Transwoman calls pronouns 'oppressive'

[ArabellaScott]

Here's a blog post from a transwoman who finds pronoun declarations unhelpful, and asks people to not participate.This is from a couple of years back, but thought it might be useful as we've had a few pronoun threads recently.

'Kay Brown is an eminent transsexual activist who transitioned as a teenager over four decades ago exploring the science of transsexuality and transgender experience.'

From the blog:

'Can we please just let transfolk be folk? Can we please stop this shallow virtue signaling that makes non-transfolk feel that they are cool and welcoming while in truth, they are telling us that we are “the other”? Don’t expect us to participate by wearing label stickers. Don’t expect us to participate by putting / announcing pronouns on our social media pages. And don’t post your own, it doesn’t help us, it hurts us. It calls attention to transfolk as “the other”. Get to know us as human beings instead.'

sillyolme.wordpress.com/page/4/

Yes, how true. A label on a member of staff in a shop for example, could make one actually stare at the person to confirm the labelling instead of just getting on with what’s in hand half.

Just skim read. Last words "Please do NOT put your own “pronouns” on your social media nor your email signature. It does NOT help us. It “others” us."

Not sure that is true. What "others" trans women from other women is that trans women are trans women and women are women.

The TRA argument seems to be "we all need to state our pronouns because it stating pronouns helps trans people force the world to deny reality". This man's argument seems to be that "we all need to keep silent about our pronouns because stating pronouns hinders trans people's attempts to force the world to deny reality"

The eternal 'othering' is always a good reminder Arabella.

Yes, Laetitia, good point!

I don't imagine gc women would agree with all of what is said on that blog, but I thought it was a useful perspective given discussions about how helpful pronouns are for trans people.

Basically, they seem to be helpful for people who want to signal how helpful they are, and nobody else.