The reaction to the transmascvoicesproject is a case study in that you cannot play by the game of so called transfeminists, when it comes to having your trauma and assault acknowledged.
Iâll abbreviate the blog to TMVP, which was created specifically to address the sexual violence âTMEâ people experience from âTMAâ people, and itâs really no coincidence that when people speak of âTMEâ people, theyâre speaking of transmascs. The blog exists within the TMA/TME framework, yet the existence of the blog clashes with the ideology the blogger claims to support.
For those unfamiliar, TME means âtransmisogyny exemptâ, supposedly means âeveryone that isnât a trans womanâ, although really the only people itâs ever used for are female people. And TMA is âtransmisogyny affectedâ, so all TIMs.
The blogger describes themself as a TME trans neutral, so a nonbinary identified female person. For anyone reading this, I advise caution and distance since their age is not confirmed, they could be an adult, they could be underage, but regardless they are in an immensely vulnerable state. Iâve blocked them for their sake so they do not have to see this.
Theyâve recognized that the TIMs of the trans community often get away with sexual assault and that transmasc survivors are silenced, this is something theyâve had a personal experience with, and thereâs a clash between this experience and trying to maintain transgender unity and solidarity, since pointing this out, even when using TRA language. It is still drawing attention to sex based dynamics, which goes against âtransfeminismâ, as sex based oppression is not real in their theory, not only that, but it is outright dangerous. It does not matter how strongly TMVP hates âTERFsâ. As expected, people in their inbox try to bait them into agreeing with radical feminism, and they react harshly and strongly. Unfortunately for them, âTERFâ isnât actually a real category, so they donât need to be a radical feminist or believe in sex based oppression to be considered one.
Yes, even if they believe that trans women are systemically oppressed, and trans men have privilege, and TMA/TME is real and they abide by that framework strictly. Theyâre a female person who ventured a bit too close to voicing what looks like sex based oppression. Even if they claim they arenât and their argument is that transmascs arenât listened to because trans women are so marginalized, nobody believes transmascs, which is not acknowledging sex based oppression, and still appeals to âtransfeministâ theory, any further speculation upon this ruins the whole illusion. It is dangerous to TRA rhetoric.
Mousidy is particularly cruel about this
There is a lot more. Theyâve been sent gore. Their pinned post has nearly a hundred hate comments. Their entire blog is just filled of brimming seething hatred directed at them. They have practically no allies outside of a small handful of people, as other transmascs tear them down hard, and the TIMs do what they do best in this situation, death threats, suicide baits, guilt trips, manipulation. They see no allies from radical feminism and reject radfems firmly.
This is what happens when you acknowledge male violence to any extent within the trans community. You simply canât. While this individual may hold firm in their trans rights advocacy and to stay far away from radical feminism or gender critical theory, what canât be ignored is how unstable this position is. It is what leads trans men to peaking, what shatters our illusions, what are we supposed to do about the issues with male violence if we are not allowed to name it? Not allowed to see it? Not allowed to find and share support for it? What other choice are trans men left with even? There isnât any, you have to submit to the ideology completely or you are gone. You would be better dead. You are a TERF. You are killing trans women and girls and you must repent or die.
This is also how the trans community isolates female members. Two things work against us here. Anti feminist indoctrination, where radical feminists, are considered a branch of fascism. And also the fact that it is true radical feminism is not particularly for transmascs, TMVP was denied access to a crisis shelter, and most likely blame radfems for this. While radical feminism is not the fascist evil itâs portrayed as, the fact is transmascs are still overlooked, seen as a part of the opposing trans community, rather than fellow female people to be liberated. Tensions between the two groups only deepen as transmascs have and will harass radfems, bi and straight ones appropriating esbian culture, spitting on and insulting the solidarity radfems sometimes offer.
The constant conflict and general lack of desire to have female solidarity, having been told trans solidarity is of the upmost importance, transmascs remain relegated to the wider trans community. We are told âTERFsâ want to genocide us all, or genocide only trans women and weâre privileged men who need to understand that. TMVP is being thoroughly punished, slandered, dragged across all of transfem tumblr by mousidy and his followers, and is given hardly any support from other female trans people.
As female people we are to put the interest of males first and foremost, in this case, that is trans âwomenâ. They might be so merciful to us that we can talk about having been raped once before, even more if they allow someone to admit it was a trans woman who did it. From there youâre expected to clarify that you donât believe itâs all trans women, and youâre expected to be grateful they listened to you at all. What is not allowed, and will never be allowed, is pointing out the rate of violence, sexual violence, that trans âwomenâ commit against themselves and âTMEâ people. Whatâs also not allowed is bringing up how many âTMEâ victims are silenced.
You can talk about your assault, just donât say itâs a pattern, or a problem, or any indication of a large scale issue, any indication youâd like to see improvement on the problem, donât ask for actions to be taken to address this rape culture, and especially do not point to who is doing it. Only ever talk about your assault as it was done by someone who happened to be transfem.
When a female trans person observes another one breaking these rules, they will step in and correct them. âHey what happened to you was bad but speaking about it like this is very transmisogynistic.â The maleâs ideology and peace of mind must be protected, even if it means policing the way someone talks about their sexual assault. Being âtransmisogynisticâ is a greater sin than committing an act of sexual violence. Deny any of this you face expulsion and hatred from the wider community of which you depend upon.
Female trans people are trapped, cut off from women who would advocate for them, unable to make any progress against their oppression within the community, unable to name and point to the oppressor, keeping themselves and each other in check, taught to care more about TIMs than ourselves and each other.
The end result is what you see above. Isolated, publicly humiliated, and disowned.
While I wish nothing more than for them to find acceptance and community, I advise heavily against trying to talk to TMVP. Do not bother them. If you are to send any sort of support, do not enforce radfeminism on them, do not scold them for being ignorant about it, do not mention it, and be anonymous.
