You see? That's the problem. I'm not a "cisgender" woman, I'm a woman.
I wholeheartedly agree with everything else you say. It must be hell for some. I've known a few Trans people during my life (there was a shop and online business called Transformation back in the early 1980s near where I lived), and I knew the guy who had started the business. He initially went through hell, newspapers all over the story.
But if any man tries to distort the meaning of "woman" then I'm up for a fight (not you by the way).
Indeed, and you know i wasnt changing the term "woman" to "cisgender woman" in order to apply it to all of "womanhood" :-) ....as
@Mr Kobayashi says below, i used the term to give context and differentiate between trans and non-trans. Its not about changing or distorting the term for
all women, its about giving context to those who are trans...i guess it better than saying "normal woman"
It's a prickly issue this, no doubt. Whilst I do think the Tories are sticking their oar in purely to score political points, I tend to side with the principle that this shouldn't be legally ratified. LGBT inclusivity should rightly be championed, and I think generally as a country we embrace this view. But letting someone change their gender with the flick of a pen? It seems a slippery slope that could descend to more uncomfortable changes. I mean, those advocating this are in effect changing the rules of science: that may seem hyperbolic, but these are biological truths from the dawn of time. You are either a man or a woman; that's a fundamental kids learn before they even look at numbers, nevermind learn to add and subtract. It's not something that should be messed with, in my opinion.
Now for me, this is pretty much the biggest misunderstanding of the whole issue. As i previously mentioned, my wife is a mental health practitioner in the NHS and has worked with quite a number of trans service users. We had a good chat about it last night, as i was still pondering the issue after my post.
There is a fear that there are people out there who wish to abuse this issue, and as you say, decide on a whim that today they are a man and tomorrow they are a woman etc. However, my understanding is that legislation is not looking to allow this, and for genuine trans people, this is not their experience either.
Those that my wife has worked with were given 6 years in order to "convince" the powers that be that they were legit in what they wanted to do.
She used an amusing analogy to explain a scenario:
"Imagine that you were born into a family with long, deep rooted support for Man Utd. All around you at home were images and talk of how great (normal) supporting Man Utd was. But deep down it didnt feel right, you couldnt connect in the way that your closest family did. You felt different to your brother, sister, mum, dad...aunts and uncles....friends too. For you, the only happiness you got was supporting and watching City. You'd watch and read about them in secret...adding to your isolation, sense of guilt and fear of judgment from your family and friends for daring to break the norm. Eventually, either your mental health deteriorates completely or you pluck up the courage to speak to someone about it. Initially you go to your GP or another professional who listens and empathises. After some counselling you feel empowered to "come out"...but the recommendation is that in order for it to become official you must live as a City supporter
and maintain good mental health for 6 years to prove its what you really want. So you go home, you speak to your Mum...she's upset and hurt, but she loves her child and will do what she can to support you....you speak to your Dad and he hits the roof, how could you do this to him after all he as done, you are a disgrace to the family...your Mum and Dad fight, you are distraught at what you have done to the family. Your siblings are confused...how could you support City? Why would you do that to yourself....now their friends are going to laugh at them, they dont want to be seen with you. Whenever you leave the house there are curtains twitching as you walk down the street. People staring at you in the street, talking about you online...wishing you harm.
Now you really are alone...and you believe you have caused all of this just because you wanted to feel normal.
For a trans person this is a very real and very difficult situation to be in...and incredibly complex. The conversations i see online are far too simplistic. There are marginalised people who need protecting, need help and need love and support. Its not about imposing pro-nouns, or redefining whether YOU are a man or a woman....its about helping those people go through what can be a LONG and difficult process and making sure it really is the right thing for them. The process could and should also help people realise that in fact, its not the solution to their problems....as well as helping those who genuinely need it.
In order to help those people there has to be changes to legislation...legislation that will likely never effect you, but will absolutely help them.
Because nobody refers to women as cis-women unless trans people are part of the conversation.
No one is telling her that she needs to call herself cisgender or cis woman or that passport rules need to reflect cis gender and trans.
Almost no one believes that, or goes around talking like that, referring to themselves as cis unless the context calls for that.
She hasn't been robbed of anything by people using a term originally created by medical professionals to differentiated from non-trans and trans.
This.
It’s language designed to make you buy into the debate and language that surrounds trans issues and nothing more.
We don’t get to tell trans what they call themselves apparently yet they can apply labels to us?
I’m a man. Mackenzie is a woman and anyone saying differently can fuck off.
Indeed,
you dont get to decide what trans people call themselves.....and they arent applying labels to you or deciding what you are called. Those terms are used to help with context within a given conversation.
What an incredibly long post for a Wednesday morning :-|
