand the view that any variance from your assigned gender that causes you to explore transition is a form of dysphoria, however mild. And that euphoria only exists as dichotomous opposite of dysphoria...
BUT WHO CARES!?
As I wish more cis people would internalize: another person's transition has nothing to do with you, and doesn't effect you at all. Leave them be! Let them find their truth and happiness for themselves. And welcome them into the transgender family if and when they come looking.
That I don't understand the various ways to feel non-binary, and what it means, because it isn't my path -my truth- doesn't mean they don't exist. I don't have to understand, though I would like to. I just have to welcome them and love them, and I do.
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