Cis ppl will be like "transitioning is far less effective than my solution of dismantling gender norms" and then not dismantle gender norms
Also additions from @peelerofpotatoes and @tvtimaeus that are good
I would still take estrogen on a desert island. If that doesn't describe you, then good for you!! But dismantling gender norms would still not alleviate bodily dysphoria for all.
Transitioning is itself a morally neutral act. It is your decision to make a statement with it, internally or externally. The statement I make with my transition has always been about bodily autonomy.
I'm sorry but this is another "status quo take that acts like it's the underdog". I mean yeah I guess we can't be CERTAIN certain of this, because we don't have a society-free control group of humans. But I've personally spent a decent amount of time in isolated wilderness and I've still had bodily dysphoria then. I've still had bodily dysphoria after years of trying to deconstruct the concept of what bodies go with what people.
My weird anecdote here is that I was raised in a prudish environment and learned about normal genital anatomy kinda late (around like 8ish yo). I don't remember much that far back, but I have some memory of bottom dysphoria before I ever knew that opposite sexed genitals existed. I knew something felt wrong about me having a penis before I knew what a vagina was, when I was a young kid.
Like yeah I guess you can't be 100% sure what a genderless society would do for bodily dysphoria. But as it stands it just reads as annoying and dismissive to claim this about anyone who does experience bodily dysphoria. And it's even more annoying to see this take pop up EVERY time someone mentions bodily dysphoria. It is genuinely kind of what I'm complaining about initially, or rather a prelude to the mentality I'm complaining about initially. This "controversial take" is the initial statement you have to accept before saying something like "we just need to deconstruct gender instead of letting people transition" when the reality of that statement is that the premise itself is flawed. And that flawed premise is what you're saying.
So I honestly could not disagree more.
And btw, if any of this doesn't match your experience, if you don't experience bodily dysphoria in the same way I do, then good for you. I'm not trying to misrepresent your experiences, I'm talking about mine.
