Is part of the problem the fact that most of us probably were raised in a reasonably “gender-neutral”, “enlightened” way, such that sex role stereotypes didn’t have too much impact on us? I certainly wasn’t aware of much pressure to look, behave or dress in a certain way growing up, and being not particularly attractive and a bit swotty I happily sailed through school and university more or less oblivious to pressure to be “feminine”... My early career in a conservative profession was reasonably sexism free and I felt respected (sexual assault and pregnancy etc obviously a different story- but that’s down to biology, not gender). It would never have occurred to me that sex role stereotypes were so fiercely policed that I would have had to “cross over” to the other “gender” to express myself. (disclaimer of course - boys wanting to do stereotypically girls’ things probably fared less well ). For background I was born mid-70s to middle class, educated parents with a mother in particular who was critical of limitations on women at the time... A background that many of our successful female politicians probably share - relevant? Other than the fact that many of them are not mothers (no judgment - just noting a fact, which means different experiences for them)
I think this is why I just don’t get “trans”. It’s so obvious to me that the sex role stereotypes are the issue, not the bodies. But are these stereotypes so pervasive in wider society that most folk cannot see past them and thus “understand” why someone would “need” to transition? Is T ideology not just capitulating to sex role ie gender stereotyping? If so, are we fighting a losing battle given that these are so firmly embedded ?