#transfeminist theory

[ftmtftm]

You all realize Feminists have been critiquing "women only spaces" for decades right?

I think often about Audre Lorde's critique of a women only event that welcomed her wife and daughter, but not her son. Because she questioned it - the function and purpose of barring even the sons of Feminist women from Feminist events. Especially the barring of her young Black son, who would otherwise be left alone in the city where he would be more prone to the very violence those same Feminist women claimed to want to change.

Because what functional, forward thinking Feminist purpose does it actually serve to do that? What message does that send to women with sons, husbands, brothers, lovers, friends, who want to involve the men and boys in their lives in their activism? Who want to build a functionally better world for us all outside of the oppressive grasp of Patriarchy? Especially for the marginalized men who often sit at their own intersection violent Patriarchal oppression, that still happens to be Patriarchal oppression despite it not being distinctly misogyny?

What purpose does it truly serve to sequester yourself away into a pocket of the world, detached from those you share it with? What bright and shining future does that really promise you?

[nizzybean]

When fascists claim that "XX and XY are the only sexes" it's not a misunderstanding of reality but an expression of intent to erase anybody who exists outside of their desired norm.

Thinking they're just ignorant or misinformed is a fatal mistake, it's got nothing to do with how the world *is* and all to do with how they believe the world *should be.*

[milokissavlk707]

An additional realization of the “transmasc/men are missing from the historical record” is extra fucked up because of certain implications. That being transmasc/men are a new phenomenon if that is true. Which that statement is not true so obviously the second statement cannot be true, but let’s play with this logic for a second.

I wanna make this clear. I’m pretty sure the author of that post probably didn’t think about this implication, or even intended for this to be implied. Is the poster an ass and said something incredibly hateful, yes. But I would like to believe that they* just didn’t think about the implications of that statement. But I do so:

While there are multiple reasons why a group of people might be missing from our historical record. For example in the context of cultures and civilization things like colonization, natural disasters, or not having a written language can severely impact our historical record of a group or the preservation of that historical record.

Thus most likely if suddenly a new marginalized people group kind of just suddenly appears, which is the implication of the statement because there’s no historical pre-text for the group, and suddenly a bunch of people start identifying as a member of that group there’s a few explanation we could say why that is happening

A charitable and true one, which does contribute to the erasure (not a lack of existence) of transmasc people is the same reasons on why so many marginalized groups of people have been erased from the historical record, that is bigotry. If we take, for example, pre-industrial revolution Europe, in which the Catholic Church was in control of a lot of Europe, and the Catholic Church actively punished cross dressers. Thus because of a combination of things, these people were most likely attempted to be erased from the record to stop any descent from the church or from church approved ideas to keep cohesion within the kingdoms that the church ruled over. There were also religious factors that went into play for the demonization and punishment of cross-dressers, but a lot of it also was political too. Even though both historically and modernly, there have been plenty of Catholics who have cross dress. And we love them 

If we wanted another charitable interpretation of this logic, we could hypothetically say that now that society has become a bit more accepting of women, though this is highly dependent on region, this allows for the expression of (CERTAIN TYPES) of presentation masculinity* within women, thus some women have found that they identify more with masculinity than femininity, and thus start identifying as trans men or transmasc. And thus the immersion of a new social group without historical record or pre-text of their existence immersed. Which aspects of this is also true, as the amount of times I’ve been told by elder lesbians that if they were in my generation, they would’ve just ended up being transmasc is a LOT.

A less charitable and very disturbing interpretation of this would be one of: since there’s so many people identifying as transmasc and men, and there is no historical record or pretense for them existing, what do you think that might imply. If you’re thinking rapid onset gender dysphoria bullshit, you would be fucking correct. Or identifying this as a social trend/contagion, in which obviously delusional girls/afab’s* are being tricked into believing that they’re men/masc, and to destroy their bodies. It is the implication that transmasc don’t really exist, they are confused “women”. None of this is true. 

There are multiple ways of interpreting this logic and the potential (hypothetical) reasons why transmasc are not in the historical record and now have suddenly appeared. But honestly, none of them are particularly good. Again, mostly because it’s just not true, but whatever I like playing with logic and seeing where it leads me. And that being said, this led me to realize that this logic is the same one used to support rapid onset gender dysphoria.

*using they/them because I don’t know the pronoun preference of the person, if somebody knows their personal preference or they want me to change it. I will gladly do it. Just DM me 🙂!

* for example somebody can be a tomboy(highly dependent on personal circumstances) MIGHT be more acceptable (in certain circumstances) than being hard/Stone Butch or transmasc. Sure, women can wear pants, but they better be women’s pants, Lord help you if they catch you shopping in the men’s section. Sure woman can wear a suit, but it better be a pantsuit or one that is specified for women. Idk if yall actually remember this, but Hillary Clinton(damn her soul) got a lot of shit for how she dressed masculinity . While, women can wear masc clothing. It still has a lot of caveat to it. This is to say that only certain types of masculinity in women are acceptable as long as they are not a threat to the patriarchy or the gender binary. Once they are, it’s fair game to attack them for it.

*I want to make this very clear that I do not think Transmasc is exclusive to people were perceived as or assigned female at birth. I say this because these people often do not acknowledge the existence of people who were perceived or assigned male at birth identifying as transmasc or trans men. But I do and I think you’re Hella valid! I would do a lot of debate if I should even include the word afab, but I also don’t think girl covered it, I also don’t think anybody has to be a girl at any point to identify transmasc.

Anyways, if you’re seeing this, take a sip of water 

[storyweavingspider]

Girl im a Black transfemme directly asking you what your specific recommendations on this are because finding nonwhite transfeminist theory/works is hard enough on its own, much less trying to find nonwhite transfeminist theorists within certain specialties.

Social work is a specialty that often leaves even white or cis folks too burnt out to write on the topic unless they come from a higher class or are supported by a partner of a higher class, much less multiply marginalized folks trying to do the same thing but with racism, misogyny, or transmisogynoir at play.

Add in the fact that the various search engines, etc. are becoming harder for the average person to use effectively due to influx of AI bullshit and ad-focused algorithms, and any variant of “you can use Google” is barely a useful statement anymore, much less for any info within a niche. I would even go so far as to say that if you were recommending a category without specific individuals in mind, you may fully be sending anon on a wild goose chase for something that *may not even currently exist*.

I understand the avoidance of doing free labor for folks on stuff like this, especially as another marginalized person, but on stuff like this you really do gotta just provide the shit because even folks knowledgeable on transfeminist theory/theorists is gonna have issues tracking down niches unless they’re already aware of something that may fit.

Do you have any recommendations for reading about interpersonal intelligence?

you need transfeminist social workers of color who have been working on the ground floor of harm reduction and somatic trauma recovery for decades. if you start searching with that framework, you’ll find at least one author or speaker who will lead you to five others. the search will do you more good than any list I could compile.

surviving that kind of work as a transfeminist of color means that person will be tested and tempered from every angle, their theory will be built on how much hard work it took to keep from burning out into suicidal despair and dissociative numbness. it will be the exact opposite of the shit brené brown sells to give the corporate sector access to therapized language with which to manipulate their workers.

[carlyraejepsans]

noooo little tumblr tboy put the misandry posts down

[damnesdelamer]

Leslie Feinberg

I collected some of the works of one of our greatest comrades and warriors:

Transgender Liberation: A Movement Whose Time Has Come

Stone Butch Blues

Transgender Warriors: Making History From Joan Of Arc To Dennis Rodman

Trans Liberation: Beyond Pink Or Blue

Rainbow Solidarity In Defense Of Cuba

Remember, our first duty is to be educated, so arm yourselves with the best information. We have always existed, and we always will. And in each generation, we must remember those who came before us, and become the warriors that ze fought to equip. Stay strong, stay proud, and solidarity forever.

[oxymoronictransfem]

Hello my lovely theorists.

Question, what word would you use to describe the practice of conflating someone's gender to their gender assignment? Not just in the case of trans people but the same process that forces cis people into the confines of their assigned gender.

I'm not talking about gender or sex essentialism, those are based on how gender is conflated with biology.

I specifically mean how gender assignment is forcefully pushed onto every member of society.

[taliabhattwrites]

The best one in every trilogy is the fourth installment, right?

[leah2eroes]

having a convo with someone who accused asked me if i even listen to any music made by women. so i list a few artists i have on repeat rn (i think i said bye2 and lena raine and a couple others), and their response was "arent those all trans women?" as if they dont count???????

its always subtle biases like this that really let you weed out who actually understands "trans women are women" as a statement of fact

[aroanthy]

trying to write something about how much i hate the ‘misandry in utena/the utena fandom’ crowd but it feels kind of redundant to me. i think i just don’t consider people who use the word ‘misandry’ serious people. i do however feel an obligation to occasionally make my position clear on that front, because im aware i tougapost and some people love to bring that guy up as the misandry in the utena fandom poster boy. which is so fucking stupid because touga is not victimised by ‘misandry’, touga is victimised by homophobic violence which is wrapped up in misogynistic violence, both of which are the cogs in the machine we call patriarchy. touga is not affected by misogyny in the same way that anthy is, that’s one of the key takeaways you can get from their being foils, and i don’t really like the whole ‘oh patriarchy hurts men too’ stuff because it neglects the fact that men reap so many material benefits from what some people deem ‘harm’ to them (emotional repression being the big one. it’s not great but when you’re the privileged party and gain power from it, who cares? it’s like the inverse of kozue trying to use sexuality to gain power: she can’t do that). but touga is a shitty dysfunctional person who has been shaped by violence and in turn perpetuated violence, and his character excels, imho, at examining how patriarchy functions and attempts to homogenise life’s many complexities. same deal as nanami really. they just play different roles in this gender essentialist nightmare that crunches out any grit. and you can extend that idea to all rgu characters but i am who i am and that is a kiryuu siblings enjoyer

[ftmtftm]

Radical Feminist theory has no home in Intersectional theory. Radical Feminism is practically innately antithetical to Intersectional Feminism. The ideas and criticism that would create the framework of Intersectional Feminism pre-Kimberlé Crenshaw came to be as a near direct result of questioning Radical Feminist practices and ideology.

Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Angela Y. Davis, Judith Butler, Leslie Feinberg, all wrote/have written in ways that challenge and defy the core principles of Radical Feminist dogma. Kimberlé Crenshaw created terminology, Intersectionality, to envelope it all. People like Patricia Hill Collins, Mikki Kendall, Roxane Gay, Kate Bornstein, Leah Thomas, and Emi Koyama continue to write in ways that challenge Radical Feminist ideology - half the time purely by the nature of their framework.

You don't need Radical Feminism. Radical Feminism is not your friend. It will never be your friend. There is better Feminism out there - I promise you.

[qweerhet]

i do also want to make a general PSA: the language of "failed men" and "failed women" as distinct gender categories referring to classes of people who have breached gender norms in a way that irrevocably disrupts their access to gender, particularly (but not exclusively) through transitioning or identifying with the "other" gender? that language has been in use in queer theory since at least the 90s.

it's so well-established that i cannot even begin to track down the initial coinage with a quick trip through google scholar. i'm finding publications in well-respected journals using the terminology dating back to the 90s just by scanning the first page of results. if you see someone claiming that transmisogynistic tumblr users made it up in 2023 to find a new way to sneakily call transfems men, they're just wrong, and in the worst case scenario, they're actively lying. if you have a fundamental problem with commonly-used basic transfeminist and queer theory terminology, take it up with the fucking university of chicago or something, idk, anything other than trying to convince 16-year-old trans people on tumblr dot edu that Big Transgender Blogging is intentionally lying to them about commonly accepted transfeminist theory.

[tiredbit]

If you haven’t ever seen a trans woman doing a bad thing that you saw a trans man doing, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen nor does it mean that it is a problem in trans masc circles

It just means you haven’t seen a trans women doing the bad thing before

[oxymoronictransfem]

Welcome to my blog 𖤐

I am Mera (she/her). I am a black and Native American Marxist transfeminist who creates theory on underdiscussed topics.

I am a womanist, lesbian, intersex transgender woman.

Temporarily I am removing the link to my essay. It will be back up once it is altered with the intended changes.

For my other intro post.

At birth I was designated female. That event has impacted my experience with and relationship to transfemininity/transmisogyny. Regardless, like any other trans person, I do not identify with the gender assigned to me at birth. I identify as a woman, of which I was not assigned.

If you want to learn about it more, come talk to me! If you don't, do us both a favor and block me.

On this blog, “female” and female assignment refers to the patriarchy's idea of gender that determines that women should be defined by immutability, sexual subjugation and essential biological traits. Trans women too suffer under this assignment. Here, “female” does not refer to biological sex or gender identity. “Female” and woman are two different things.

My essay delves into this further.

I am several times more assertive of my identity and positionality than I used to be. Unless you have meaningful critique of my analysis, don't bother engaging with me. I've heard what you want to say before and I don't care to hear it again.

I'm open to honest conversation and discussion over my theory though I expect a basic understanding of marginalization dynamics on your part.

White people, that means stop making false race comparisons.

I won't tolerate transphobia (associating me with my assigned sex ie. calling me “an AFAB”) or purposeful misrepresentation of my posts or beliefs. If you treat me as “less trans” than other trans women or try to tell me I don't deserve a voice in transfeminine spaces then I will probably tear into you and/or call you pathetic.

TwERFS, transphobes, bigots, fascists/right wing, trans/misogynists, racists and serial harassers go fuck yourselves.

My posts of personal experience are based on my own struggles as a perpetual victim of transmisogynoir, I share them partly because this site needs more black transfeminized narratives and partly to illustrate how someone like me exists as a trans woman.

For more information, see my Bluesky, Substack, or Medium.

Block #transmisogyny tw #transmisogyny cw # transphobia tw & #transphobia cw if discrimination against transgender people triggers you.

Check my featured tags in the search for more!

FAQ

Is this an AFAB transfem blog?

This blog doesn't especially focus on transfems assigned female at birth, it's not a mogai blog or a contradictory label blog. This is a politics blog.

It is mostly about transfeminized people in general. That includes transgender people who weren't assigned male at birth yet have feminine gender identities that fundamentally don't align with their assignments and that defy patriarchal gender norms. I consider them under the transfeminine umbrella.

Do you support AFAB transfems?

In large part yes, I've come to a lot of different conclusions having surrounded myself with the community and in short I can say that I do. If you strongly oppose that I frankly don't care and would like you to consider that your perception of them — like mine was — is based on your assumptions rather than any real source. That's not a good way to build your perception of a minority.

And frankly I don't trust you if vocally obsess over them.

I don't personally appreciate the fact that there is such an emphasis on “AFAB” as part of the label and think that is a large part of why so many transmisogynists identify themselves that way but I understand there isn't much of another common way to communicate the same concept currently. This is why I coined “assignment variant”.

Are you an AFAB transfem?

Even though technically I was assigned female at birth and am transfeminine, please do not call me “AFAB”. Referring to me as “an AFAB” associates me with my assignment which upsets me as it would any other trans person. I would never describe another trans woman as “an AMAB” so don't do that to me. Neither AFAB nor AMAB is a social category or identity, it is a description of the coercive designation society assigns infants at birth that determines what they're supposed be.

I am a trans woman because I am trans in relation to my gender assignment — of which I do not identify — and utterly and entirely a woman.

Are you TME or TMA?

Considering that I am literally a trans woman who's womanhood is subject to being revoked or used against me at any moment, as well as my being frequently targeted and affected by transmisogyny it would be mistaken to consider me TME. This acknowledges my material reality and lived experiences that, regardless of your opinion, directly tie into my oppression.

I have lived with the internal experience of being trans ever since I was born and an external one for years now; excluding transmisogyny from an assessment of my marginalization leaves out crucial factors that contribute to my social position.

Transfeminism?

I am a very avid transfeminist. My theory, my accounts, my blog are all based around it. I have done a lot of reading and a lot of living which has influenced my own analysis. Do not assume that because of my assignment I am somehow naïve around topics within transfeminism. I have intricate knowledge of gender assignment and the functions of marginalization especially.

Don't bother to engage with me if you can't explain to me how marginalization as a whole generally works.

[intersexcat-tboy]

If you think of transfeminism only in ways that suggest the sole focus is about trans women, believing something like "(trans)feminism doesn't focus on (trans) men", you have missed the forest for the trees

[gayhenrycreel]

hot take: antitransmasculinity is a type of misogyny because it abuses people for a failure of masculinity, something which is considered inherently feminine, and the weaponization of masculinity part is often an extended form of abusing female masculinity with more masculinity because it is treated as the ultimate insult to treat a woman as a man (hence malgendering)