killjoy who goes yippee

"I have harmed no one; I will harm no one. I cannot be a woman."

source: The San Bernardino County Sun. San Bernardino, California. Tuesday, June 1st, 1920

article continued under the cut

we need gynecological care. we experience higher rates of medical discrimination that effect access to gynecological care. our ability to get abortions is effected by this, as is it effected by abortion being made illegal. some medical providers deny birth control to trans people on testosterone hrt. forced pregnancy is commonly used to detransition us.

neither trans nor cis women face this in the way that we do.

“there is no real oppression trans men face that trans women do not.” 

period stigma. the financial burden of menstrual products. female class genital mutilation. female class infanticide. stunted development encouragement as children due to sexist bias. in some countries we cannot leave without the permission of a cis man due to being classed as female. 

“the treatment of transfeminized people by society is inherently different. inherently worse. not just socially or interpersonally but systemically.” 

socially: trans men have higher rates of sexual violence, one in two trans men have been sexually assaulted. we also have higher rates of domestic violence, and intimate partner violence. we have higher suicide attempt rates. as well as being more likely to be in severe psychological distress and depressed. while less likely to be generally happy and thriving. we are more likely to be harassed or discriminated against in restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and bathrooms. and have higher avoidance rates of public bathrooms. 

systemically: we are less represented in political office. we are more likely to have negative experiences with law enforcement. we overall are found to make less money. we are more likely to be harassed when we present incongruent identity documents. testosterone is a controlled schedule III substance that can result in criminal charges without a prescription. it is more common for us to be denied insurance coverage of hrt. due to our higher rates of medical discrimination we are also much more likely to avoid receiving necessary medical treatment due to fear of harassment and discrimination. we have higher rates of being in poor health. and avoiding healthcare due to cost. and are also more likely to be harassed or discriminated against by government agencies. as well as have negative experiences with airport security.

we also have comparable violent victimization rates with trans women. and trans boys are just as likely to be homeless.

Case in point, I've never been to a woman's only space that wasn't obviously hostile to me, and that's when I was even allowed there in the first place. And I understand why - my voice is very low and I make no attempt at voice training, I dress in a gender neutral way, hormones have done very little for me. Unless I am making a special effort to be feminine I clock as a guy. I am also tall and broad. The only way I can gain any kind of acceptance in "woman's spaces" is if I go to extreme effort to completely warp my presentation and step on egg shells the entire time. If im not actively ashamed and apologetic about the fact I read as a man I am not welcome.

Because, again, the reality of woman's spaces is that they are about the comfort of those who organize them.

I'm also very aware that it's not just non passing trans women who get the short end of the stick here. There is a long history of racism connected to these kinds of spaces that absolutely has not been resolved, for example.

The other half of the woman's spaces discourse is about resources, and is just so detached from reality it is kind of pathetic. The idea that a trans man coming into a woman's only space is somehow stealing resources from women is pervasive as it is stupid. The reality is that very few resources of any kind are expended in cases like this, and far more important is the single most important resource in marginalized politics, solidarity and coalition strength. Any "loss" of resources that occurs when lines are blurred is more than made up for by the social and political power that depends on different marginalized people regularly interacting with each other.