They have to perform gender stereotypes to be taken seriously
I find myself wondering why, when we’re told that the feeling of being trans is so real and overwhelming that it trumps the dull facts, it’s so urgent and imperative to change the body so that it matches the feeling.
Unless, of course, it turns out that this real and overwhelming feeling is solely about the appearance.
But then what becomes of the core claims about the self, the identity, the soul?
These thoughts arose as I was reading a rant by Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir on the Cass Report evil terfs etc etc etc.
Waiting lists for trans-related healthcare in the UK are atrocious, with people in England waiting an average of seven years for a first appointment, despite the NHS saying their target is no more than 18 weeks to be seen. And that’s only the first appointment – if people want access to hormones or surgeries, they could still wait several more months or years.
It is clear to me that the NHS has failed trans people – some who are more than a decade in the system, waiting to be able to move on with their lives and get life-saving hormones and surgeries.
But why do they need hormones and surgeries to save their lives at all? They know who they are; why isn’t that the part that counts?
Just like my partner, Fox, I have also heard many stories of people facing prejudice, sexism and even feeling like they have to perform gender stereotypes in order to be taken seriously. They say they have to tell an ‘acceptable’ story to the medical professionals as a result – things like they prefer certain types of clothing, have traditional hobbies and interests and fit into the mould of your ‘typical woman’ or ‘typical man’.
And by the same token, they are told by trans activists themselves that they have to alter their bodies drastically in order to…fit into the mould of your ‘typical woman’ or ‘typical man’.
It’s all the same thing, isn’t it? Certain types of clothing, traditional interests, female bodies?
If it’s all about what’s in the individual mind, why is “transition” even a thing?
If they’ve been waiting a decade for these things, and they’re still alive, the rational response would be to lower one’s confidence in the belief that these things are life saving.
lol yes that too.
I was recently at a small meeting of a few men and women, including one transwoman. I noticed that the transwoman was wearing a skirt while all the real women were wearing pants. I do sometimes see real women wearing skirts when the weather is warmer than what we reliably get in Calgary in early spring.
It’s almost like, in the absence of a specific purpose, people usually opt for the most comfortable, practical clothing available.
I’ve heard these stories too. I’m skeptical that it still happens, but it used to–back when there were “gatekeepers” trying to weed out the autogynephiles.