I thought I was transphobic

I think an "unreasonable aversion to trans people" just about covers where I sit with what I find transphobic and what I don't.

Saying males can't change sex is not transphobic to me.

Neither is refusing to use preferred pronouns.

Refusing to employ someone or rent a house to them solely on the basis they are transgender would fall into the "unreasonable aversion" category so that is transphobic to me.

That all seems reasonable. Interesting though that the two people who have called me ‘transphobic’ to my face both had a broader definition of transphobia than yours, and I don’t think they were unusual among trans people and their allies.

They're demonstrating their hostility to women simply by forcing themselves in our places.

This thread should be retitled "Transhobic and proud"

They're demonstrating their hostility to women simply by forcing themselves in our places.

This thread should be retitled "Transhobic and proud"

I mean, experts both self-appointed and authoritative have been telling me for years that I am.
I misgender as a matter of course - the transgression could be called right-sexing, but it's the same thing.
I don't believe humans can change sex, either literally or 'in effect'.
I've been a gender abolitionist since someone first told me girls couldn't do something that boys were allowed. Gender's a system of social oppression.
I don't believe anyone has an innate sense of their gender, because gender isn't a natural quality.
I never use gender as a synonym for sex.
I don't believe anyone can be transgender, because anyone can pick whichever bits of either gender they want to adopt at any time.
I find it ridiculous that some people think their thoughts about their own gender can determine their sex.
I find beliefs in 'brain sex' absurd in many ways. The brain certainly does not determine a person's sex.
Sex means reproductive category, in humans and most other life forms.
There are fundamental physical differences between the two sexes, which is a function of sexual dimorphism. These cannot be changed.
No woman has a penis and, if you think they do, I've got a diamond mine to sell you.
... etcetera.

I've accepted many labels imposed on me by others over the years, including but not limited to Humourless Feminist, Slag, Bimbo, One Of Those Career Women, Bitch, Old Bag. While the intention of the slurs was not lost on me, I wouldn't dispute the underlying truth of the epithets. So it was with Transphobe.

Anyway, I've just decided to look up a reliable definition of transphobia. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I figured the European Institute For Gender Equality might be trustworthy. It defines transphobia as:
Irrational fear of gender non-conformity or gender transgression, such as a fear of, or aversion to, masculine women, feminine men, cross-dressers, transgenderists, transsexuals, and others who do not fit into existing gender stereotypes about their birth gender.

Surprised to find I am NOT transphobic, I noted that the definition stems from 2016. Well, words change their meanings very fast these days, depending on who's defining them. I double-checked with United Nations Human Rights. Their definition:
Any form of prejudice or hostile attitude towards transgender people, including denying their gender identity or refusing to acknowledge it. Transphobia may be targeted at people who are or who are perceived to be trans, and may manifest as exclusion, stigma, harassment, criminalization, pathologization, discrimination and/or violence.

I meet the first part of their definition. However, the UN's Declaration of Human Rights says:
Article 18 - Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom ... to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19 - Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

So I have the right to manifest my thoughts & conscience, freely expressing my ideas. Anyone trying to suppress my beliefs would be violating my inalienable rights. Confusingly, this seems to negate the preceding definition.

The second part of the UN's definition is a bit woolly. I was particularly interested in "Transphobia ... may manifest as exclusion." I'm committed to the exclusion of male people from female spaces & activities as needed. This might be covered by Article 27-1: Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community. Women are sometimes unable to participate in mixed-sex activities of various kinds; don't know if this would technically apply here? Disabled people can, for instance, exclude the fully-able from their activities to ensure their own participation. And let's not forget associations like Old Etonians, which are automatically exclusive by virtue of their purpose.

I'm not especially looking for replies (and have to bugger off the internet for a while) but would be quite interested in further thoughts!
Yours,
Garlic The Transphobe (Arguably) 😎

Is it possible not to be transphobic? If you acknowledge that a TW is male, I'm pretty sure that's considered transphobic, but to deny that he's male is to imply he's not trans, which is denying his existence, which is definitely transphobic.

It's a conundrum.

I mean, experts both self-appointed and authoritative have been telling me for years that I am.
I misgender as a matter of course - the transgression could be called right-sexing, but it's the same thing.
I don't believe humans can change sex, either literally or 'in effect'.
I've been a gender abolitionist since someone first told me girls couldn't do something that boys were allowed. Gender's a system of social oppression.
I don't believe anyone has an innate sense of their gender, because gender isn't a natural quality.
I never use gender as a synonym for sex.
I don't believe anyone can be transgender, because anyone can pick whichever bits of either gender they want to adopt at any time.
I find it ridiculous that some people think their thoughts about their own gender can determine their sex.
I find beliefs in 'brain sex' absurd in many ways. The brain certainly does not determine a person's sex.
Sex means reproductive category, in humans and most other life forms.
There are fundamental physical differences between the two sexes, which is a function of sexual dimorphism. These cannot be changed.
No woman has a penis and, if you think they do, I've got a diamond mine to sell you.
... etcetera.

I've accepted many labels imposed on me by others over the years, including but not limited to Humourless Feminist, Slag, Bimbo, One Of Those Career Women, Bitch, Old Bag. While the intention of the slurs was not lost on me, I wouldn't dispute the underlying truth of the epithets. So it was with Transphobe.

Anyway, I've just decided to look up a reliable definition of transphobia. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I figured the European Institute For Gender Equality might be trustworthy. It defines transphobia as:
Irrational fear of gender non-conformity or gender transgression, such as a fear of, or aversion to, masculine women, feminine men, cross-dressers, transgenderists, transsexuals, and others who do not fit into existing gender stereotypes about their birth gender.

Surprised to find I am NOT transphobic, I noted that the definition stems from 2016. Well, words change their meanings very fast these days, depending on who's defining them. I double-checked with United Nations Human Rights. Their definition:
Any form of prejudice or hostile attitude towards transgender people, including denying their gender identity or refusing to acknowledge it. Transphobia may be targeted at people who are or who are perceived to be trans, and may manifest as exclusion, stigma, harassment, criminalization, pathologization, discrimination and/or violence.

I meet the first part of their definition. However, the UN's Declaration of Human Rights says:
Article 18 - Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom ... to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19 - Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

So I have the right to manifest my thoughts & conscience, freely expressing my ideas. Anyone trying to suppress my beliefs would be violating my inalienable rights. Confusingly, this seems to negate the preceding definition.

The second part of the UN's definition is a bit woolly. I was particularly interested in "Transphobia ... may manifest as exclusion." I'm committed to the exclusion of male people from female spaces & activities as needed. This might be covered by Article 27-1: Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community. Women are sometimes unable to participate in mixed-sex activities of various kinds; don't know if this would technically apply here? Disabled people can, for instance, exclude the fully-able from their activities to ensure their own participation. And let's not forget associations like Old Etonians, which are automatically exclusive by virtue of their purpose.

I'm not especially looking for replies (and have to bugger off the internet for a while) but would be quite interested in further thoughts!
Yours,
Garlic The Transphobe (Arguably) 😎