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  • Monday, September 06, 2004

     

    Transgender and Feminist Politics

    I found this site on Questioning Transgender Politics very interesting. This seems to be an attempt to delineate the boundries between the feminist community and the sometimes fractious assertion of inclusion in it by transgendered persons. While the feminist community probably doesn't give a shit what I think of this analysis since I'm a man (singing: I say M, A, N, man child), I still agree with the fundamental basis of this site. I think it's a fundamental right of an oppressed group to define who is part of that group. Looking at it from that perspective, the *demands* of some trans people to be included in women's events becomes an awful kind of recapitulation of patriarchy imposing itself on feminist politics. The site is very clear that they "do not advocate against people who feel that they are transgendered" but still assert that the politics of the transgendered is not the politics of feminism. And, though this is a gross simplification, I don't believe a man who has had surgery and hormones is then a woman. But, then again, I don't subscribe to the boundries of our culture's gender roles either. Most people who meet me think I'm, ah, very effeminate (read: flaming queen.) I prefer the term "theatrical."

    I also liked the page on 12 Trans Myths and Feminist Responses, laying out the differences between Trans Arguments and the Feminist Response. If you like cogent feminist analysis, I think this is a great site. It's probably not too popular in some circles but I think it's a reasoned and careful approach.



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