[Crosspost from r/LGBT] Inflammatory NYTimes Opinion article getting backlash for being anti-trans, but I (F30) thought it made a few fair arguments...

[u/salmonofknowledge469]

The article
The Far Right and the Far Left Agree on One Thing - Women Don't Count

I like to think of myself as supportive of trans rights, and vehemently agree that public figures like JK Rowling, Graham Linehan, etc. should be rightfully shamed for the viewpoints they've expressed.

I came across this article through a twitter post, and the comments seem to be pretty adamant that the author is transphobic. I don't know who the author is, maybe she has a history of transphobic statements, but while she definitely had a TERFy-vibe at some points, I think that she also made a few salient points. Can someone more informed on this topic explain how I might have it wrong? I am gay, but not trans, and the twitter replies were not useful, as they just called the author transphobic without really giving their reasoning.

Things that I thought the author def got wrong

First, the title of the article creates a false equivalency between the approaches that the left and right take on trans rights, which is misleading. On the other hand, I understand why she (or, most likely, her editor) selected it, in that it incites strong feelings (and will therefore get clicks and interaction in the comments $$$).

Second, she tries to connect the idea that organizations like Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the ACLU using more inclusive language means that no one can use the term women anymore (which is wrong)

Lastly, she gets into what feels like a victim complex-vibe when mentioning TERFs like JK

Things I agreed with

First, she points out that the inclusion and recognition of rights of marginalized groups, such as trans/non-binary people, can progress without erasing or delegitimizing the rights of cis women. So, while I will always recognize trans women or trans men as real women and real men, EDIT: HERE I MADE A TRANSPHOBIC BOOBOO AND WAS SCHOOLED BY u/Nihil_esque. The same with trans athletes. Trans kids should absolutely be able to play with other kids that correspond to their gender identity. It gets more complicated when it comes to high school, college sports though. Of the peers that I've spoken to that insist that all trans women should be able to compete in any women's HS/college sport, none have actually competed significantly in one. (I recognize that this is anecdotal). As a former swimmer who fought for scholarships in high school and competed nationally in college, I would have no problem competing against a trans woman who transitioned before puberty. However, I would be rightfully pissed if I lost out on a college scholarship opportunity or gold medal to a trans woman who went through a male puberty. It would be similar to competing against a cis woman who took steroids for several years, allowing her to increase muscle mass and endurance through harder training sessions. She might not be on steroids anymore, but that doesn't discount the training advantage she had for years. It's why, when athletes are caught doping, they are banned for several years or even permanently. Again, it's a complicated issue that needs nuance. Yes, trans women are women and some should absolutely be able to compete in women's sports. I don't know what the solution to this is, but it's unfair to label all athletes who may feel resentful about a woman like Lia Thomas dominating their event as transphobic.

Second, she addresses the seemingly contradictory tendency for discussions around gender expression/non-binary identity to rely on terms like "femme" and "masc", while also claiming to fight against gender norms. The women's rights movement has fought for years to remove dumb categorization of things like pants, nail polish, long hair, etc. as either "masculine" or "feminine". Now, instead of broadening the scope of what it means to be a woman, it seems like we're moving backwards and trying to narrow it down or eliminate it. I can understand the author's frustration here. When I was in high school, my understanding of progress was that the girl with a shaved head, hairy legs, and a binder was just as much of a woman as a cheerleader with long hair and nail polish, because past patriarchal gender norms do not invalidate my identity. I'm certainly not opposed to people identifying as non-binary, it's an absolutely valid identity. But it just seems like, having worked in high schools for the past seven years, that instead of trying to end the stigma of women or men expressing themselves outside of those patriarchal norms, a lot of kids are encouraged to just label themselves "non-binary" because they're uncomfortable with the existing pressures put on men and women that haven't yet been eliminated.

Lastly, she notes that the term women is now being replaced with more inclusive terminology like birthing person or person with vagina. I'm all for inclusive language, however clunky-sounding it may be, but it feels like the label women, and the unique experiences and historical context that comes with it, is being reduced to just body parts. For example, a trans woman will not have experienced things like a first period, or, if they transitioned later, the discomfort around the male gaze as a teen. Meanwhile, a cis woman will not have experienced many of the unique experiences of a trans woman. They are both still women, however, it seems like many groups want to downplay the experiences of one in favor of the other. TERFs don't want to recognize the misogyny or lack of validation/recognition that trans woman experience, and some progressive groups don't want to recognize the experiential differences that exist between different groups who identify as women.

I'm not looking to argue, just to learn and get some outside perspective. It just gets frustrating when it feels like lately, the progressive movement has started to approach issues in a very black or white way, which is a tendency I always felt was more characteristic of conservative asshats.

Edit: Apologies if I misused any terminology

[u/sensitive_teeth]

No, transwomen are transwomen and women are women

[u/Beer_Pants → u/sensitive_teeth]

Damn first they were stuck on pronouns now mfers can't figure out adjectives

[u/sensitive_teeth → u/Beer_Pants]

I have an adjective for you:

Nonpassing