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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Dead naming and the perversion/erasure of women's history

130 replies

CaptSkippy · 05/01/2020 18:12

For those who are no familiar with the term, "dead naming" refers to the use an old (usually first) name trans-people used to have before they transitioned and took on a new name. It will surprise no one that trans-women get most upset about this an cry bigotry if an old name is used or even alluded to.

But recently I have begun to see the consequences of the widely accepted taboo on these names in full effect, although it should surprise no one that this was going to happen and I think in fact many feminists have been warning us for years (if not decades).

I like to watch videos online about feminist debates and feminists lectures. Some Youtube channels are devoted solely to that purpose. A particular interest of mine is the topic of women's history and how it has been largely left out of the history books.

However, sometimes I will see a speaker or panelist and get a strong impression I am looking at a trans-woman. This is usually brought on by a very distinct masculine mannerism or shape of face.
Sometimes my suspiscions are confirmed when a speaker had access to certain male institutions that were untill recent decades off-limits to women, but are now known as the first women in such an institution (such as Jenner). However, often times Google will tell me nothing, due to the taboo on the subject. If it's not about sports or other male only fields, I can't find anything at all.

I often wonder if I am just paranoid and seeing trans-women where there are none. What galls me is that I can't tell. I can't research it. I can't know who were the first women doing exactly what, due to our exclusion from history books and now I also can't tell sometimes, because we have to accept supposedly former men as "female" pioneers.

Am I unreasonable to be suspicious of certain feminist-minded speakers or I am letting my paranoia getting the better of me?

OP posts:
LightsInOtherPeoplesHouses · 07/01/2020 10:46

Hang on, going back to the Wachowski Sisters - how the hell do they get credit for the first women to direct a trilogy? They were men when they directed the Matrix Trilogy with all the male privilege that suggests and none of the difficulties or barriers that someone born a woman would have faced.

WTF.

I don't care what people call themselves or how they dress, and I'll use whatever pronouns you want. But if you achieved something when to all intents and purposes you were male you can't just retcon reality to say a woman did it.

Thelnebriati · 07/01/2020 15:59

Retrofitted I've been responding to questions and comments made by other people, as I'm sure you are aware and anyone who read the thread can see.

OP states that its now impossible to research some people. Official records are now falsified, it has far reaching implications and a negative impact on women.

Libfem37 · 10/01/2020 20:42

Surely, everyone has a right to privacy, including transpeople. It's not ok to out someone without their consent. You seem to have an obsessive desire to out people who are trans even though its none of your business. PS. having a masculine face doesn't preclude someone from feminism or womanhood.

CaptSkippy · 13/01/2020 23:22

Sorry, I haven't been back to this thread in a while. Amids the "how dare you say anything other than, 'Yo Go Girl!' to trans women", there are some interesting points.

Something else that baffles me is the speed of trans gender (particuluarly trans-women) acceptance. It's far from perfect and I know a lot of trans-people still get harassed, raped and killed. But in some professions, where I have encountered the most rabid homophobic, racist and mysoginist of men, trans-women are at leats spoken off with respect.

It's progress, I guess. I just wish it wasn't so selective.

OP posts:
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