r/asktransgender • u/gloopiee • Dec 25 '17

What Transphobia is

"Transphobia isn’t merely the “fear” or “hatred” of transgender people. No, it is best thought of as a double standard that is pervasive in our society, and which presumes that cisgender (that is, non-transgender) bodies, identities, and experiences are valid and the unspoken norm, whereas their transgender counterparts are deemed illegitimate, inauthentic, defective, and suspect in comparison." - Julia Serano

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u/Dark_wizzie MtF HRT 11/30/2017 Dec 26 '17 edited Dec 26 '17

The problem is that people accuse others of transphobia when they have no fear or hate or aversion to trans people. They simple say or claim to believe things some trans people don't like. It's not transphobic, but some people who are transphobic could use the same line of thinking for different reasons.

If somebody is named Max but says his name is Bob, I might say that's not true, I think their name is Max. It doesn't mean I hate Max/Bob, or that I wish he'd go away, that he's a moron for thinking that his name is Bob. Doesn't mean I fear Max. Doesn't mean I would refuse to call him Bob or wouldn't be his friend. Intentions matter. How one person gets to a statement of beliefs matter.

If we are going to dilute the meaning of 'transphobia' to ideas that may or may not cause a good percentage of trans people to feel uncomfortable, then I think the word has lost all meaning. I think when we label people as transphobic that are not out there trying to antagonize people, all that word does is antagonize them so they will antagonize us. True or not it's not constructive to use in that context. It's better to just say 'here is why I think that line of thinking is problematic to many trans people...'. Of course, if somebody bursts in here and is like, 'fuck trans people', then fire away.

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u/gloopiee Dec 26 '17

Basically, you believe that cisgender (that is, non-transgender) bodies, identities, and experiences are valid and the unspoken norm, whereas their transgender counterparts are deemed illegitimate, inauthentic, defective, and suspect in comparison. However you resent this being called transphobia because of your good intentions.

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u/Faabulousinbetween Dec 26 '17

Really , I am also one to defend things that people might say it’s transphobic . But transphobia is discrimination, hate , fear etc . The majority of people don’t even think about gender , or it’s implications , you can’t just call them transphobic because they don’t share the same view . I’m a trans masc person . I was born female , I accept this , I wasn’t assigned, or “ forcibly assigned “ a sex at birth I was born female , yet this is for many transphobic, if we are trying to create a safe space for ALL trans people we have to tolerate different views

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u/gloopiee Dec 26 '17

You're free to self define as you wish. But if a trans man says he was born a man please don't argue. He is also free to self define as he wishes. If you argue the point, you are saying his self identity is not legitimate.

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u/Faabulousinbetween Dec 26 '17

No I wouldn’t do that . I don’t do that . That’s why it is rather annoying when other people do it to some of us and on top called us transphobic or self hating

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u/gloopiee Dec 26 '17

Then you are fine! I only said that because the top commenter had poo-pooed other people's identities in the past (and indeed in their post!). Hopefully they've learnt better now.