It seems you have an issue with an article with the headline, “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate”.
I’m not sure why you would have an issue with using a phrase that would include transgender men, nonbinary folks, and intersex folks who all might menstruate (among others). It seems as if people tried to voice their concerns with how you referred to the headline and - from what I could gather - you were not receptive to that criticism.
Now there is rhetoric here I would like to address that is concerning to me, as a trans person. First, the defense of your opinion based on the fact that you have, “spent much of the last three years reading books, blogs, and scientific papers by trans people.” That is amazing that you took the time to educate yourself on the issue but you are still a white-cisgender-woman with an estimated net worth of £700 million to your name (according to an Evening Standard Insider article published on May 7th, 2020). That comes with a fair amount of privilege. Perhaps if transgender people are telling you there is something problematic with your response, it would be respectful to take a step back and listen. (Which, I would like to note, your, “Self-described butch lesbian,” friend should consider doing as well. Unless I am making an incorrect assumption that she’s not trans in which case I apologize.)
However, the thing you’ve said which is most concerning so far is that those who use the phrase, “TERF,” are woman-haters. That hurts on a deep level because Trans-Exclusionary Radical “Feminists” (and I put quotation marks around feminist as true feminism is not exclusionary) are some of the most bigoted people I have ever interacted with. They constantly misgender trans folks and claim their identity is invalid because of their birth-sex. I have been harassed recently by a number of these people and it hurts more because they are prejudiced in the name of feminism. To see the author of one of my favorite series defend these kinds of people breaks my heart.
Which brings me to the main point of yours I would like to address:
This is rhetoric commonly used by Trans-Exclusionary Radical “Feminists” which I find concerning. Transgender people are aware that biological sex exists. However, we object to the idea that it is as important as the world has made it out to be. Gender is important, but gender is not exclusively related to sex. In most languages, the meanings for, “sex,” and, “gender,” are interchangeable which is where the issue comes from. “Homosexual,” is defined as, “(of a person) sexually attracted to people of one’s own sex.” And yet we have cisgender gay men and lesbians attracted to transgender men and women. They are still gay because they are still attracted to the same gender, giving us a prime example of how, “gender,” and, “sex,” can be interchangeable in society. Even when we take sex at its textbook definition - “either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most other living things are divided on the basis of their reproductive functions.” - then people would decide how to treat other people only after they have confirmed that anatomy for themselves. I make no attempts to speak for your individual experience but, in general, I believe a person’s life is shaped less by their reproductive functions and more by their assumed gender.
You say that you, “know and love trans people,” and that you, “respect every trans person’s right to live,” but when you defend Trans-Exclusionary Radical “Feminists” and won’t even take the time to listen to us when we say your words are hurtful you contradict yourself. I have no idea if you will see this and if you do I have no way of knowing if you will read it in full. But I hope you do and that once you have you take the time to consider your words and opinions carefully.
Sincerely,
A Transgender Hufflepuff
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