A small compilation of posts from the latest trans twitter discourse. I haven't bothered to screenshot all of the most viral tweets, but also I think it's important to include a lot of the smart ass replies to really help you simulate just how many people are going under black posts and asking "well, what even is racism really?" And if you'd like to know, one of the largest black trans women on twitter was harassed off of the site. No she did not do anything in particular, just posted an image of a sign she didn't make herself that claimed white trans people oppress black trans people (referring to I believe the silencing of a black trans woman who was slated to speak at the protest but was kicked off last minute. @/septembersister, If that's accurate.)
If you are seeing this version of the post, here is the entire thread
Pro-tip: you will, at some point in your life, come across some queer or trans person who is awful / negative about your identity/demographic. That is wrong, and it sucks, and you have every right to argue with that person.
You have to remember, though, that this does not give you the right to generalize or lash out at everyone who shares that person’s identity. This is a situation where doing that is literally stooping to their level and becoming as bad as they are. You will be carelessly risking harm to completely innocent, unrelated marginalized people, just like whoever you’re taking issue with is harming you.
TMA / TME is just a binary of Trans Fem and Not-Trans-Fem.
It's another fucking gender binary.
I have never once seen it used in a productive or helpful way.
Every time I see it it's to put Trans Fem people on a pedestal as the most oppressed and frail creatures who can never be wrong. It's really heavy with people who are into gender essentialism.
Plus it lumps all non fem trans people in with Cisgender men and women????? Including trans men who still present fem and gender queer people who are directly affected by transmisogyny??????
I stated this previously on my Twitter, but Twitter is extremely limiting, so let me get it all off my chest over here, this is going to be a very long post so I will place a cut where things start to get lengthy.
I want to state I will be very blunt here, there will be mentions of some topics I know are touchy for some (sexual, physical, verbal assault &/or harrasment; transphobia; misogyny; etc.) & I will never censor the words used to describe these topics, I believe these things deserve to be called what they are.
Me personally, I don't understand & find it extremely odd when people get mad over trans headcanons in communities— specifically transmasc/male headcanons. They express it as "redundant" or "annoying" how almost every man in certain communities is headcanoned as trans, which I find almost baffling if you consider a list of things in terms of the perception of trans men:
Trans men "fly under the radar" in the sense that their experiences hold little to no spotlight. You don't see them on big headlines, you don't see them much in media— hell, even in queer media. A good example from back in the day is the way old cartoons & movies would use crossdressing & trap jokes for gags, trans women being the butt of the joke—since society tellingly views feminity as something to be mocked because it's seen as inferior— but the joke never went both ways due to masculinity being rewarded & tolerated especially in those times. You might think, well Louis, what does that have to do with anything? It has to do with the fact that despite feminity being actively mocked, it's treated as a treasure— as contradictory as it is. Trans men are subject to being told they "have lost their value" because they are no longer the women society wanted them to be. There is a perceived "loss" upon a man transitioning because he no longer fits the picture perfect mold of a sexually feasible woman. This is one reason trans men & butch women (especially lesbians) go hand in hand, I would like to add. This adds to how they are ignored, they're discarded because their 'role as women' is unfulfilled, thus rendering them inept & that ends in ignorance. Men's respect on women has had a long history of being based entirely on their sexual value, which is based on their feminity, & because of the fact that trans men & butch women are more masculine it inclines men to lose respect for them as people, therefore invalidating their identities.
There are people who still don't even know what a trans man even is. People often believe the terms trans man & woman are inherently one in the same because of how the experiences of trans men go muted.
To add to the previous statement on perceived loss, I can't forget about TERFs (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists, for those who don't know) in this. Because it's not just an exhaustive amount of cis men who drag the experiences of trans men because they feel their own masculinity threatened— it's also an exhaustive list of cis women because they feel their own feminity is threatened. TERFs enforce the idea that trans men are essentially ruining their lives by simply being trans men, they treat their masculinity as a silencer to the feminine qualities they've done everything to defend. There is also the strange minority of TERFs who believe trans men erase lesbians, just like how they believe trans women erase lesbians & are a mockery of feminity.
It's extremely ironic that self proclaimed feminists think this way, because ultimately it rebounds into diminishing women to the traditional qualities they've been subject to for since forever, reducing them to their bodies/appearances rather than the essence of their character & the meaning in their actions. See "Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing our Daughters" (auct. Abigail Shrier), this book claims that the march of queer politics is truly a 'large scale robbery' towards women's achievement. Stating that the more barriers a women passes through— the more gender nonconforming she is deemed, & that by definition, & I quote, "In this perverse schema, by definition, the more amazing a woman is, the less she counts as a woman."
Just reread that for a moment. At first it could sound like feminine empowerment but it's not, with scripts like this you've really got to put two & two together & really read between the lines, this text is quite literally saying the following: succes & gender nonconformity dennounce womanhood, that somehow women who succed are less than women. The logic is plainly that achievement & women are completely incompatible, pray tell how is that empowerment?
These feminists are ultimately empowering misogyny & entitled men who view the cis male gender as superior to all by erasing the diversity amongst women.
Another argument of Shrier & many others before & after her, is that being a trans men is result of misguiding from older teenagers. One of the most ignored demographics of trans men/mascs, are trans youth, their experiences are relayed as simply feeling bold & daring in a period of their life where they feel the polar opposite. They treat the youth finding the freedom to express themselves as some form of plague, an argument primarily targetted towards trans men, because again, these are "growing women", if they identify differently at such a young age, how will they grow into the mold of the perfectly apt woman? People believe the youth are too naïve & underdeveloped to know what they are. This idea is especially targetted at young girls, implying that they are incapable of making their own decisions (something you see reinforced as they grow, often under the guize of them "choosing for themselves" when they're really not). This is an erroneous way of thinking, yes children are incredibly naïve, that's no lie, but they aren't stupid, & as they develop they can & will begin to discover themselves, the confusion is born when people constantly deny their experiences & invalidate how they feel. Children obviously can't make EVERY decision on their own, but we are worth listening to, we will make our pain heard.
Every law ever placed to ensure trans women don't "infiltrate women's bathrooms" forgets one little loophole: trans men. Because people quite literally forget or don't know trans men exist, these laws focus solely on trans women & this leaves a loophole expertly stated by Dawn Butler in an interview with Tory politician Simon Clarke: What if men snuck into women's bathrooms under the guize of being trans men? People often forget that predatory men can & will find any means possible to get their hands on what they deem prey, even if it's at the expense of an entire marginalized community. There is nothing stopping a cis man from simply saying "oh I'm a trans man" when entering a woman's bathroom, & in the end this will only generate skepticism that is highly likely to lead to violence, violence that while it may catch a predator or two, will also catch a lot of actual trans men simply needing to use the restroom in places where they can't execute basic bodily functions in a man's bathroom simply because of what their biological makeup said at birth.
This ignorance towards a massive demographic of the trans community is severely negative. There was a trans man, Luca Strobel, in South Carolina detained & slurred for using the woman's restroom. He was going to pick up a friend at the Sand Dollar Social Club in Folly Beach, South Carolina. He intended to go to the men's restroom but there were only urinals, so he resorted to the woman's restroom as the next best option after consulting a female staff member. The only two people in the restroom were him & the person he came to pick up, Frady, but then a man who was presumably the bar owner barged into the restroom & peered over the stall where Strobel was as he was nude & began shouting that there was a man in the woman's restroom— & despite there being no laws against trans men using women's restrooms in public spaces, he was arrested. He was charged with public intoxication & disorderly conduct despite being sober & being a designated driver for his friend. Released on a $500 bond, but with a trespass notice that forbid him from the establishment. Cases like these are what cause the massive UTI issue in the trans community, as trans people avoid public restrooms entirely— trans men especially face this issue because well pre-T or 'non passing' trans men are immediately perceived as women, thus still rendering them possible victims to sexual assault &/or harassment, physical & verbal assault &/or harassment.
Trans men are often seen as things to be fixed. Because they're perceived as 'broken women', by people, especially by men who entitle themselves as capable of converting trans men back to women by forcing themselves onto trans men. This is yet another reason for the issues of gendered bathrooms.
Passing for trans men is incredibly difficult if they have no access to hormones or simply don't want to pursue any medical transitions for a wide list of personal reasons that could be possible. Shorter stature, higher pitch from a longer larynx, lower muscle mass, lower facial hair rate, etc. so they often aren't seen as men, or even adults; parting from here, men who do transition are often infantilized if they aren't very bulky, hairy, have an incredibly deep voice... Etc. When they have qualities deemed feminine they are infantilized due to feminity being viewed as inferior. Being socialized as female due to not passing can lead to them not knowing common male body language or how aserting themselves amongst other men works, which both can be learned with time, but it's incredibly difficult when you're not perceived as 'one of them'. Though I would also like to state the big gap between trans men & women when it comes to HRT— for trans men the act of transitioning is much easier, as HRT's effects are very perceivable & provide incredibly telling differences, but for ladies who's male puberty already happened it's much harder & recquires much more in depth gender affirming care (ex. surgeries); this causes trans women to be particularily singled out when it comes to the trans community. It's unfair but it's true. Granted, I am a firm believer that this should change & trans women should have much more access to their care.
In sports, trans women are viewed as giving themselves an unfair advantage above cis women, whereas trans men are viewed as giving themselves a disadvantage, & deemed unnecessary to address unless they comply with HRT— which again isn't always accesible. Due to them being viewed as women in sports if they aren't on T, there are very little stories/controversies surrounding them. But even on hormones it's not enough to satisfy other's views on who should & shouldn't be in men's sports.
The only story with any significance of a trans men in sports (that I can remember), is that of Mack Beggs. He competed against woman according to the law & people thought of him as a trans woman— relying solely on the common notion that trans women are a threat taking part in women's sports just to have an easy win. This was in 2017, transphobia was much more acceptable & headlines often referred to Beggs as 'transgender wrestler' & the oblivious public assumed this meant trans woman, but Beggs is a trans men on T, with informed consent from a physician & likely his parents. Texas policy stated he could only compete with girls. He defeated Chelsea Sánchez in the 110lb Texas Championship, then again in the state finals, but upon arrival to the championships many opponents forfeited with claims of disadvantage. Despite simply following state law he was ridiculed as a cheat. The public made it very apparent he was not welcome in girl's wrestling, but he'd stated in several interviews he'd much rather be wrestling other boys, but of course that was not his choice. Media traction would have never come if either A. He wasn't on T, or B. He had just wrestled with other boys. All of the ridicule & quitting could have been swerved if he was just seen as a man.
There is a widely anti-men sentiment harbored by the queer community, born from constant harm hurled at us by cis men, it's usually moreso a harmless joke when people jab & say "I hate men" or blame men for all their inconveniences, taking a laugh at how men have caused several damages amongst queer people or really anyone who isn't a cis man (ironically, even then they cause harm). But sometimes it becomes so frequent, with added expectations that trans men remove themselves, it starts to sound like "you're not a man" or in some cases "it's a shame that you're a man". Yes, trans men indubitably understand the impact of toxic masculinity, most all of us have grown basking in it, & the wide majority of us don't want others to feel the way we have or still do around cis men. This division often causes a lack of motivation to pursue ones masculine identity, I speak from my own experience, I have held very stark opinions on cis men myself but I know masculinity ≠ evil, & oftentimes when people who are not trans men casually say things on the lines of "ugh it's always men, they don't understand us" it feels like a quiet "you're not a man, right?". The fact of the matter is masculinity isn't evil, it's moreso an individual quality if you are malicious, & sure the jokes are funny— some people drag it out or take it too seriously & it could & has ostracized trans men from bothering to pursue the masculinity they want. The problem isn't masculinity itself, it's the collective view on it that immediately singles it out as loud, abusive, harmful, predatory, stupid, egotistical, etc., all of these things are subsequently internalized by cis & trans men alike, you start to believe that's what you are, what you're expected to be. To separate trans men from cis men ultimately severs the ties that connect them.
On the flip side of the previous, feminine trans men have it practically worse. Every gender, unfortunately, is subject to having a sort of 'tradition', with trans men it often comes as always pursuing masculinity. But not all trans men are masculine, just like how not all cis men are masculine. Trans femboys, trans male dragqueens & have you, are all put under scrutiny because of the classic "isn't that just being a girl with extra steps?", it's an exhausting phrase to hear. It's annoyingly misogynistic the way people reduce being a woman to some frilly or pretty flair, being a woman is so much more than makeup & fancy nails & whatnot, it's all about personal experience, & trans men simply aren't women, even if they present in a "womanly" manner.
There's also the constant debate on the validity of the sexuality of a trans men, simply because of the genitalia he has, or perhaps how he presents. People question the heterosexual aspect of a trans man's relationship with a cis woman, people question the heteronormativity of a trans man's relationship with a trans woman, people question the homosexuality of a trans man dating a cis man, & the gay identity of a trans man with a trans man; don't even get me started on how complicated it gets when it comes to nonbinary people or intersex people, or when a trans man is under the bisexual umbrella. It's incredibly unfair how people find the entitlement to stick their nose in people's relationships, simply because there is a person or two (or more) with a certain set of genitalia. One could argue "it's called same-sex attraction for a reason", but let me tell you this, the term is widely considered outdated for a reason. Besides, labels are labels, they're not for YOU to infringe on, it is a person's personal choice, & in terms of relationships it's the partners involved's choice on how they'll label their relationship, or how they WON'T label it at all.
Other than that, there is an incredibly large list of reasons of why transgender men are ignored & disregarded, & what happens when a group of people is ignored & disregarded? The media reflects it. That's why you will rarely ever find representation of trans men, or well written representations of trans men. Oftentimes trans male characters are written as pitiful people constantly wallowing in self suffering because of their gender & whilst dysphoria is a big issue for us, our lives aren't only misery. When we discover ourselves it isn't just devastation, it's comfort. When we live being ourselves it's not just dysphoria, there is euphoria too. In other cases trans men are purely written for fetishist purposes, & while there's nothing wrong with sexually preferring trans men, there's nothing wrong in erotica regarding trans men, etc., there comes a point where people's only intention for a trans male character is objectification because of their anatomy, because it's 'exotic' to primarily the male gaze (a good example being the trope of small, frail effeminate trans man & the big macho cis man).
People need to understand despite the previous things I said, there are many trans people, ESPECIALLY trans youth, that place headcanons on characters they love because they see themselves in them or simply crave for their experiences to be validated, to be seen, so they simply DIY it, nobody should harass anybody for that because a trans headcanon isn't even harmful (unless the original creator of the character explicitly stated against it, but this shouldn't be confused with the creator saying to not FORCE headcanons onto their story, two different things).
At the end of the day, headcanons are headcanons & if an identity, a little pretty colored flag, is the birthplace of your plight you really need to just get off of the Internet for awhile & just look outside, meet people. That will always be my final stance when people target a demographic of people— LOOK OUTSIDE & JUST MEET PEOPLE! These identities are real & very present in people, & they deserve to be represented. Trans men's voices deserve to be heard.
This is a nothing burger issue, truly, there is still a wide demographic of people who don't headcanon these characters as trans, & you can just make your own media of characters NOT as trans. Seriously.
Credits to @diwrecktorr's video on the subject of the invisibility of trans men (YouTube), the cases, interviews, etc. cited come primarily from having watched this a couple times in the past. I definitely recommend it, it opened my eyes to many issues in my community & others surrounding it during my still ongoing journey of being a trans guy. It also helped me be able to articulate some of my thoughts correctly, but for the most part I tried my best to not use the exact same words, since, I still have my own opinions I want to share. I really hope this longass post can reach the people who need to hear it, & that it gives some hope to fellow trans people of all kinds that there are people vouching for them out there.
If you think I missed anything important, my comment section is as wide as a freshly rented book! Please don't be afraid to state your opinions, but please be civil, I will delete your comment, block & flag you if you start harassing anyone or me.
A shoutout also goes to masc presenting &/or AMAB nonbinary people, butch women, nonbinary transmascs, intersex transmen/transmascs, nonbinary pronoun/neopronoun using trans men, masc presenting/transmasc people of xenogenders, & many more who I may have missed.
identifying as a man doesn’t inherently give you privilege. presenting as one does.
identity is complex, multi-faceted, and unique to each person, and (most of) society doesn’t see it whatsoever. the only thing that (most of) society sees is whether you look more like a man or woman, and how feminine or masculine you are between those two aforementioned identities. if you’re a transgender man who hasn’t taken steps towards transitioning and doesn’t pass (valid), you likely don’t experience male privilege because you aren’t seen as a man.
if you do pass and you aren’t out to anyone, you do experience male privilege. if you pass and people do know you’re trans, you still experience male privilege, though perhaps not to the same extent.
presenting as masculine or feminine within the society-assigned identities of man or woman doesn’t affect whether or not you have privilege, though it does affect how you’re treated. someone seen as a feminine man still experiences male privilege, and someone seen as a masculine privilege does not.
and of course society bulldozing over our identities sucks. of course being constantly put in boxes like this is terrible. our feelings about it don’t mean that we pretend it isn’t something that happens, though. identity, in the end, matters less to the world than one’s public perception.
also! this is all talking about societal issues. oppression and privilege in the law are different issues, of course.
i think i may have missed some points; feel free to add on if there’s something relevant and important i skipped.
decided to follow someone i was moots with on my old account. Almost nothing but trans discourse with transmisandrist undertones never unfollowed so fast in my life
Hii gen question what does “Tme/Tma” mean (from your intro post)? i googled it but didn’t find an actual answer
Howdy! So "TME" stands for transmisogyny exempt and "TMA" stands for transmisogyny affected. It's a framework that attempts to categorize people based on whether they experience transmisogyny—and on the surface that sounds reasonable, but in practice it's a really harmful binary that I want nothing to do with, which is why people who use it are in my DNI.
Here's the thing: TME/TMA flattens a genuinely complex spectrum of gender-based oppression into two neat boxes, and those boxes almost always end up functioning as a way to sort people into "trans women" and "not trans women" without just saying that. It erases nonbinary people, transfeminine people who don't identify as trans women, and intersex people who don't fit cleanly into either category. It also gets weaponized constantly—used to gatekeep spaces, police identity, and tell people whether they're "allowed" to have certain experiences or opinions based on a label someone else decided applies to them.
Beyond that, the framework has a history of being used to punch down within queer and trans communities rather than to build solidarity. It creates a hierarchy of who is most oppressed and then uses that hierarchy to dismiss or exclude people, which is not liberation politics—that's just repackaging the same lateral hostility with academic-sounding language.
If the goal is to center trans women and transfeminine people in conversations about transmisogyny, you can just... do that, without sorting everyone else into a permanent category that follows them around. Language should help us build community, not bureaucratize it.
“Many of us already know that Black trans women constitute the target of racist violence more consistently than any other community. We are talking about the state violence, individual violence, stranger violence, and intimate violence. And so, if we want to develop an intersectional perspective, the trans community is showing us the way. We need to point to cases like Tony McDade. But we need to go beyond that and recognize that we support the trans community specifically because their community has taught us to challenge that which is totally accepted as normal.
I don’t think we’d be where we are today, encouraging even larger numbers of people to think within an evolutionist training, had the trans community [not] taught us that it is possible to effectively challenge that which is considered the very foundation of our sense of normalcy. So, if it is possible to challenge the gender binary, that we can certainly effectively resist prisons, and jails, and police.”
On Angela Davis, Challenging the Gender Binary and Processes of Negotiation
