- If a person defies gender stereotypes, it does not automatically make them transgender. Assuming so only reinforces gender stereotypes. One's sex does not determine their role, nor does one's gender expression determine their gender. Telling someone they should act a certain way because of their genitalia is stupid. Telling someone they should identify a certain way because of the way they express themselves is also stupid. If someone who presents himself femininely says he's a man, respect that. Same goes for women who present themselves in a way that is more masculine.
- Gender identity is an individual thing. Say there are two male-bodied people who present themselves femininely. One of them may still identify as a man, while the other may feel more like a woman. Either way, it's not your business.
- Being transgender doesn't make you special, and being cisgender doesn't make you a conformist.
- The determining factor in one's gender identity should not be related to looks, behavior, or interests. This is a mistake that many people make.
- Cisgender and transgender people will not have the same experience, even if they have the same gender identity. To act as if they are interchangeable not only undermines individual differences, but also ignores the reality of gender discrimination.
- Regardless of how you personally may feel about another person's gender identity, it is best to respect it because they know themselves better you than do.
- While the problematic aspects of the trans acceptance movement should be acknowledged, they are not nearly as problematic as the violent discrimination that trans people face.
Friday, March 15, 2019
A nuanced approach to gender identity
I completely support transgender rights. This does not mean that there aren't problematic elements of the trans acceptance movement, but apparently I can't point out these problems without being called "trans-exclusionary." So I want to make it clear that I am not criticizing trans people. However, we do need to have discussions about these issues. Here are my views surrounding gender identity (please read the whole thing before you criticize it):
February 2019 thoughts
"How can you be libertarian-leaning, pro-life, and an intersectional feminist?"
Because when you think about it, sexism, statism, and the culture of death are fundamentally the same. Governments, Planned Parenthood, and misogynistic abusers are all oppressive, and they use the "you can't live without me" rhetoric in order to manipulate people into supporting them, or staying with them.
***
CHILDREN. ARE. NOT. PROPERTY.
I don't care if it's your unborn baby that you want to abort, or your misbehaved kid you want to hit, or your kid that you don't want to vaccinate! Those children are not your property!
***
"How can you not want children and still be against abortion?"
I don't want a dog either, but I'm still outraged when dogs are abused.
***
***
"When are you going to stop posting about Rammstein?"
Never. The answer is never.
***
I will never believe Trump when he says he believes "all children are created in the holy image of God" until he is no longer responsible for injustices against children of undocumented immigrants.
Children matter in the womb, yes, but they also matter outside the womb. All children matter.
Besides, what meaningful anti-abortion legislation has Trump passed? He hasn't defunded Planned Parenthood. Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land (and Kavanaugh voted against possibly changing that).
Just because he says he's pro-life doesn't mean he actually is. Conservative pro-lifers are so gullible.
***
I saw a person holding a piece of art that said "a person's a person no matter how small."
Not sure if they were pro-life or just a really big Dr. Seuss fan. I didn't ask.
***
Apparently you can't be pro-life these days without being gullible party trash? Yeah right.
***
Dumbest. Snowpocalypse. Ever.
***
I want to be like Herb Geraghty of Rehumanize International and hold up a sign at an anti-war protest that says, "send nudes not nukes."
Even though I don't want people sending me nudes either.
***
You can love someone while disagreeing with their actions, but you cannot love them while wishing harm on them.
This means you can love your gay friend while believing it's a sin to act on homosexual feelings, but you can't love them while supporting legislation or other actions that hurt LGBT+ people.
It means you can love your drug addicted friend while not agreeing with their use of illegal drugs, but you can't love them while wanting them put them in prison for their addiction.
You don't have to agree with someone's actions to love them, but if you wish harm on them, you do not love them.
***
So Justin Bieber decided to wait until marriage to have sex with what's-her-name. Big deal. That's his business, not ours.
***
"I want Rehumanize International's 'natural death to all humans' shirt, but I don't agree with the consistent life ethic."
If you think it's okay to murder anyone, you don't deserve that t-shirt, just saying.
***
Traditional/conservative Christians: "Homosexual couples shouldn't be able to adopt. Children need a mom and a dad."
Also traditional/conservative Christians: *Refer to God as our Father but don't acknowledge a Mother Goddess.*
I was raised to believe that Heavenly Mother exists, but She was almost never talked about. People in that religion seemed to be ashamed of their belief in Her. I am not ashamed of my belief in Her.
***
I am not ashamed of my belief in Jesus Christ, but I am ashamed of what people do in His name.
***
I was watching a movie in German class that took place in Nazi Germany (before we got involved in WWII), and there were some eerie similarities to today's political situation: people were like "don't talk about politics because it's too divisive," and when a Jewish character said "soon the Nazis will put us in concentration camps," another character essentially says "that will never happen; you just have a persecution complex." And it got me thinking. Avoiding political discussions because it's "too divisive" is dangerous. As long as it doesn't become physically violent, the worst that will happen in a political discussion is that someone might get offended. The worst that will happen if we don't talk about politics is that people could be killed by those in power. Politics isn't a game. There things affect actual people. Sometimes it's a matter of life and death.
I'm not saying Trump's as bad as Hitler, or that he'll ever be as bad as Hitler. But being "not as bad as Hitler" doesn't make someone a decent person. Hitler tortured and killed millions of people. Killing and/or torturing even one person still makes you a bad person. So many people have been harmed, and Trump is responsible. He has blood on his hands. Don't be deceived.
***
Starting out the "a" in rape ("r*pe") is dumb for two reasons:
1. People still know what you're talking about, and therefore it doesn't really reduce the trigger for rape survivors.
2. It sends the message that rape is something that shouldn't be talked about, adding to the stigma of speaking out against it.
How about instead of censoring the word, we focus on actually ending rape?
Because when you think about it, sexism, statism, and the culture of death are fundamentally the same. Governments, Planned Parenthood, and misogynistic abusers are all oppressive, and they use the "you can't live without me" rhetoric in order to manipulate people into supporting them, or staying with them.
***
CHILDREN. ARE. NOT. PROPERTY.
I don't care if it's your unborn baby that you want to abort, or your misbehaved kid you want to hit, or your kid that you don't want to vaccinate! Those children are not your property!
***
"How can you not want children and still be against abortion?"
I don't want a dog either, but I'm still outraged when dogs are abused.
***
Blaming
abortion entirely on feminism is stupid. I mean, toxic masculinity
contributes to abortion. Misogyny contributes to abortion. Rapists use
abortion to cover up their crimes. And it was men who hijacked the
feminist movement to make it pro-abortion.
So next time you want to equate abortion with feminism, just shut up. |
***
"When are you going to stop posting about Rammstein?"
Never. The answer is never.
***
I will never believe Trump when he says he believes "all children are created in the holy image of God" until he is no longer responsible for injustices against children of undocumented immigrants.
Children matter in the womb, yes, but they also matter outside the womb. All children matter.
Besides, what meaningful anti-abortion legislation has Trump passed? He hasn't defunded Planned Parenthood. Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land (and Kavanaugh voted against possibly changing that).
Just because he says he's pro-life doesn't mean he actually is. Conservative pro-lifers are so gullible.
***
I saw a person holding a piece of art that said "a person's a person no matter how small."
Not sure if they were pro-life or just a really big Dr. Seuss fan. I didn't ask.
***
Apparently you can't be pro-life these days without being gullible party trash? Yeah right.
***
Dumbest. Snowpocalypse. Ever.
***
I want to be like Herb Geraghty of Rehumanize International and hold up a sign at an anti-war protest that says, "send nudes not nukes."
Even though I don't want people sending me nudes either.
***
You can love someone while disagreeing with their actions, but you cannot love them while wishing harm on them.
This means you can love your gay friend while believing it's a sin to act on homosexual feelings, but you can't love them while supporting legislation or other actions that hurt LGBT+ people.
It means you can love your drug addicted friend while not agreeing with their use of illegal drugs, but you can't love them while wanting them put them in prison for their addiction.
You don't have to agree with someone's actions to love them, but if you wish harm on them, you do not love them.
***
So Justin Bieber decided to wait until marriage to have sex with what's-her-name. Big deal. That's his business, not ours.
***
"I want Rehumanize International's 'natural death to all humans' shirt, but I don't agree with the consistent life ethic."
If you think it's okay to murder anyone, you don't deserve that t-shirt, just saying.
***
Traditional/conservative Christians: "Homosexual couples shouldn't be able to adopt. Children need a mom and a dad."
Also traditional/conservative Christians: *Refer to God as our Father but don't acknowledge a Mother Goddess.*
I was raised to believe that Heavenly Mother exists, but She was almost never talked about. People in that religion seemed to be ashamed of their belief in Her. I am not ashamed of my belief in Her.
***
I am not ashamed of my belief in Jesus Christ, but I am ashamed of what people do in His name.
***
I was watching a movie in German class that took place in Nazi Germany (before we got involved in WWII), and there were some eerie similarities to today's political situation: people were like "don't talk about politics because it's too divisive," and when a Jewish character said "soon the Nazis will put us in concentration camps," another character essentially says "that will never happen; you just have a persecution complex." And it got me thinking. Avoiding political discussions because it's "too divisive" is dangerous. As long as it doesn't become physically violent, the worst that will happen in a political discussion is that someone might get offended. The worst that will happen if we don't talk about politics is that people could be killed by those in power. Politics isn't a game. There things affect actual people. Sometimes it's a matter of life and death.
I'm not saying Trump's as bad as Hitler, or that he'll ever be as bad as Hitler. But being "not as bad as Hitler" doesn't make someone a decent person. Hitler tortured and killed millions of people. Killing and/or torturing even one person still makes you a bad person. So many people have been harmed, and Trump is responsible. He has blood on his hands. Don't be deceived.
***
Starting out the "a" in rape ("r*pe") is dumb for two reasons:
1. People still know what you're talking about, and therefore it doesn't really reduce the trigger for rape survivors.
2. It sends the message that rape is something that shouldn't be talked about, adding to the stigma of speaking out against it.
How about instead of censoring the word, we focus on actually ending rape?
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