Response: Understanding Trans as a Cis XX Feminist, Pt. I.
A good friend of mine, Samia, made a post on her blog in where she explores some ideas that fall under trans-feminism. I was attempting to make a comment, but it got too long, so I have to post it here. Please go read her entry before reading on.
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I’ll respond to portions of your post in a quotations then response fashion, as I can’t think clearly right now.
“If a bio-born male identifies as female, I am a little uncomfortable with her describing femaleness as a freeing experience when women are de facto an oppressed group worldwide. And when a bio-born female identifies as male, I cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that being recognized as male automatically confers male privilege upon oneself.”
I think a trans woman describing her woman identity, and femininity as “freeing” has to do with the fact that she has experienced internalized conflict of not having her assigned sex align with her gender identity or expression or expectations that society puts upon her. I think there is a similar (but not identical) feeling of when a woman finds solace in expressing her masculinity or femininity when that was suppressed (like when I identified as a lesbian, I found expressing extreme femininity empowering to me).
This feeling of liberation is rooted in the freeing of one’s gender identity, even if that places them into a box of oppression. The oppressive nature of the patriarchy does not keep women from feeling empowered, right, free, or any other sense because they can or choose to express themselves in the way they see fit.
Yes, a trans man, like myself, cannot deny the fact that he does acquire male privilege (assuming that one passes as male in the first place). Dually, the Feminist Movement cannot deny the fact that trans women lose that privilege and face all of the harsh realities that other women face when they are living in a patriarchal society.
Also, be careful with the word “bio-born” as it implies that one person is less biological than the other. Is that really true? I tend to just stick to language of “assigned male at birth” or “assigned female at birth” because it is also inclusive of intersex people that may or may not identify as transgender.
“What does “appropriate to your proper sex” mean, and how can I understand it without inferring the involvement and reinforcement of crippling gender roles I oppose as a cis female feminist? How is Lisa’s statement not a reinforcement of our socially enforced gender dichotomy? The idea of gender-appropriateness sent up a HUGE red flag for me.”
I have a hard time accepting gender roles that are considered “appropriate” to one’s sex. However, Lisa’s experience may be that she views herself not only as a woman but as having a feminine identity and her idea of femininity may align with the gender roles that society dictates. There is nothing wrong with that. There is also nothing wrong with those whose identities work against “typical” gender roles -whether they be transgender or cisgender. In reality, we need to all get to accepting that people can express themselves in whatever fashion they see fit, and that shouldn’t be a threat to anyone’s identity or agenda. Lisa’s expression of femininity and her gender may in fact work in conjunction with the dichotomy of expression our society sets us up for – but at the same time, her gender and expression is what she feels she needs to do for herself, and what is right for herself.
So I guess in terms of the status quo, I would challenge you – why does it really matter? Feminism should not be at war with masculinity (and those that view Feminism this way likely are the same that view trans men as traitors to the movement), but rather working to de-privilege masculinity. I guess where I am going with this is, yes dichotomies are bad, but just because you fit into the model does not mean your expression of yourself is wrong.
“So I don’t know what Lisa means here: a trans person only finds their anatomy to be lacking? This can’t be true, or transitioning individuals would not so frequently take on the trappings of the gender roles that accompany their true sex.”
Like I was trying to get at earlier – there is no “right” way of being trans. I don’t think it is simply about anatomy of lacking, nor is it simply about taking on the “trappings of gender roles”. Its a lot more complicated than that, and that looks very different for each person.
Also, I do not think your vision is anti-trans, but it may be kind a idealistic. People will always find a way to create a system of differences between each other, whether that’s on gender or not.
Sorry for the length of the comment. I hope it helped.
Filed under: All Posts, Cultural Analysis, Language, Social Justice
remember the space between “trans” and “woman”.
Emily,
Thanks for the reminder! I forgot in my haste. <3 Much love.
“So I guess in terms of the status quo, I would challenge you – why does it really matter? Feminism should not be at war with masculinity (and those that view Feminism this way likely are the same that view trans men as traitors to the movement), but rather working to de-privilege masculinity. I guess where I am going with this is, yes dichotomies are bad, but just because you fit into the model does not mean your expression of yourself is wrong.”
“There is no “right” way of being trans… and that looks very different for each person.”
OMG. I need to read this every day until it sinks in! Sometimes I get a little bewildered at how… stereotypically female some trans women are. As a cisgendered woman, I’ve never felt the need to wear a lot of makeup or heels, and I find myself thinking “god, she’s overdoing it! she’s so overly feminine!” but who cares, honestly? She’s *owning* her femininity, and she is claiming the right to be as girly as she wants to be, because she is a woman, so good for her!
I feel like my thought got lost in this comment somewhere? I hope it makes sense.
Gabrielle,
“As a cisgendered woman, I’ve never felt the need to wear a lot of makeup or heels, and I find myself thinking “god, she’s overdoing it! she’s so overly feminine!” ”
This is a sentiment I hear from A LOT of people. But no one really thinks to take the time to wonder just why they think that all trans women are the same. Like the portrayal of gays in the media only ten years ago, trans women in particular are put into a very specific, controlled steretypes. The media chooses to display the overly feminine, the “trying too hard look”, the before and after shots of these women, and other things that works to systematically dehumanize the trans woman and create an assumption that there is only one way of being trans. There are many diverse ways of expressing femininity and this is not simply limited to cisgender females! Its just that in the case of trans women and the media, if you don’t fit into the objectified stereotype, then you are essentially invisible.
*flails*
“There are many diverse ways of expressing femininity and this is not simply limited to cisgender females! Its just that in the case of trans women and the media, if you don’t fit into the objectified stereotype, then you are essentially invisible.”
Exactly. And that’s what I need to remember
. I’m very aware of media stereotyping, but I forget how deeply it goes sometimes.
A quick reminder for Gabrielle and others who might think the same thing: Beyond the media stereotyping, too, there are other reasons why many trans women may have to spend more time on their appearance and look more traditionally feminine than I do as a cis woman (e.g. by wearing makeup and heels). Sometimes to get access to physical transition methods like surgery or hormones, a trans woman will be required to demonstrate to a psychiatrist or other doctor that she is “really” living “as a woman,” and so even though some cis women wear steel-toed boots and work pants and have short hair and no makeup, a trans woman who is seeking medical transition may have to follow feminine stereotypes in order to get the doctor’s approval.
“…a trans woman who is seeking medical transition may have to follow feminine stereotypes in order to get the doctor’s approval.”
Geez! Really!?! In order to get permission for or access to a medical procedure, one must conform to patriarchy-approved gender role-playing first!?!
That is so utterly fucked up.
I mean, it’s fine for trans women who would prefer to take on those aspects of femininity/womanhood anyway – as you have all pointed out – there’s no one way to be a woman, so do what you like.
But for those trans women who would prefer to wear steel-toed boots and work pants and no makeup, that is just wrong and it seems to me like it is *yet again* denying someone’s identity and forcing them to adopt or perform a persona that isn’t truly their own…perhaps like being mis-gendered for all of their lives up until this point. How is that supposed to help? I hope to heck that no one is checking up on these women post physical transition to “make sure” they are still conforming. Does this happen a lot?