When Safe Spaces Aren't So Safe
Transgender Body Positivity and Its Exclusionary Impact on Transsexuals
In a world increasingly consumed by debates on identity, it seems that even the marginalised groups are often torn apart by internal conflicts. And for good reason: the nuances matter, especially when they are about something as critical as one's own existence.
There's a perilous conflation undermining these critical nuances within the contemporary dialogues surrounding transgenderism and transsexualism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the sphere of Pride events and social media discourse, where shirts bearing slogans such as "a girl without a dick is like an angel without wings" and "a boy without a pussy is like an angel without wings" are paraded as empowering. But what gets buried in this form of body-positive advocacy is the distinctive and often painful experience of transsexuals.
Transsexualism is not a Buffet of Options
Transsexualism is not a buffet of lifestyle choices, each as valid as the next. It is a specific condition rooted in an acute, often debilitating discomfort with one's natal sex. Transsexuals don't transition as an act of empowerment or rebellion against societal norms. Ours is one of necessity, propelled by a visceral, primal need for alignment between our bodies and our cerebral self-perception. It's about finding relief from a pain that is so insidious, it can permeate every aspect of our lives.
Contrary to some beliefs within the ‘trans community’, transsexuals are not conforming to arbitrary norms of transitioning or acting out 'self-hatred'; we experience an innate need for alignment with our target sexes. If you're fundamentally content with your natal genitalia, you negate the essence of being transsexual. So, when shirts at Pride events advocate for body positivity in a manner directly contradictory to the struggles of many transsexuals, and in a way that characterises post-operative transsexuals as fallen angels, it’s a slap in the face. This article, this website, this advocacy, is not about communal self-cannibalisation, but rather the absolute necessity to distinguish the experience of transsexuals from the vast expanse of other subgroup identities that now fall under the umbrella term of 'transgender'.
Body Positivity or Insensitivity?
The rhetoric of body positivity, while perhaps empowering for gendernonconforming people, transvestites, and transgenderists, has an exclusionary impact on transsexuals. When those under the broader 'trans' umbrella unabashedly celebrate their natal bodies, it serves as a painful reminder for 'some transgender people' of what they’re trying so hard to change.
The Nuance of Discomfort
In response to these critiques, many within the 'trans umbrella' dismiss them immediately and argue to transsexuals that 'our' 'gender' doesn't have to be defined by discomfort. However, this misses the point entirely. Transsexuals aren't 'defined' by discomfort; they are compelled by it. It's easy to pontificate about 'gender' when you have never been crippled and driven by transsexualism. It’s a luxury that I and many others don’t have.
Erasure in the Name of 'Inclusivity'
There's an irony in the swift dismissal of these nuances in a time when discussions around identity are supposed to be inclusive. The deliberate broadening of definitions doesn't generate unity but fosters misunderstanding and erasure. Transsexuals and other groups falling under the 'trans umbrella' are not cut from the same cloth. Each group bears unique challenges and concerns, and lumping everyone together only serves to sideline the experiences and needs of those who can least afford it.
Empathy: A Forgotten Virtue?
It's disheartening to observe the readiness with which people are willing to erase the experiences of transsexuals, who find medical transition to be an absolute necessity. If you've never known the torment of a crippling, all-encompassing sex dysphoria, consider yourself fortunate. But that privilege should not extend to denying others the right to express that reality. To truly be an advocate for all, including transsexuals, is to extend the very consideration and understanding to transsexuals that you ask for yourself. It's not just about slogans on a t-shirt, it’s about the experiences that those slogans can inadvertently negate or erase. It’s about the people who are driven away from the 'trans community' by them.
Inclusion doesn’t mean lumping everyone under a single label; it means acknowledging and honouring the unique challenges each group faces. For transsexuals, that means recognising our unique medical and psychological needs and allowing us the space to articulate our distinct experiences and struggles. The real question is, can we reach a point where that level of nuance is not just accepted, but celebrated? I hope so. But until then, we will continue to insist on the distinction: Transsexual, not 'transgender'.
Tired Transsexual is the pen name of a male-to-female transsexual who lives in the U.K. Her Twitter account is @tiredtransmed
I hope this gains more traction so that the cis understand when I clarify lol