Cheatsheet for debunking anti-trans arguments
I just wanted to make this for people to use if they are ever arguing against a transphobe. If I miss anything in this list make sure to let me know and I will add it.
The first things I will say is my qualifications so you know this comes from a good source. I am a trans woman, know multiple trans people, and have done some pretty in depth research on trans people. Also, I am currently in college for biology and have always had biology come easy to me. With that out of the way let's get started:
1. XX = female and XY = male
-Swyer Syndrome is when someone with XY chromosomes develops with female genitalia
-XX male syndrome is when someone with XX chromosomes develops male genitalia
2. Sex is Binary
-Intersex people exist who can have a variety of genitalia and a whole slew of different sex chromosomes such as X, XXY, XXX, etc.
-If sex was truly binary then every single male would have a beard, muscles, chest hair, etc. and every female would have, no facial hair, same sized breasts, long hair, etc.
3. Being trans is a mental illness
-The main mental illness that is associated with being trans is depression but this is primarily due to gender dysphoria and not being accepted, in fact a study in Canada showed that having parental support lowered suicide attempts by 93%.
4. It’s unnatural
-There is a whole lot of animals, particularly fishes, and amphibians/reptiles that change their sex during their life, in fact some oysters change every season.
-The process of transitioning is much more natural compared to many other things as hormone therapy is just changing the levels at which the body produces each hormone (which it already normally produces testosterone and estrogen)
-The processes to change genitalia uses parts of the trans persons body so it is all natural material
-Some things that are unnatural are things like chemotherapy, any medicine, amputation, casts, and pretty much any medical procedure involves things that a transphobe should also consider unnatural.
5. A trans woman/man is not equal to a cis woman/man
-Vaginoplasty gives trans woman a fully functioning vagina/vulva, although currently unable to give trans woman uterus, but some cis women get born without uteruses anyway
-Phalloplasty gives trans men a functioning penis and testicles, usually using skin from other parts of the body, the only thing is they don't produce semen, but some cis men aren't able to either
-so pretty much if a transphobe says this doesn't count as equal then infertile people, or people born without certain genitalia don't count as their gender either.
6. It goes against religion
-I will just give sources for some of the major religions:
Christianity: https://www.hrc.org/resources/what-does-the-bible-say-about-transgender-people
Hinduism: https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-hinduism
Judaism: https://rac.org/blog/what-torah-teaches-us-about-gender-fluidity-and-transgender-justice
Islam: https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-islam
7. It’s a new thing
-There is a large amount of ancient religions that included some sort of intersex/non-binary/trans deity of some kind
-Elagabalus: born in 203 C.E. was assigned male at birth but was most likely trans as she was said to have wanted to be referred to by more feminine titles and also supposedly offered half of the roman empire to any surgeon who could give her female genitalia
-Kalonymus: born in 1218 wrote a poem called "On Becoming a Women" in which they write about how much more of a happier and fulfilling life if they had been born as a women
8. Trans women shouldn't be allowed in womens sports
-I'm focusing on Trans Women since I haven't really seen anyone complaining about trans men in men's sports (Probably because people think they don't have a biologically advantage)
-Trans women in general don't have any sort of advantage especially after starting to take hormones
-Saying trans women shouldn't be in sports would be the same as saying if someone who was tall got shorter for whatever reason, they should then not be allowed to play basketball because they have a biological advantage, even though that biological advantage isn't present anymore.
9. Trans people threaten cis spaces such as bathrooms
-This is just stupid because if someone (either woman or man) wanted to do something vile to someone else they will do it, it doesn't matter what gender something is marked.
-Also, we literally have unisex bathrooms that are running just fine, and most people don't care about them.
10. Trans people are pedophiles
-This is stupid are very few trans people pedophiles, yes, but by that logic that means that every priest is a pedophile, every white person is a pedophile, every straight person is pedophile. Like if you just start making generalizations then anyone can pretty much be anything.
