And finally (for now) - The trans activist privilege checklist
March 21, 2008 by Polly Styrene
Now this is almost definitively - promise - the last thing I’m going to write for a good long while about trans activists (NB not the same as trans people). Because this is not a blog about trans issues though I’m sure it would add to your persecution complexes sorry, sense of oh so real oppression, to think that I was so out to get you I’d set up a whole blog to do it. I have set up blogs to get specific groups in the past, but you ain’t lucky enough to be one of them. I was indeed interested to learn that I have a ’supposed knowledge of trans people’ which is ‘pathetic, cardboard and inaccurate’. News to me - I have never claimed to have a ‘knowledge of trans people’ beyond those I know in real life, who are representative of themselves and no-one else. I do not assume - unlike certain people - that all trans people think and act exactly alike. I do claim to know something about gender issues cos hey I’m a woman sorry, not it seems I’m not ’cos I don’t define myself as one, but anyway I spend my days experiencing the very real effects of the privilege given to the members of Club Penis.
Nah what this blog is about, if anything, is bullshit - hence the ‘fake lesbians post’, which I am flattered to see has been reproduced on some kind of weird fake porno site (guys, guys something that contains the words Angelina Jolie, Paris Hilton and lesbians isn’t necessarily rude). Now it just so happens that by an amazing coincidence - and it really, really IS a coincidence most of the bullshit I’ve heard recently is from ‘trans activists’ . Like this one who was so upset that - oh no - the nasty wimmin were having a march without him and oppressing him! Please note here of course, that this particular trans activist was actually protesting against a march that was explicitly advertised as ’including transwomen’. Eh? Has all that sex-positive biodiverse vegan cake addled his brain? PS - I did post some comments on this but they never appeared for some reason. Then of course there was all the stuff (posts passim) on the feminist blogosphere that erupted shortly afterwards because some women dared to suggest that they might actually have a meeting that was just for those assigned Female at Birth. I’m not going to link to the blogs in question here, out of courtesy for the blog owners. I speak for myself and no one else, and if the women in question want to link to here they can do. But excellent as all the posts are, I like to think my own not so humble (female modesty being a weapoon of the patriarchy) contribution adds something to them.
So yes, I have a problem with certain (not all) trans activists, because they are up their own arse (in a sex positive way of course), talk shit, and most importantly seem to think they are entitled to speak for everyone else and go round telling everyone how to live their lives. Now peeps, I’m not going to link to you either - largely because you’re all linked to here already. Nor am I going to cite you individually - apart from the person I have already cited who’d better expect a piece of my mind next time I see him out and about. Because the bullshit I am talking about is widely reproduced ad infinitum like a stuck record.
So here without further ado, the one, the only:
Trans Activist privilege checklist
1. As a trans activist I have the privilege of knowing what everybody is thinking and am entitled to speak for everybody everywhere, if I think it might lend my cause some credibility. Even if they actively don’t want me to.
2. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to tell people who have been told from birth by society that they are ‘female’ or ‘women’ that they are actually neither of these things, and that to be a woman, you must self define as one.
3. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to tell people who they can have in their private spaces and invite myself into them if I want.
4. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to make up words to describe other people and apply them, even if the other people don’t want me to.
5. As a trans activist I have the privilege of responding to any argument I don’t actually have an answer to with “I’m not even going to answer you, you don’t know what it’s like being me”. However if those assigned female at birth tell me I do not understand their experience, or know what it is like to be them I will get very upset and say they are being ‘cis-sexual’ and “creating a hierarchy of gender” by implying that we are in any way different.
6. As a trans activist I have the privilege of holding dichotomous views. Such as criticising biological essentialism, but then claiming that I am a REAL woman because you know there is just something about me (usually in my brain sex) that is essentially female. And not being able to spot the contradiction.
7. As a trans activist I have the privilege of endlessly carping if anyone else holds a slightly contradictory view.
8. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being a stranger to logical reasoned argument, or the idea of a non sequitur.
9. As a trans activist I have the privilege of claiming that possession of a certain body part is a privilege, rather than an accident of birth.
10. As a trans activist I have the privilege of crying ‘transphobia’ whenever somebody says something I don’t like, whether it is actually transphobic or not.
11. As a trans activist I have the privilege of reifying patriarchal gender binaries by holding essentialist views, whilst simultaneously claiming to be opposed to gender binaries
12. As a trans activist I have the privilege of ignoring the very real discrimination experience by ‘cis-gendered’ women, because to acknowledge it would inconveniently destroy my theories of ‘cis-gender privilege’
13. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to hold some outrageusly essentialist views about what ‘women’ are like and ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’ and get away with it.
14. As an assigned male at birth trans activist I have the privilege of expecting to be treated differently from others assigned male at birth in accessing women only spaces.
15. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to tell everyone how ‘woman’ is defined. Even if many women don’t agree with me.
16. As a trans activist I have the right to dismiss very real violence against born females, and their feelings about this, as unimportant, if it gets in the way of me achieving my own goals of invading their spaces.
17. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to support homophobic practises.
18. As a trans activist I have the right to say that’s all about me, me, me and nobody else matters.
And finally - As a trans activist I am wholly entitled to whinge, cry, and scream “you’re oppressing me, you big meanie” if anybody criticises me in any way whatsoever. Particularly if they do to me the stuff I do to everybody else. I will get away with this because certain trendy liberals who are desperate to appear cool and edgy will go along with anything I say, no matter how ridiculous. I have the privilege of being able to tell everyone else they can’t see their own privilege while not being able to see my own privilege.
I am glad that you have clarified a difference between trans persons and trans activists. Because we are against the politics (of trans) and not the individuals.
The same way radfems are against high heels, we don’t ‘hate’ the person wearing them, but question the politics of wearing them, and why it is A Bad Thing.
I possibly don’t mind being called “transactivistphobic”.
Exactly Stormy, I have only ever heard one IRL person (the one cited) say this kind of crap. Interestingly of course he is the one whose definition of being ‘trans’ means wearing a dress and make up occasionally. He has no intention as far as I know of taking it any further than this, and has a ‘male’ name and uses ‘male’ pronouns, and gets terribly upset when people shout abuse at him in the centre of town - some woman called me a ‘fat skinhead’ the other day, just to impres her boyfriend FFS, what does he expect? Now he is of course entitled to self define, (cos it’s the holy grail) but I have heard him say that a few members of a trans group he runs have said they think he’s not really trans……
And I do reserve the right to hate transactivists if they’re knobs…..
if this is tongue in cheek, then it’s hilarious, especially for the lovely way I can change ever ‘trans-activist’ into ‘radical feminist’. thank you for showing the absurdity of the arguments that occur!
on the other hand, if you’re being 100% deadly serious then you’re a very frightening person.
He RUNS the trans group? OMG.
Now with your RL example, here is someone who self defines as ‘transexual’ or ‘queer’ (but in reality is only a garden-variety cross-dresser). There is nothing to stop him self defining himself as ‘woman’, in order to gain entry into women-only (or female-only) spaces.
From what I have seen and heard from trans activists, they are nothing but disruptive to feminist spaces, and frequently try to take over. Very similar to the ECP (English Collective of Prostitutes), who aren’t former prostitutes at all. They actually seem to be some kind of gun-for-hire protest group, with a variety of banners. Fuck knows what their agenda is (I’m not sure they even know).
But they are disruptive, at the MWR rally they were shouting crap like “only the non-prostituted get to speak!” which was bullshit, because there was at least one formerly prostituted woman on the stage. The ECP spokesperson was not permitted to speak (in a capacity as a union rep, not for prostituted wimmin) because she failed to submit her speech before the deadline. The purpose of the deadline was for signing-for-the-deaf translations to be done for all speeches. Nothing to do with “silencing prostitutes voices!” at all. Yet the ECP did twist it to make it look like that. They were protesting the MWR rally FFS!
Historically, going back to earlier feminists groups, trans activists who were allowed entry (’full membership’ if you will) into the groups, were disruptive and only pushed the trans agenda, not a feminist one. I wish that some of the younger more librul feminists would actually take notice of the background of these things, rather than automatically assuming they have discovered the Holy Grail of feminism, with ‘new and improved!’ ideas. The trans agenda is not the radfem one. It’s rather like being a ‘pro-(nice)porn radfem’. It’s not going to work, and it’s not going to be effective (for female liberation).
yes, indeed. it is best to hate the sin, while loving the sinner.
there’s hope for these individuals as long as they repent.
I assume that La Glitch is MAB.
I make the assumption based on this proposal:
especially for the lovely way I can change ever[y] ‘trans-activist’ into ‘radical feminist’
Shows a lot of trademark male laziness not to put in the work and to co-opt the work of a female. In a fit of charity, I corrected the typo.
on the other hand, if you’re being 100% deadly serious then you’re a very frightening person.
Right back at ya.
Repent?
Who said anything about making/forcing peeps to repent?
If a transperson has made the ‘transition’ and is happy with it, fine and dandy. However, pushing a trans agenda as ‘the cutting edge way forward’ to break down gender roles, nope.
Polly, did you install some kind of moron-magnet? Sadly, it seems to be working.
sly civilian is a troll- pretty sure I’ve seen him before
who is mab?
i made a typo
sorry 
it’s terribly indicative of my gender, i admit 
Stop being stoopid Glitch.
The typo was no biggie, but the laziness and co-option was.
Sly is the troll? Funny, I thought this whole blog was a troll joke.
I mean, you ARE all kidding with this right? It’s like “Family Guy”? Cause it’s a riot.
So, lemme get this straight (joke intended)–a man who openly admits that he “spends his days experiencing the very real effects of the privilege given to the members of Club Penis” (how flirty that is! You GQ readers are so CUTE!) writes an anti-trans post, and a bunch of “feminists” tell him how wonderful he is?
Definitely–pretty damn hilarious! GREAT SATIRE!
So, straight fellas, you’ve always wanted to know how to turn (certain) feminists to mush, so they’ll put out? Just attack transgendered people, and they’ll be fawning all over you, like Laurelin and Stormy here.
I mean, it works for their buddy Rich! I see this guy has been taking careful notes. Some people will do ANYTHING to get laid.
“but in reality is only a garden-variety cross-dresser…”
So, is this what Polly Styrene is? Which sex is Polly Styrene? According to radical feminism as explained by the women here, you have to be one or the other. Which is it?
If you are a man, well, that’s that. Nothing to see here, move on.
If you are a woman, why did you cross out the word woman, above? Don’t you know what you are? If not, you are exactly the person you are attacking, a trans activist. (blogs count as activism) Why are you attacking yourself? Lack of self esteem? (Trying to get laid?)
According to these feminists who are currently fawning all over you (nice going, there!) , there is no such thing as intersexed, because it might allow someone with a penis to wear a dress, like yourself.
So, where exactly are you coming from? Tell the truth and shame the devil!
Fawning over males? You have to be kidding.
Interesting blogroll Daisy. Reads like the who’s who of the pro-porn idiot squad.
Obsessed with sex much Daisy?
What are you, 12?
Stormy, I’ll be sure to let everyone on my blogroll know that you have insulted them.
And BTW–obsessed with sex? EXCUSE ME?? You are the one doing panty-checks, babe. I really don’t care what genitalia people have–YOU want to have a good long look before letting them in the door.
Why?
“According to radical feminism as explained by the women here, you have to be one or the other”
There are no women here explaining to you, silly. There are some females, some radfems, and some trolls who love their gender rolls. Choose which one you want to be, because I have decreed by the powerlessness of my authority that you only get to be one thing per day, so choose wisely.
I was a radical feminist while you were still swimming around in your mommies’ ovary.
You are a revisionist and a fraud.
Numbers 11, 12 and 13 says it all about those so-called ‘trans-activists’ who are in fact nothing more than essentalist supporters of the patriarchal order.
So now you claim to be 70+?
And a ‘radical feminist’ who hangs about with pro-pawnys that push the patriarchical agenda?
May as well call yourself a meat-eating vegan.
Jennifer, since Stormy and bewilderness are obviously incapable of replying to my direct question and you certainly seem like you know all the answers: Tell me, why do you want to do panty-checks?
Aren’t panty-checks essentialist? Why are you so obsessed with people’s genitalia?
Stormy, define porn. Are you talking about LAW AND ORDER: ADVANCED RAPIST EDITION? Because, no, I don’t watch that shit.
Are you currently working to get those kinds of salacious, rape-exploitation TV shows off the air? Or are you talking about some women frolicking naked in a pool with a dildo or something benign like that?
I would imagine you are far more obsessed with the latter than with the former, which does the real damage in our culture. You want to punish women in porn, not the men who make billion-dollar TV show franchises shown all over the world–correct?
Yes, my priorities are on planet Earth, not up my ass. I’ll leave that to you and the 8 people who agree with you. I’m sure you’ll accomplish PLENTY!
(((giggles)))
I’m 50 years old. I was on the staffs/collectives of the radical feminist newspapers MAJORITY REPORT, PLEXUS, WHAT SHE WANTS and WOMANSONG. How about you? What are your creds? Do you have any, or did you just hear about feminism during the last Michfest?
As I said, you are a fraud and revisionist.
((((crickets))))
Let the record show, none of these transphobes can answer the question of why they want to do panty-checks, let alone, WHY they want to do panty-checks while claiming they aren’t essentialist!
Again, you are all great satirists.
But perhaps you should leave feminism to those of us who REALLY AREN’T essentialist and don’t do panty-checks.
Hmm, aparently the requirements for approved radical feminism are:
1) suggesting that the age at which a woman would be most interested in sex is 12 ?!?
2) believing that a larger governing body (but, apparently, not the patriarchy…hmm) can and should judge a woman’s self-definition and apparel choices as being acceptable or not
3) suggesting that someone is not worth interacting with because you don’t like her friends
Based on this, the acceptable template for an approved radical feminist is strangely similar to that of a male pedophiliac with heavily patriarchal tendencies.
I can see how Daisy does not fit this template.
It appears that Daisy is 50, so given that I’m 65….. But no daisy, you’ve got me bang to rights - I am indeed HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT ((De De DERRRRR!!) The truth is out. And sizeofacow is a secret transphobic code, see if you can work it out.
Seriously folks never heard of satire, irony or sarcasm? Where’s Johnny the Troll with a long biblical quotation when you need him? Or Stellewriter because she makes more sense than you lot and does actually have a POSITION that’s CONSISTENT and consists of more than just repeating the word ‘transphobic’, or ‘panty check’ a lot or telling me I’m frightening. Which I take as a compliment BTW because all my IRL friends tell me I’m scary anyway.
So no arguments then? As in actual logical arguments taking the points I make one by one and putting a carefully reasoned counterpoint?
But cheer up peeps, you could be the Bastard Son of Dean Friedman. Or Fred Titmuss…..
Interesting blogroll Daisy. Reads like the who’s who of the pro-porn idiot squad.
Stormy! hey baby, great to see you back in the game. it hasn’t been the same without you!
unfortunately, you’ve picked the wrong person to mess with in Daisy. whether you agree with her or not, she’s OG, feminist-ly speaking.
you may be interested in her post here:http://daisysdeadair.blogspot.com/2007/07/sex-drugs-and-rock-and-roll.html
I mean, unless you think that women who came of age in the early seventies and came to their feminist epiphanies at that time are nothing but cheap imitations of real feminists like yourself (who, what, was there at Seneca Falls?), Daisy’s creds are unassailable.
as for the trans activist thing - I’ve always wondered how many women who were active in 60s - 70s feminism (radical or otherwise) were actually ambiguously-gendered and not “women-born-women” as commonly phrased. the world may never know.
but I imagine that for them, it must have gotten tiring to hear “oh, I love working with you - it’s a good thing you’re not one of those she-male he-she men-in-a-dress!” so they left the movement before being discovered.
there are plenty of parallels between the drive for lesbian acceptance within feminism in the late 60s- early 70s and the drive for trans acceptance within feminism today.
look up the term “Lavender Menace”, for example. most mainstream feminists were not exactly gay-friendly. many thought that lesbians were hell-bent on destroying the movement for real feminists.
it’s not hard to make the connection, when one looks at it from that point of view.
Oh and Daisy we’re in the UK, land of the brash outrageous and free. We ain’t never been to Michfest.
Polly, so you can’t answer any of my questions directly?
Why should we believe anything you say, in that event?
Here they are again:
1) Why does it matter what genitalia people have?
2) If you have some reason to doubt a person’s gender presentation, say, in what you have declared to be “women’s space”–how else can you be SURE they are who they claim to be, without a panty check?
Is there another way? (Are you going to run chromosome tests at the gates to Michfest, or what?)
3) Are you male or female? That’s a direct question, because I can’t tell by what you have said here.
Do you not know which you are? Why not?
4) And does #4 really matter that much? If not, why attack the trans activists, who agree wholeheartedly that it does not?
I’ll settle for ANY of these questions getting a direct, serious answer, which you seem unable to provide. I’d love to argue the point with you, but I can’t do that if I don’t know what you are talking about. And since your point is an intrinsic contradiction (i.e., we are obsessed with gender; we want to abolish gender), I am not sure how to proceed.
You are arguing from emotion, not logic.
Polly, is that why you still have a Queen? Sounds like you couldn’t even manage a basic revolution.
But yes, of course, that explains a lot of the xenophobia–recovering Thatcherite, huh?
Still no answers?
Stormy, still no answer?
I like how you go upthread to answer Sly, but you still can’t answer ME.
Fraud.
Anti princess - no I wasn’t at seneca falls either we are IN BRITAIN. (Little Britain in fact). I’ve been to Swindon, will that do?
Now does anybody have any arguments other than repeating their age and where they’ve been ? Oh and ovums don’t swim round ovaries……They are released down the fallopian tubes.
Also. please note I said SOME trans activists, not all, and please see the previous post for the difference between TRANS and INTERSEX. People who identify as trans are, usually, not ‘ambiguously gendered’ - off the top of my head the only well known one I can think of is Leslie Feinberg. Indeed all the trans activists on t’interweb (or at least those on here, or who have linked to here) seem very keen to stress that they are women. What’s ambiguous about that? And nobody is talking about excluding trans PEOPLE, or saying they’re out to destroy anything. I am saying a lot of trans activists (not trans people) are hypocritical and talk shit. Which point nobody has actually addressed yet….
“Indeed all the trans activists on t’interweb (or at least those on here, or who have linked to here) seem very keen to stress that they are women.”
Funny, I don’t ever remember stressing I’m a woman. In fact, I seem to remember stating the exact opposite not to long ago on a thread you were a part of.
Thatcherite??????? It’s a lyric from a Morrissey song Daisy - Here’s another one.
——————————————————————————-
Irish blood, english heart, this I’m made of
There is no one on earth I’m afraid of
And no regime can buy or sell me
I’ve been dreaming of a time when
To be english is not to be baneful
To be standing by the flag not feeling shameful, racist or partial
Irish blood, english heart, this I’m made of
There is no one on earth I’m afraid of
And I will die with both of my hands untied
I’ve been dreaming of a time when
The english are sick to death of labour, and tories
And spit upon the name oliver cromwell
And denounce this royal line that still salute him
And will salute him forever
—————————————————————–
So have you got any ACTUAL ARGUMENTS, other than dissing politicians I’ve never voted for??????? Because otherwise I’m going to have to refer you to point 8 of the checklist.
Oh and ovums don’t swim round ovaries……They are released down the fallopian tubes.
This line was cribbed from (British director, so no excuses) Alex Cox’s REPO MAN. The line was originally “swimming around in your daddy’s balls”–and I updated it for feminists.
Um, I asked you several questions–you haven’t addressed a single one. Do you want me to copy them over?
Just not able to engage? Well, that’s entirely understandable.
Indeed all the trans activists on t’interweb (or at least those on here, or who have linked to here) seem very keen to stress that they are women.
And what’s the problem with that? How can you prove they aren’t? Panty-checks?
If not, how?
Just ANSWER the question.
If you mean the thread at touchinglynaive arrogantworm, I think you’ll find that I left halfway through, and didn’t read any further comments.
Any actual arguments though? May I refer the honourable person to Point 8 of the checklist?
I have taken the liberty of correcting my typo–(I meant #3, not #4)
I’ll ask again, since you say I have no arguments. These are my arguments. Can you answer a single question? Come on, just ONE try?
~*~
Here they are again:
1) Why does it matter what genitalia people have?
2) If you have some reason to doubt a person’s gender presentation, say, in what you have declared to be “women’s space”–how else can you be SURE they are who they claim to be, without a panty check?
Is there another way? (Are you going to run chromosome tests at the gates to Michfest, or what?)
3) Are you male or female? That’s a direct question, because I can’t tell by what you have said here.
Do you not know which you are? Why not?
4) And does #3 really matter that much? If not, why attack the trans activists, who agree wholeheartedly that it does not?
Sure, I suppose we can address this talking shit point. What, exactly, are you wondering about? The part where you take people at their word for the way they identify? The part about their own lived experiences? Help me out here, which part is supposedly shit?
“8. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being a stranger to logical reasoned argument, or the idea of a non sequitur.”
That number eight? The onus is not on me to prove a negative. Talk about lack of reasoning processes.
Morrissey? Cheer up, Emo kid.
Irish? Are you Catholic or Orange? Are you male or female? Do you take sides in anything, or just posture and say witty, nonsensical GQ dross?
Do you have any arguments?
Also, that isn’t a privilege. That’s a ‘get out of transphobia free’ card. I’m surprised it wasn’t put at #1, seeing how so many people think it’s important.
I mean, think about. Number 8 translates to ‘They can’t even -reason-, we don’t have to listen to a word they say about themselves!’. This list should be passed around, see how it compares with the actual privileged lists. I’m sure they’ll be quite ….pleased.
Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do - I haven’t asked you to ask me questions - I have asked if you have any arguments in response to the points I have already made. Your questions as far as I can see are - Am I a man? (which I have answered. albeit cryptically), Have I been to Michfest (no), Do I want to look in people’s panties? Well it depends on the person really. Are they fit? (that means attractive over here).
The whole argument thing goes like this.
I have made several POINTS.
Now what you would say is:
In response to point A, blah blah de blah blah (you don’t actually say blah blah de blah blah, you put a COUNTERPOINT).
And generally speaking (though I realise we are hopelessly, hopelessly lost already) I would like the argument to PERTAIN to the body of the post, not just be general stuff about e.g. gardening, or UK film directors which I know bugger all about.
Take a look at Nick on F.A.B. if you don’t understand. He has the general idea.
Clue - an argument does not consist of - saying how old you are or where you’ve been.
And on a point of information - Sperm are different from Ova. Sperm do indeed ’swim’ if you are being anthorpomorphic. Ova don’t. They get released.
On a plus point, you’re making me laugh…..
You must be intersexed, Polly–your so-called feminists “friends” have totally deserted your ass and left you twisting slowly, slowly in the wind…
They’ll use you in the short run, but they have no respect for you. And certainly won’t bother to defend you.
Keep that in mind.
Why does it matter what genitalia people have?
Seems to me that if some people are prepared to undergo extensive surgery in order to modify their genitalia then it must matter quite a lot - to them.
Why does it matter to you, Daisy, whether Polly is male or female? Isn’t asking that question the internet equivalent of a “panty check”?
Daisy- the Smiths were around long before Emo. And they’re not miserable either. Now you get 2 more posts in which to say something relevant - same for you arrogantworm…..Which is not asking me questions about my ethnic origin, my favourite colour, whether I have any pets or not, or my gender. Because none of these are relevant to this post.
Argument - POINT
COUNTERPOINT
Do look at Nick people, he’s a shining example….
Clue - an argument does not consist of - saying how old you are or where you’ve been.
Clue: Actually, it does. When these Janie-come-latelies claim that radical feminism has always been about XYZ, I can honestly say that NO, in the beginning, that is NOT what it was about. A few people had certain opinions about transgenderism, but it was *never* a settled matter, and still isn’t.
And yes, I was there. And you just admitted you were not. You were busy listening to Male Emo.
So, are you Irish? Catholic or Orange? I mean, since YOU brought it up…
Can you even reply to a direct question?
I’m still wondering what religion has to do with this?
“catholic or orange?”
Daisy - if you read the other posts on this site, you will get a full and reasoned explanation of why I defend spaces for those assigned female at Birth. Whether I am male, female, intersex or the Holy Ghost is completely irrelevant to any of these, so i don’t know why you are so bothered?
Your question on how you determine people’s gender assigned at birth is indeed a valid one. With most people, you would take it on trust. I would trust people coming into the space to be honest. However with those who present as possibly male (which is unusual, but not unknown in those who are FAB, for instance those with severe congenital adrenal hyperplasia), one would have to ask for ID. Now can you tell me how you would identify who is a transwoman?
The future’s bright, the future’s orange, sparks. No I don’t see the relevance either but you’ve got to admit, Johnny’s looking almost sane now….
Witchy, which of the activists in question, that you have been arguing with lately, has had extensive surgery? How do you know this? Did they tell you?
Because I don’t know if they have had surgery, since I don’t do panty-checks. Do you?
And yes, it’s not good to demand to know what people’s genitalia look like–you seem to get that about Polly, but no one else. Why does Polly get a pass?
PS: Glad you got that irony, which was deliberate. Witchy gets a cookie!
Oh and the Smiths are NOT BLEEDING EMO! Emo was invited circa early 21st century. The Smiths were around in the 80’s. FFS!!!!
Ok Mary you’ve had your chance, but I can’t see saint Moz insulted….
I’m loving the idea of being one of “these Janie-come-latelies“. Hah! - I wish…
Witchy’s seen my genitals, it’s part of our secret initiation ritual.
So pointing out that number 8 contains a get-out-of-bigotry-jail-free! card means nothing to you for a salient point, as long as you get to keep the card. Gotcha.
Let’s get something clear here - we all know Polly in real life.
Now can you tell me how you would identify who is a transwoman?
I have no idea! That’s exactly my point! I worked with one for 5 years and didn’t know it until later. She (((gasp))) went to sacrosanct women’s space with us (the restroom, baby showers) and everything! And I never suspected!!!!!
That’s why I’m asking. How can you tell?
And where does this rancor come from?
Witchy’s seen my genitals, it’s part of our secret initiation ritual.
And I was not invited? *flounce*
explanation of reference to Seneca Falls, shamelessly copypasta’ed from Wikipedia:
The Seneca Falls Convention, held in Seneca Falls, New York on July 19 to July 20, 1848, was the first women’s rights convention held in the United States, and for that reason, it is often labeled as the birthplace of feminism. Prominent at the 1848 convention were leading reformers, including Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.
Different groups at different times have turned to the founding documents of the United States to meet their needs and to declare their entitlement to the promises of the Revolution of 1776. At Seneca Falls, New York, in the summer of 1848, a group of American women and men met to discuss the legal limitations imposed on women during this period. These discussions were informed by their participation in the anti-slavery movement; eventually they used the language and structure of the United States Declaration of Independence to state their claim to the rights they felt women were entitled to as American citizens in the Declaration of Sentiments.
salient point of all that word salad being that the only feminist creds that would trump Daisy’s would have to have been earned in 1848, which would make Stormy (to whom I was addressing my comment) some 160 years old.
I had not paid close attention to the transatlantic nature of this particular blogger - thought I was on a cisatlantic blog. Even so, I had it in my head that any feminist on either side of the Atlantic would know about the Seneca Falls Declaration.
Daisy - I haven’t argued with any activists lately and I have no clue where you got that idea from.
Polly’s argument is logical.
Ok Daisy, you’ve finally said something relevant. Congratulations! You are completely correct, one cannot necessarily tell who is a transwoman. However most (post transition) transwomen I’ve met (most of whom would ‘pass’as FAB) have respect for other people and would not seek to enter a born women only space. I guess I’m assuming that actual transwomen (nb different from trans activists) are capable of behaving like honourable people and respecting others space?
So no, there is no rancor, (or even rancour). However there IS an acknowledgement that there those who are FAB are entitled to define their own space, the reasoning for which is set out below, and since it’s several thousand words, I will leave you to read it, rather than repeat it because that would make this comment awfully long.
Toodle pip - I’m still going to have to ban you though for going on about irrelevant stuff and saying the Smiths are Emo. THEY’RE NOT BLEEDING EMO!
Anti-Princess, this ain’t your mom’s feminism, it’s some new strain, we’ll call it Irish Morrissey maybe-intersexed feminism.
I know, I’m confused too.
But hey, I’m all about the big tent! -Bring da cousins!-
Unlike the people here who want to ferret out the transwomen, I dislike ideological lockstep. Listen to the Smiths all you want, girlfriend.
Cisatlantic?????????? Sparks, the reason you weren’t invited to the ritual is that we’re secretly 12 foot blood drinking lizards.
saying the Smiths are Emo. THEY’RE NOT BLEEDING EMO!
This is J spark’s emo daughter…I am outraged that anyone thinks that the smiths are emo!
Emo J x
However most (post transition) transwomen I’ve met (most of whom would ‘pass’as FAB) have respect for other people and would not seek to enter a born women only space.
Why is this “respect”? For whom?
Was segregation also “respect”? Interesting you use that word–because white segregationists used it, too. Blacks were being disrespectful by trying to sit at the lunch counter. And they WERE–they were not respecting the traditions that had been established.
Isn’t that what you are saying? Tradition must be upheld?
I guess I’m assuming that actual transwomen (nb different from trans activists) are capable of behaving like honourable people and respecting others space?
See above question.
~*~
Of course you will ban me. I’ve been expecting as much. As I said, surprised you have allowed me to even comment as long as I have. I assume the thread will be deleted, also.
Please, be as predictable as you wanna be. Don’t let me stop you.
And sizeofacow is a secret transphobic code, see if you can work it out.
oh, in another world, yeah, women wouldn’t be such assholes to each other.
welcome to the cheap seats!
this is a wonderstuff reference, right?
excuse me, i need to go run a lawnmower over my thighs.
And therefore Stormy is 160….
The thread will never be deleted Daisy. However there are 67 comments by now, and you’ve had about half of them, most of them asking irrelevant questions about me personally. So I’m going to have to remove you for reasons of length, because you’ve had ample opportunities to comment relevantly (and for insulting the Smiths and Morrissey by saying they’re Emo, of course).
But before you go - I can only speak about the transwomen I know personally. All of whom would recognise that their life experiences are different (note, no less important, but different) from those of those assigned female at birth. And that for this reason, those assigned female at birth are entitled to organise autonomously and have separate space, just as women of colour, women with disabilites, and indeed transwomen would be.
“Why is this “respect”? For whom?”
Bloody hell Daisy, you need to ask?? I’m surprised, honestly.
Whatever. You need to ban me? Well, okay. It’s your sandbox.
I personally can’t imagine doing such a thing, and I’m always shocked when others do, if someone is not cussing or talking filth I mean (I’ve delete obscene comments)…but I have been reasonable and fairly polite. But I understand that Freedom of Speech and non-censorship is NOT a British idea… that’s why us loudmouthed IRISH PEOPLE had to move over here.
So the British would get off our backs and let us say whatever we want. Ah, America, America.
BTW, if you come to my blog, will not delete or ban you, if you would like to talk further. I don’t play that namby pamby shit.
Meat is Murder, see you around.
And therefore Stormy is 160….
well, that’s kind of the problem with trying to out-”cred” one’s fellow feminist bloggers. it goes from the sublime to the ridiculous pretty quickly.
As I made clear Daisy, it’s not a matter of banning you so much as you’ve taken up a lot of the thread asking irrelevant stuff. Which is ok, but it makes it very lengthy for others to read.
I still don’t get your point arrogant worm? Which kind of proves No 8 I’m afraid….
And Anti princess, I am not trying to ‘out cred’ anyone. My arguments stand on their own, and the only person I have had on this blog so far who has actually addressed any of them in any meaningful way is Nick…..
Oh, I don’t know Daisy I am Celt/Norwegian and I rather like it here in the UK.
La Glitch, please read my tagline. Does what it says on the Tin…..
“it makes it very lengthy for others to read”
oh but it was so funny in places - the riduculous assumptions together with the cred-trumping display made me laugh out loud (in that ‘Friday night’ kind of way).
Criminy, Polly, it’s kind of creepy to see the antifeminist troll brigade show up here, demanding your bona fides, and screaming to be fed.
I don’t get around the interwebs much, but oddly enough, the same trolls show up from time to time on every radfem site I read. I can’t think what they hope to gain from it, beyond a reputation as just another troll brigade.
Let me break it down for you. Again. When you think a group of people by a defining characteristic cannot reason (in this case, ‘trans’, since that’s what the list was written about) they therefore cannot prove whatever they say about themselves and their experiences, then you’ve talked your way into giving yourself a get out of jail free card so you can say whatever you bloody please about the people in a group you don’t like. Now, I can do one of two things. I could stay, but I’m disinclined to try and reason with you at what seems to be this blog’s insistance at staying on a third grade comprehension level. Or, I could leave, and watch the lot of the believers in this list dig their intellectual and compassionate graves from afar. At the moment, I prefer the latter.
Oh arrogant one,
If you can comprehend the difference between a MRA and a man, I think you may have the capacity to comprehend the difference between a transactivist and a trans. Failing that, you are just another troll.
Well you could argue with a point other than point 8 arrogantworm, if you dislike point 8 so much. I mean there are 18 others to choose from. Meanwhile you’re just proving point 8. Which is getting kinda boring.
Is the arrogant one a bloke, by any chance?
heh.
I don’t see you saying ‘no’ to the barest description of point eight. Didn’t think you would. but I did want to make sure. So, trans people who rally for rights are equivelant to trolls, whereas the ‘good’ little trans people sit down and shut up, and, all important, listen to ~you~. …uh huh. On that note, trans is not a noun.
Oh and now Daisy’s gone (I kind of miss her and she did grow on me, but she was time consuming) can I quickly address the ‘lavender menace’. It is widely accepted that currently there is a growing movement to pressurise (and I use the word advisedly) young butch lesbians into ‘transitioning’. This is currently more prevalent in the US, (yes I know I’ve never been, but one of my bezzies who is US born just came back from 6 months there and witnessed it first hand). But it’s reaching Britain believe me. Which seems to me to be eradicating lesbians by stealth, turning them into heterosexuals. And there’s always Iran of course.
All you have to do arrogant worm:
Point
Counterpoint
Please note point 8 is a privilege. One can discard a privilege if one chooses to do so.
OMFG.
I have to leave for a bit, and lunatics have taken over the asylum.
And still on about the panty-checks.
Somehow it has been established that I am 170 years old.
It’s all been constructive then.
And since you said you were going at no 76 arrogantwotsit, why are you still commenting at no 80?
There’s a reason I focused on #8. It’s because #8 lets you dismiss every comment I may make under “He’s trans and doesn’t agree with me, and ohmygawd, he doesn’t let me step on him. Those trans activist, they think they need ~rights~. But their reasoning is unsound because they’re activists, instead of quiet little trans people who stay underfoot, in their place”.
160 stormy do keep up, not only that you’re a giant blood drinking lizard….
ah yes polly. i thought i recognised that line. i used to sing welcome to the cheap seats to myself in an angry ironic fashion back when i was sixteen. could even play it on the guitar once. anyway……. i believe you encouraged criticism of the checklist way back. my points get pithier as i go through, but it’s getting late and i’m tired. still, here goes.
Trans Activist privilege checklist
1. As a trans activist I have the privilege of knowing what everybody is thinking and am entitled to speak for everybody everywhere, if I think it might lend my cause some credibility. Even if they actively don’t want me to.
some trans-activists, maybe, although ‘trans-activist’ could be replaced with anything here, including ‘radical feminist’. please see my previous point.
2. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to tell people who have been told from birth by society that they are ‘female’ or ‘women’ that they are actually neither of these things, and that to be a woman, you must self define as one.
i could re-write this as such ‘2. as a radical feminist i have the privilege of being able to tell people who have lived as ‘female’ or ‘women’ that they are actually neither of these things, and that to be a woman, you must be born with a rigid set of physical attributes and experience certain life events’.
3. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to tell people who they can have in their private spaces and invite myself into them if I want.
i hate to ask this, but do you agree with Mens Clubs as well?
.4. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to make up words to describe other people and apply them, even if the other people don’t want me to.
as a trans-person i have to deal with people making words up to describe me all the time. it sucks, it really does; i feel your pain. however, there is one word that i know trans-people use to describe other people, and that is purely used to differentiate trans-people from non-trans-people. how is this a privilege exactly? one word?.
5. As a trans activist I have the privilege of responding to any argument I don’t actually have an answer to with “I’m not even going to answer you, you don’t know what it’s like being me”. However if those assigned female at birth tell me I do not understand their experience, or know what it is like to be them I will get very upset and say they are being ‘cis-sexual’ and “creating a hierarchy of gender” by implying that we are in any way different.
oh, lot’s of people do the throwing a strop thing in arguments. it’s not a ‘trans-activist’ thing. it’s a ‘i am twelve’ thing. secondly, you’re right, you are different from trans-people, but i’m sure that one day people will reach a peaceful consensus that the difference isn’t the important thing, but rather the similarities in causes.
6. As a trans activist I have the privilege of holding dichotomous views. Such as criticising biological essentialism, but then claiming that I am a REAL woman because you know there is just something about me (usually in my brain sex) that is essentially female. And not being able to spot the contradiction.
you haven’t hung around enough of the trans-people i’ve hung around. most people i know start grinding their teeth when they hear the term ‘REAL woman’. maybe i just have a good hang-out crowd.
7. As a trans activist I have the privilege of endlessly carping if anyone else holds a slightly contradictory view.
oh, please, go read everything you yourself have written on your very own journal. pot / kettle?
8. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being a stranger to logical reasoned argument, or the idea of a non sequitur.
again, this is a human flaw and one i’ve actually spotted in activists of many different stripes, not just trans-activists. again, some may want to suggest that trans-activist could, again, be interchangeable with radical feminist. although, i think, the better target of such a statement would be ‘fundamentalist’.
9. As a trans activist I have the privilege of claiming that possession of a certain body part is a privilege, rather than an accident of birth.
oooooh. ouch. although, no, it isn’t posession of a *certain* body part. not really. it’s the possession of an experience where you don’t feel enough dysphoria to actually seriously consider, and then need to carry out, changing that body part. however, if you want to consider how your body was after birth an ‘accident’ then be my guest. while i don’t recommend it, from personal experience, you should be allowed to commune with your own sense of self however you see fit.
10. As a trans activist I have the privilege of crying ‘transphobia’ whenever somebody says something I don’t like, whether it is actually transphobic or not.
shockingly close to suggesting a person of colour crys racism everytime they are challeneged, or also extremely similar to making an assertion that radical feminists invoke the patriachy everytime they get in a debate that makes them feel uncomfortable.
11. As a trans activist I have the privilege of reifying patriarchal gender binaries by holding essentialist views, whilst simultaneously claiming to be opposed to gender binaries
you’ve utterly lost me on this one. who does this? can i have blog pages? whoever does needs a slice of clue-cake, i admit.
12. As a trans activist I have the privilege of ignoring the very real discrimination experience by ‘cis-gendered’ women, because to acknowledge it would inconveniently destroy my theories of ‘cis-gender privilege’
no, trans-activists don’t ignore it, or at least a good one wouldn’t. privilege is, though, a real complicated mixed bag of stuff and while you can face discrimination due to be female and, at the same time, experience some of the surface discrimination that trans-people face you do still hold ‘cis-gendered privilege’. sorry. although, i can happily say it doesn’t make you any less oppressed than trans-people in the slightest! it just means the relative manners in which we experience privilege and the lack thereof is different! although transwomen do experience discrimination just like non-transwomen do. and that’s if they’re lucky…………
13. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to hold some outrageusly essentialist views about what ‘women’ are like and ‘femininity’ and ‘masculinity’ and get away with it.
oh, come on! if any individual does this it isn’t through privilege, it’s through not being fully wised up yet. i recommened beating them sharply around the head and neck with marilyn french until they learn. shit and string beans, val.
14. As an assigned male at birth trans activist I have the privilege of expecting to be treated differently from others assigned male at birth in accessing women only spaces.
who was carping on about essentialism earlier? let me see…….. oh yes! the previous comment! well, let me tell you a secret: a lot can happen inbetween birth and growing up big and strong. you see, some of us turn out to be extremely normal women! you never know, there could be one of these normal women who is assigned male at birth sitting right next to you on the bus tomorrow! you probably wouldn’t even know! they are different from other people who were assigned male at birth by being, um, women, rather than men. that’s kinda the difference. not that they want to go to your party either. i hear the cherryade sucks.
oh yes, some of us don’t dribble as much and have also moved onto solid foods.
15. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to tell everyone how ‘woman’ is defined. Even if many women don’t agree with me.
you must really start hanging out with some better trans-activists you know. where are you meeting these folk?
16. As a trans activist I have the right to dismiss very real violence against born females, and their feelings about this, as unimportant, if it gets in the way of me achieving my own goals of invading their spaces.
see response to question 15.
17. As a trans activist I have the privilege of being able to support homophobic practises.
wtf? are you smoking crack?
18. As a trans activist I have the right to say that’s all about me, me, me and nobody else matters.
this sounds like the rant of the attention starved.
in closing, i don’t see any of these as ‘privileges’. what you seem to have described is the absolute worst behaviour that may possibly be encountered. however, in doing so you’ve produced something that reads suspiciously like a griping list. you’re picking all the worst stereotypes and dragging them through the mud because you have difficulties with certain politics, all the while failing to grasp that such behaviours are universal amongst all classes and factions, including your own. it’s called human flaws. furthermore, i cannot but help to feel that you’ve missed the actual point of a privilege checklist, which is a way for the less privileged to challenge and open the eyes of those more privileged who may be in danger of actively oppressing the lists writers. they usually work by illuminating the things that people take for granted, trivial everyday stuff, and getting them to think about that. not as a checklist suggesting the target audience are insufferable pricks. you’ll not win over any hearts or minds with that approach. finally, one cannot readily take this seriously, although it does make fantastic satire of you read it that way, considering the recent ding-dong over the ‘cisgendered privilege checklist’. if anything, this reads as a continual backlash against that and, in from that, only goes to prove that documents entire point.
cheers
And you also said you were going at no 76. But feel free to discard your privilege and take up rationality do….
Point
Counterpoint
Geddit???
160 stormy do keep up, not only that you’re a giant blood drinking lizard….
The lizard thang was a given. I think we lizards count our years differently, hence, I got the conversion wrong. All that counting on my widdle lizard toes, tis difficult you know.
La Glitch is a bloke too, right?
Witchy, here’s a holiday snap from my last holiday.
I’m so pwetty.
http://www.narima-lanta.com/Assets/Activities/LRG/MonitorLizard.jpg
hah! Perfect…
La Glitch
point 1 - see the post on trans and intersex - trans activists speaking for other people.
Point 2- you’re not actually addressing what I’ve said, just substituting a different wording. So I’ll take it that you agree (some) Trans activists do do this.
Point 3 - so you agree that trans activists do want to invade FAB spaces then? If men want to have men only clubs why not? I think it’s perfectly valid for men to want to be in a male only environment - what if they’re gay? Or straight just want to have the support of other men. For a lot of people a same sex environment is more comfortable. That’s why the sex discrimination act in the UK allows you to say you want a same sex carer, for example, or to discriminate on grounds of sex for other reasons, where it’s an essential requirement of the job.
Point 4 - the only word I know of used to define trans people is trans. Which trans people choose to use themselves, but it seems to stem from our old mate Harry Benjamin in the 50s/60s. FABs did not choose the word ‘cis gendered’ which was made up in the 1990s. See Witchy’s post for more.
Point 5 - see the previous post and the first comment. Also in different contexts I have had other trans activists do the same thing.
Point 6 - I suggest you see the many explanations of ‘brain sex’ for instance at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transsexual . And if you’re not bothered about being regarded as a real woman you won’t mind not coming into the FAB space then will you? Because that’s what all the fuss is about. And note I am talking about trans ACTIVISTS. Not TRANS PEOPLE……
Point 7. I am arguing with you in a reasoned manner, addressing you point by point. As distinct from carping.
Point 8. I didn’t say anyone else didn’t do it. But please see the first comment on Trans and intersex again for elucidation. Or indeed most comments on this post.
Point 9. I am very short sighted, and have to spend a small fortune on glasses and contact lenses. However I do not go around complaining that those with 20/20 vision are ’sight privileged’. Maybe I should. And my body looks pretty bleeding accidental believe me.
Point 10. I refer you to the posts below, (particularly FAB) and to Marti Abernathey’s ‘comment’. We are told that we can not have FAB spaces, inter alia, because that means we are ‘transphobic’. Rather than, like every other person in the entire world we have the right to define our own private space. And the fact that we do not wish to exclude transwomen because we are prejudiced against them, but for the valid reason that they lack commonality of experience, and we also wish to exclude biological males, and this is the only practical way of doing this. I don’t say something is patriarchal unless it is. Would you like to give me an example from this blog where I have actually done that?
Point 11. http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2008/03/trans_101 ” Woman-born-woman: A cis* woman. This term may or may not imply that the person identifying as ‘WBW’ holds certain biocentrist essentialist views.” As versus Heleng’s belief (see first post, questioning gender) that there must be such a thing as gender because she knows she is a woman. Which seems fairly essentialist to me.
Point 12. Please see the criticism on Maia’s blog touchinglynaive.wordpress.com (you will have to cut and paste the link, as I don’t have Maia’s permission to link) of WBW spaces. Despite the fact that many women explain that they need such spaces as safe space. Despite the fact that this is the reason, apparently, FABs cannot have such spaces because they are examples of ‘cisgender privilege’. See also the post below.
Point 13. See the following post on the F word, about a government endorsed document drafted by trans activists. Full of essentialist ideas.
http://www.thefword.org.uk/features/2007/12/how_not_to_writ
Point 14 Please see ‘my space or yours’. If we should let (biologically male) transwomen into women only spaces, (such as michfest) why not let other non sexist males in. And also please see Rich’s post at Maia’s.
Point 15 See the link in the main post to the indymedia article about reclaim the night. The bio male activist who uses male pronouns, does not wish to have any physical gender reassignment (I met him around in activist circles) who nevertheless identifies as a ‘woman’ and thinks he has the right to crash a woman only march.
Point 16 Please see the reply to point 12
Point 17 Please see post no 81 from me, Oh and stellewriters remarks on ‘my space or yours’.
Point 18 Or people who think that they have the right to invade other people’s spaces even if they don’t want them to, speak for other people if it lends credibility to their cause even if they don’t want them to etc, etc, etc.
And finally yes it’s a piss take. That’s what the tagline to the blog says it does. And if we’re talking about checklists please remember the original one by Peggy McIntosh who is never credited on the others - the male privilege checklist. Of course trans people experience some very real discrimination in their lives. And most of the ones I know have suffered great pain. I will never forget seeing a trans woman I know, hang her head in despair and say “I know I’m a freak”. It’s shit, to say the least to live with that every day of your life.
But the problem is that some trans activists seem to think that because trans people experience suffering that means ‘cis’ women don’t . As George Bernard Shaw put it ‘the man who has toothache thinks every one who does not have toothache is happy’. Not true. And then we get into the privilege pissing contest, AKA the oppression olympics. Or the likes of Marti Abernathey, who completely misread a joke that was not about her because she WANTED to feel offended and persecuted.
And some trans women think that to validate their ‘womanhood’ they are entitled to invade FAB women’s safe spaces. Well they’re not. See my arguments below but even better see this brilliant, brillliant post that has to be the definitive one on the whole sorry mess….. (thanks for linking to this Amy, and to me)
http://amananta.wordpress.com/2006/05/15/radical-feminism-and-the-transgendered/
Cheers for the reasoned argument anyway (see it can be done). But now I need SLEEEEPPP
I just put myself into spam because I wasn’t signed in!!!
Oh and size of a cow - look at the blog title….
But polly, you may shatter that widely held belief that radical feminists are humourless! Oh noes!!
Shit. Polly just blew our humourless-radfem creds right out of the water. That and the fact that we actually know what we’re talking about…
Oh noes cue…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af-ezch1L4c
I felt it was more of a lemur moment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkqqMPPg2VI
(I liked the Dr Evol Chipmonk)
mwah!
Comment 100.
I just had to do it. It was staring at me, tempting me.
Yeah, but mine is a *compilation*
Ner…
Yup sparks is 101…!!!11elventy!!11
Hibernation time.
We lizards do that occasionally.
Youse two have just fuckin’ oppressed me - you know that, don’t you.
I’m going off in a pissy hormonal sulk now and I shan’t speak to either of you ever, ever again so ner.
You’re so oppressive! I hate you!
I wanted to be eleventy.
Bah!
LMAO!
11, 12, & 13 covers about every argument that I have ever read.
This is a response to Polly’s most recent post, and the list.
1 - Since when are trans people of any kind speaking for other people (like intersex people)? Sure, some have an awareness of intersex issues and refer to them (I do), but I don’t pretend to speak for them. This strikes me as a distraction and an evasion. A sort of tu quoque as it were.
2 - This doesn’t even make sense. Where has anyone said you’re not born female? Witchy Woo claimed that the cis- words implied that, but the torture required to coax that meaning from cisgender or cissexual is pretty epic.
3 - If, as a trans person or activist, I had the privilege of telling you that you have to accept me in all of your private spaces, I wouldn’t need to point out how excluding trans women from women-only spaces is discrimination - you’d just let us in because I, or Marti, or Zoe Brain, or Dyssonance, or Autumn Sandeen - just to name a few - said so. It is discrimination, and it’s not a privilege to experience discrimination or be dismissed when that discrimination is pointed out.
4 -