is the medical profession culpable
I’m starting to think so. Originally it was just a few trailblazing ‘sexologists’ and some spectacularly narcissistic surgeons, taking the ‘playing god’ trope to the max, experimenting on (mostly vulnerable) non-comforming people. 70 years on and something very niche and previously, largely private, has exploded, causing all kinds of unintended damage, both to the GNC people themselves, and to the wider cultures (with women and girls on the sharp end of the stick, as always, because: patriarchy).
I also hate the word ally. In war, an ally on one battleground is an enemy on another. Friend is much more appropriate. Sometimes friends fall out because their self-interests don’t line up - they reconcile by listening to each other’s viewpoints and if mutual agreement can not be reached, they at least try to understand each other’s viewpoints.
I did laugh (albeit it hollowly) at Hamster having their own experiences talked over by woker-than-woke trans-ally types, preferring to parrot the ‘born in the wrong body’ myth, rather than actually hear a first hand description of living with gender dysphoria - not at your expense though, H, just at the stupidity of the situation.
Anyway, trans people (‘truscum’ or otherwise) are not obliged to be allies to women, just as women are not obliged to be allies to transpeople. In an ideal world everyone has a proportional seat at the decision making table, but women haven’t yet achieved 50% political representation, so expecting one of our seats (via all women shortlists, for example) is entitled-bollocks. Pull up your own chairs (and bring extra gin).
As a wider, philosophical point, yes, I think simply being a trans identified male undermines the goals of feminism (freedom from the sex based stereotypes that uphold male supremacy) just as being a choosy-choice-empowered-pole-dancer does. Neither are good for women as a class.
However, I recognise that power structure that is convincing the current generation of young western women that posting selfies in your pants on instagram is empowering and injecting poison in your face is being the best version of yourself has also done a number on many male born trans identifying people.
That doesn’t mean we are fighting on the same side, but it does mean we potentially have a common enemy.
That said, we all need the oppressive fog to clear enough that proper evidence based research into the causes of gender dysphoria can resume. I refuse to believe that the reasons for teenage autistic female people to identify as ‘trans’ are the same reasons that cause middle aged, married, fathers to ‘come out’.
Not all transpeople are friends to women (look at the transwidows threads!) but transactivism insists on lumping everyone together. Thus, sticking up for a female friend who is struggling through an acrimonious divorce = transphobic. Calling Jacinta Books a Male sex offender = transphobic. Saying you want young trans-questioning women to be treated cautiously and not immediately sent down a pathway that leads to sterility = transphobic.
Seems to me that resisting the patriarchy = transphobic.
Anyway, the easy litmus test for adult male born transpeople is to ask them what sex segregated services they use. Sticking to the mens or avoiding segregated spaces in favour of mixed sex spaces is a pretty good indicator that they respect the rights of women and girls.
I admire Miranda Yardley’s work on this, convincing trans people it’s the morally right thing to do, one person at a time (the lovely Fionne being a great example).
The Stonewall umbrella is a massive problem and it’s fucking over the most vulnerable LGBT people. It makes me really fucking sad.