hot take on why “transgender” does not and has never existed
transgender people and trans rights activists will talk about transgenderism as if it’s an intrinsic state of being. many of them will say that they showed signs of “being transgender” early on in life and that transitioning helped them reach a point where they felt more like their “authentic self” - but then they will go on to talk about why they chose to transition, and the reason is always that they needed to address an underlying issue. that underlying issue is the real state of being which drives an individual to seek refuge in transgender identity.
transgenderism isn’t intrinsic in any sense - it’s a response: usually to the issue of gender dysphoria. there is no question that gender dysphoria exists as a concrete experience which many people live through every single day. it’s endemic to our flawed society. it’s undoubtedly, unquestionably present as a state of being - but transitioning is simply a reaction to it. it’s what society has told people is the answer to their state of being, rather than its own authentic feature in an individual’s identity. furthermore, transitioning is an action that very few, if any, people would have arrived at on their own merit or without any external influence. if societal influence was removed, if transgenderism wasn’t presented as an option for gender dysphoric individuals - it would cease to exist as we know it and all that would be left is the underlying dysphoria, the true state of being that has propelled trans ideology since its inception. conversely, if gender dysphoria had never been discussed as a concept, it would absolutely still exist intrinsically (i personally can attest to feeling gender dysphoria before hearing of the term, so there)
of course, it’s not just gender dysphoria that makes people decide to transition - there are many states of being that can contribute to a person believing they are transgender. however, individual reasons for transitioning often have very little in common with one another and can sometimes even contradict directly with each other. this compounds the idea that “transgender” actually doesn’t exist at all and is merely marketed as a solution to many different states of being, rather than existing as an intrinsic or immutable facet of humanity by its own merit. so, while i don’t believe transgenderism exists, i do believe the following.
gender nonconformity exists.
discomfort with the patriarchy in both sexes exists.
people with personalities that differ markedly from the majority of others in their sex class exist.
euphoria, relief, sexual pleasure or gratification from being seen as the “opposite” sex exists.
the desire to gain access to female-only spaces exists.
the desire to escape from male-only spaces exists.
the desire to escape from misogyny exists.
restrictive gender roles exist.
the desire to be regarded as unique exists.
internalised homophobia, and the resulting desire to become the “opposite” sex in an attempt to reclaim heterosexuality, exists.
homophobic parents who would be more accepting of a trans kid exist.
the desire to fit in with a friend group who have all decided to transition exists.
the desire to become a part of a community who endlessly validate each other exists.
sexual trauma, and a woman’s consequent urge to alter her genitals as a way of minimising vulnerability, exists.
men with difficult lives and nobody to turn to displaying a desire to revoke their male privilege, so that their individual/interpersonal problems are taken more seriously under the guise of oppression, exist.
womens’ misappropriation of sex-based oppression, and the belief that they can identify out of it, exists.
none of these things make somebody transgender, but they do all drive people to transition. this is because transgenderism is touted as a cure-all to every single one of these incredibly complex and differentiated states of being, many of which contradict one another to the extent that they cannot all coexist in the same community. transgender identity is therefore quite simply just not a thing. not a single person on earth is intrinsically trans. trans doesn’t exist, has never existed, and never will exist.
