I'm a trans man and local trans activist, AMA

[Sideris]

Hi there, folks.

As the title says, I'm here to respond to questions in good nature.

For a bit of background information, I'm 30 years old, a trans activist out of necessity (being the first 'out' trans person in numerous spaces, which didn't have any rules or regulations before, but have since been commended for ease of process by some new trans members or trans members who have been referred by me), have been 'passing' for about three years, now.

'men who need cervical tests?'

what is it that makes you a man op? you must be able to put it in words after all this time.

‘Dressing as a man’ - surely this just means dressing as society expects a man to dress - if I wore trousers and tops rather than sparkly dresses as a child, was I also dressing as a man? School uniform for girls was a shirt and tie - if you wore trousers with it, as some girls did, were they dressing as boys?

As someone who is onto the second round of treatment for early stage cervical cancer and put off screening because of previous sexual violence, these are things which did not happen because I have a cervix but because I am a woman with a female body, and I find the notion of being reduced to a cervix haver dehumanising. The nurse who eventually did my test talked to me about my concerns and talked me through it - me, the whole person, not just scraping my cervix; the gynaecologist and nurses who treated me thereafter talked to me about and during the process as a person with previous female-specific experiences and children not a cervix.

It is or should be okay to invite women and transmen to smear tests, no need to refer to us by our body parts. The reasons uptake for smear tests are so low is in part because of experiences we suffer from being female more broadly; that is what health services need to address.

The person who raped me did not see me as a human being worthy of respect, so please do not denote me from a human being to an organ. Women and transmen need smear tests, women and transmen seen as whole people with holistic needs, not just as body parts.

I think that's an extraordinary and terrifying change to make, just so a few people don't have their feelings hurt.

It's a check box. To opt in or out. It's hardly a terrifying change!

I agree with previous posters, this should not be available. What should (in my view) be available, is a form you can fill out with clear and concise instructions stating that you understand the risk of not having "biological sex based" checks, and wish to no longer have them

I don’t have a cervix. It’s standard practice for post hysterectomy females, who have had their cervix removed to be taken off the list on request. I don’t see why you think you helped on this matter.

Do you see any risks to women’s rights in saying that men have periods and can get pregnant too?

Do you see any risks to women’s health by referring to “people with a cervix” instead of “women and girls”

Do you believe you have changed sex and are now male?

Citation needed for transwomen historically entering women’s spaces for years, please.

And why don’t you care about any man entering women’s spaces, as that’s what self id allows?

It's a check box. To opt in or out. It's hardly a terrifying change!

The problem with check boxes is it requires the person to read and understand what they are "checking" and why the are checking it/what the consequences could be.

It may seem simple to tick a box but it does leave it wide open to be missed. In this case the consequences could be life threatening. It's not a tick box to say you dont want to be added to their promotional mailing list!

I am a woman not a cervix haver. I recive my smear reminders because I am a female of a certain age. Should I no longer have my cervix I will ignore the letters or inform my GP that I no longer require a smear. That way only I am affected and not the 1000 women registered at my GPs.

To be this is one of many reasons why legally changing some bodies sex is wrong and dangerous.

I do not believe women have cause for concern about a rare trans woman entering women’s spaces.

But it isn’t a rare trans woman. Men dressed as male with no grc or indication they are trans can and do enter female only spaces and can no longer be challenged as this is allowed by the businesses or service providers. Some enjoy seeing women frightened.

Are you ok with this?

I distinctly remember saying to my parents "I want to be a boy". I was a child and just thought boys had more fun and more adventures, I wasn't into girlie things. I worry that these days for children saying similar things.

Do your parents find you exhausting?

Apologies if you're already answered this but have you transitioned, in that you've had surgery?

Are you happier in your life now than you were (is life generally easier)?

ironically, while the op liked 'protecting girls' when little, the ops activism is now about dismantling women's protections/safeguards.

Please can you explain to me what ‘living as a woman’ meant to you and how you ‘broke out’? I really do not see how this means anything unless you have preconceptions about how a woman should live and how a man is able to live? (Although I do understand that society has these preconceptions)

What exactly is it do you think, that makes you identify as a trans man?
Playing male roles as a kid, wearing masculine clothes, wanting to protect girls - those are things many girls and women do.

I'm trying to find a local trans inclusive drag group

What do you mean by this? You didn't want to be a female, but you want to be able to dress up like one as a pisstake?

GPs in my immediate area no longer automatically sends pap smear requests to anyone listed as female and none to those listed male (I'd requested a simple check box to be added for those exempt on the female side, included on the male side), for example.

What process did you go through to get those "GPs in my immediate area" to enact such a major alteration to their standard procedure? Was it as a consequence of your personal transition that they decided to change the process for everyone in that immediate area? How long did it take for them to change it - Months? Years?

I do not believe women have cause for concern about a rare trans woman entering women's spaces.

But that’s not what I asked, is it?
Trying not to get frustrated, but it’s really hard when people are obtusely insisting that the feelings of a few trump the safety of many.

What do you say to the hundreds of accounts of women being assaulted, raped, or simply quietly excluded from public life due to having no sex segregated spaces?

Do you not believe them?

I don't understand why you can't protect women, dress in unisex or traditionally stereotypically masculin clothings and like men and still be a woman?

Why did it need you to change to this extent for things that are not actually inherently male anyway? You could have been and done all this as a woman?

with regards to sports, I accept the rules set by findings of medical professionalS

Even when those rules around eligibility based on lowered testosterone have been found to be inaccurate, based on highly flawed data, and result in substantial unfairness to women?

If they were made more restrictive, based on better data around the negligble impact of transitioning on a post puberty male physique, would you still support them?

Do you not feel that is a bit like religion, where you believe something so strongly even though factually there is no evidence other than belief?

I distinctly remember saying to my parents "I want to be a boy". I was a child and just thought boys had more fun and more adventures, I wasn't into girlie things.

Me too.

ironically, while the op liked 'protecting girls' when little, the ops activism is now about dismantling women's protections/safeguards.

Yep.

How do you manage the side effects of testosterone? Do they scare you?

Your vocabulary is very American. If you've lived in America, do you see trans issues as being different between the two countries? Is there a 'trans culture' which transcends nationality?

How do you get treated by bio (cis?) men, when you go into men only changing rooms or toilets?

Do straight, bi or gay men date you?

I think your views on males in female spaces is very uninformed. It’s anyone who identifies as female, not just trans women.

As a trans man entering male spaces do you always feel safe?

do you believe women cant or dont protect other women?
they all need a man to save them?

can you not see this way of thinking is extraordinarily regressive and damaging?

what are your thoughts on JK Rowling?