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Transfeminism

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Transfeminism, or trans feminism, is a branch of feminism focused on transgender women and informed by transgender studies.[1] Transfeminism focuses on the effects of transmisogyny and patriarchy on trans women. Transfeminism is also related to the relationship between transmasculinity and feminism. They are both related to the broader field of queer theory. The term, transfeminism, was popularized by Emi Koyama (involved in the ISNA) in The Transfeminist Manifesto. Transfeminism describes the concepts of gender nonconformity, notions of masculinity and femininity and the maintaining of sex and gender binary on trans men and women. Transfeminists view gender conformity as a control mechanism of patriarchy, which is maintained via violence against transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals as a basis of patriarchy.[2][3] Tactics of transfeminism emerged from groups such as The Transexual Menace (name from the Lavender Menace) in the 1990s,[4] in response to exclusion of transgender people in Pride marches. The group organized in direct action, focusing on violence against transgender people, such as the murder and rape of Brandon Teena a trans man. The Transsexual Menace organized protests and sit ins against the medical and mental pathologization of trans people.[5] Trans people were generally excluded from first wave feminism as were lesbians and people considered "queer." Second wave feminism saw greater level of acceptance amongst some feminists however, however "transsexuality" was heavily excluded, and described as an "illness,"[6] even amongst feminists who supported gay liberation. Third and fourth wave feminism have generally been accepting of transgender people, and see trans liberation as an overall part of women's liberation.[4][7][8] In 2006, the first book on transfeminism, Trans/Forming Feminisms: Transfeminist Voices Speak Out edited by Krista Scott-Dixon, was published by Sumach Press. Transfeminism has also been defined more generally as "an approach to feminism that is informed by trans politics."[9][10]

Transmasculinity and Feminism

History

Transmasculine Pride Flag

Issues between the transgender community and the feminist community began in the 1970s and 1980s. One major moment in this ongoing battle was the publication of The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male by Janice Raymond in 1979. Raymond was perceived to be a progressive expert and her essay was consulted and used in the writing of the 1981 National Center for Health Care Technology report regarding transgender surgeries. This later turned into the foundation of a national coverage determination, causing transsexual surgery to be excluded from the sphere of public insurance coverage. This decision was not questioned until 2013.

In 1992, a trans-woman named Sandy Stone wrote a response to Raymond’s essay. Stone authored “The Empire Strikes Back: A Posttranssexual Manifesto,” which spearheaded the movement for trans studies. Stone proposed that transgender individuals break away from the existing concept of feminism in order for the schism between them to heal. She insisted that they needed time apart to grow on their own. Each movement would be complemented by what the other had done on its own once they converged again at a later time. These issues arise because of gender-critical feminists and their desire to separate feminism and transgenderism. Transfeminism and transmasculine feminism call for an end to this separation and for the feminist movement to fully converge with its transgender-centered equivalents.

Historically, the feminist community has not been kind to transmasculine individuals. Their transition has been viewed as giving up the feminist fight and 'choosing' to be a man in order to live easier. This ideology has created a divide between feminists and transmasculine people to this day. Oftentimes, feminist leaders reply to questions of whether trans-men will be welcomed into feminist spaces by saying they should find/create their own spaces. Feminist leaders' rejection of transmasculine people's connection to femininity and their refusal to welcome trans-men into their spaces has furthered this divide. It pushed transmasculine individuals to completely ignore their past ties to womanhood and behave more like stereotypical men, ignoring any misogyny exhibited in front of them and even participating in it themselves.

Differences from Transfeminism

Transgender men and women often both face exclusion from feminist spaces but for different reasons. The emergence of transfeminism developed as a way for trans women to combat exclusion from feminism by forming their own space to promote feminism. Many trans-exclusionary feminists may not view trans-women as “real women” and thus consider that reason for excluding them from feminist spaces.

Trans men have also seen exclusion from feminism but for different reasons. One reason for exclusion is that they have often been labeled as “traitors” post-transition: previously female-identifying feminists-turned-men. Trans-exclusionary feminists may view this as giving in to patriarchal standards by becoming a part of it.

Another way trans men may face exclusion from traditional feminism is that feminists may not view feminism as a space for any man to be included in, regardless of trans identity. Transmasculine-oriented feminism aims to include trans men by taking into account their experiences of discrimination while socialized and living as girls/women and emphasizing their allyship as men supporting feminist causes. For some, their feminism may also center on redefining masculinity to reject colonial, patriarchal ideas of what masculinity looks like. In certain trans communities, the decolonization of ideas of masculinity in both queer and cisgender/heterosexual communities is seen as a more pressing matter. For example, trans communities in Mexico may seek to reclaim indigenous views of masculinity.

Current Issues

How transmasculine individuals view themselves in regard to women’s issues may vary. Some believe that they hold experience that allows them to understand feminist concerns, and in turn, use this to ally themselves with women’s causes. Some believe that trans men have an important role to play in feminism, such as changing the idea of masculinity to suit feminist goals. Women’s studies scholar Bobby Noble has encased trans-masculine individuals as “Sons of the movement,” who don’t intrude on feminist spaces, but rather serve as advocates to uplift the movement as males and masculine-identifying individuals.

Women's March, Los Angeles 2019

Some transmasculine individuals choose to ignore their ties to femininity and reject their lived experience as a woman in order to reaffirm their gender. This divorce from their past and dismissal of feminism often causes these individuals to reinforce patriarchal standards. The nuance embedded in this issue quickly makes things confusing. These transmasculine individuals choose to follow the common narrative of trans-men never actually being women or girls. This means that even though they were presenting and living in the world as a woman or girl, this should not impact how they exist post-transition. This, however, does not account for transgender men who choose to continue presenting in a feminine manner, nor those whose behavior is still affected by their time spent being conditioned by society while they presented as a woman. Some transgender men wish to be excluded from feminist thought because they feel it invalidates their transition and it is as though they are still being viewed as women.

After Roe v. Wade was overturned, the movement to stop the use of the term “women” when referring to feminist issues such as abortion and reproductive rights was recognized by prevalent abortion and civil rights activists and organizations. This movement stemmed from only referring to women and girls when talking about reproductive rights and transmasculine and nonbinary people were being excluded from a discussion that involves and affects them. Efforts to include transmasculine individuals in these issues manifest in the movement for the use of gender-neutral language such as "birthing people" and "pregnant people". Some feminists, commonly referred to as TERFS, argue against this movement for gender-neutral language, worried that "their hard work is being reversed".