In the blog titled “an open letter to ChatGPT: a personal reflection on my own identity”, I wrote about my own sexuality and gender identity. I wrote in that blog that on the streets people mostly see me as a (masculine) cis man, and so I cannot say that I have any experience with feeling discriminated because of my sexuality or gender. Unfortunately, I do have experience with being discriminated because of my skin color, but that’s perhaps a topic for another blog, because in this blog I want to focus on the discrimination that transgender and non-binary people still experience regularly just because of who they are as a person. FYI: A cis man is someone whose gender identity corresponds with the male sex assigned at birth.
Let me just say that I was actually planning on writing a blog with this subject later on in the future, because this was a topic wherein I had a heated discussion with a cousin of mine who is still of the opinion that trans women need to be socially treated as women but they are not women. The reason for me deciding to publish this blog now is actually because of the ignorant opinion that Elon Musk, unfortunately again, shared with the public through an interview with Jordan Peterson. He said that “his son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus”. But, before I go into more details about the ignorant opinion of Elon Musk, I want to first (try to) explain in my own words why not only science, but also the law says, and I also believe that it is a fact of life that trans women are women and that trans men are men.
First, you need to understand that gender and sex are different concepts. So, it is not incorrect to say that trans women were assigned male at birth, because that is simply a fact. But it is wrong to say that a trans woman who fully transitioned is still biologically a man, because she is not. I am not only referring to her genitalia; I am also considering her hormone levels compared to those of a (trans) man.
Yes, it is true that she cannot have periods or become pregnant; however, many cis women also cannot become pregnant for various reasons. Unfortunately, many young women may require a hysterectomy due to cancer. Nonetheless, they are still women, even without a uterus. The experience of being a woman involves much more than just experiencing monthly cramps or giving birth. You are not less of a woman if you could not have had any of those experiences.
In the Reddit link that you can directly go to by clicking here, you can find a video of Robert M. Sapolsky who is a professor of Biology and Neurology at Stanford University, who explains the neurobiological differences that scientists found by doing post-mortem research on the brains of people that very reliably showed differences in the brains of the different genders. They found that a particular neuron and neurotransmitter in our amygdala that is about 2 times larger in males than in female brains.
Research on trans people showed that trans people would have the size of the brain region corresponding not with their sex they were born with but rather to the size of the sex/gender they insisted they actually were. The video is not even 7 minutes long, highly recommend you to hear the rest of the explanation of professor Sapolsky.
My intention is not to write a scientific paper to argue why trans women are women, so the people reading this who are interested more about the science behind this topic need to go do their own search for those papers, however, I do want to (try to) conceptually explain my point of view on this matter.
We all agree that 1 + 1 = 2 and that 1 + 1 ≠ 1, this is the same (simple) way that I see this with transgenderism and gender in general. Because fact is that:
Trans women = women. Trans women ≠ men.
Trans men = men. Trans men ≠ women.
This is important to understand because for example when a trans woman says that they are a woman, they are not lying and they do not need to include “trans” before woman every time they say it. When it comes to dating there is of course the issue that there are people who do not want to date trans people, not even if they are fully transitioned, and that is okay, you should not be judged by your (sexual/romantic) preferences.
It would be advisable to a trans person to divulge their history before being intimate with someone, however, it would not be lying if for example on dating sites a trans person gives the gender they transitioned into and not the gender they were born with. For practical reasons they might want to proactively mention this in their bio, but in an inclusive and free society this would not even be needed and a trans person would not need to feel tense or be afraid to disclose this to their dates and be confronted with violence.
This brings me to the ignorant opinion of Elon Musk, because let us not forget that because of his billionaire status his words have power behind them, he has fans that believe every word he says. More importantly, he bought a global social media company where he now directly controls which opinions may go viral and which ones may be suppressed. His version of being a free speech absolutist is the version where he and his cronies (and people he helps to get elected in politics) get to dictate which speech is good and which speech is bad. This is the reason why now on Twitter you have accounts who can freely and without consequence use words like f*ggot, n*gger, r*tard, etc but your account can more easily be suspended when you use words like cis, BLM or LGBT.
His daughter already posted on Threads her reply to the ignorant opinion and apparently also the lies that Elon told in the interview. I am not going to link that interview here, but I will post screenshots of the reply of the daughter later on. The reason why I am not linking the whole interview is because for this blog his ignorant opinion that “his son Xavier is dead, killed by the woke mind virus” is the only text of that interview that I want to discuss.
Firstly, let us be clear here, his son Xavier is not death, his son was actually never his son to begin with, as that was the fantasy that everyone started creating for themselves when they saw Vivian born with (presumably) a healthy looking fully formed penis. The challenge herein is that everyone creates their own fantasy about the (gender) identity of babies based on what they see for themselves or hear from others, and most of the time this fantasy they started creating about a baby do turn out to be true when they grow up. However, the problem arises when the fantasy people created about a baby does not match the “software” of the person.
Fortunately for some trans people, they are born in a household that accepts them for who they are and for whatever way they want to express themselves, without them harming any other person. Unfortunately for trans people like Vivian, they were born in a household where not everyone in it can accept who they are, as those people cannot or do not want to change the fantasy they created about the trans person. Because of Elon’s autism, I actually think he would fit more in the group of people who cannot easily change their fantasy, but unfortunately in the case with Elon, he is now also surrounded by “yes people” and he feels comfortable in his echo chamber and is obviously not willing to even try to change his fantasy that started based on faulty and/or missing information about his daughter, whom he thus wrongly thought was his son.
Elon is now being consumed with fear and anger towards a self proclaimed enemy, called “being woke”, which is ironically a benign movement seeking freedom and liberty for all, which is something he says he wants too, but it might be too late for him to find love in his heart and for him to accept and ask forgiveness to his daughter. If you are like my cousin then it might not be too late for you yet for you to inform yourself and learn to be (more) accepting and inclusive of others, even when they seem so different than you. In the end, we are all created by the same building blocks of life.
For the ones who haven’t seen the reply of Vivian to her estranged father, you can find the screenshots of her posts below. For the ones who want to dive a bit deeper into the concept of gender identity, I have asked ChatGPT to define and explain more extensively the concept of transgenderism and non-binary, which you can find further down below with some paragraphs that includes my own personal comments.
Before I give you the more extensive explanation about the concepts, I want to tell you the reason why I am including the concept of non-binary in this blog too, because there is still a lot of misunderstanding and misguided discussions going on about the concept of non-binary. In the Netherlands for example you have an “anti-woke” university lecturer who is against the use of non-binary and wants academia and people in general to start using the term “androgyny” instead. There have been articles already written explaining why replacing non-binary with androgyny is not useful nor necessary, so if you are interested in those arguments I would advice you to look them up. However, before even having read those articles I knew that what this lecturer was saying is not correct because the term androgyny leaves out a group of people that now do get represented by the word non-binary: the non-binary people who identify as having no gender at all.
The lecturer argues that it is biologically impossible to have no gender, but he fails to explain how is it then possible that in nature we can find individuals who physically show that they have 2 different sex organs/genitals, with some individuals being able to identify with both genders, and why would it then not be possible for an individual to be born with the software that does not recognize any of the genders within themselves?
I have already argued that someone can be born with a vagina and feel on the inside that he is a man, well, the same is also true that someone can be born with a particular genital and on the inside feel that their true gender does not belong to any of the genital groups. Yes you can say that is weird because it would not be something you encounter all the time, however, it is not something to be ashamed of or something to shun someone for because it is just another quirk of life. And having the word non-binary available that includes among other these people too, who do not feel that they belong to either one of the binary gender roles is important to have for them to also feel included.
Defining Transgender and Non-Binary Identities
The landscape of gender identity is complex and diverse, extending far beyond the traditional binary framework of male and female. In recent years, society has seen a significant rise in visibility and acceptance of transgender and non-binary individuals. This progress, however, is accompanied by a need for greater understanding and inclusivity. In this section of the blog, we’ll explore the nuances of transgender and non-binary identities, the challenges these individuals face, and the steps we can take to create a more inclusive world.
Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. This term encompasses a wide range of identities, including trans men (individuals who were assigned female at birth but identify as male), trans women (individuals who were assigned male at birth but identify as female), and non-binary people.
Non-binary is a term used to describe individuals who do not exclusively identify as male or female. Non-binary people may identify as both genders, somewhere in between, or as having no gender at all. Other terms within the non-binary spectrum include genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, bigender, and more. Each of these identities reflects a unique experience and understanding of gender.
The Challenges Faced by Transgender and Non-Binary People
Transgender and non-binary individuals face a myriad of challenges in their daily lives, many of which stem from societal norms and prejudices. Understanding these challenges is crucial to fostering empathy and support.
1. Social Stigma and Discrimination
Transgender and non-binary people often face significant social stigma and discrimination. This can manifest in various forms, including verbal and physical harassment, exclusion from social groups, and discriminatory policies in workplaces and educational institutions. These negative experiences can lead to a sense of isolation and exacerbate mental health issues.
2. Mental Health Struggles
The mental health of transgender and non-binary individuals is a critical concern. Due to societal rejection and the internal struggle with their identity, they are at a higher risk for mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, 40% of transgender adults report having attempted suicide in their lifetime, a rate nearly nine times higher than the general population.
3. Healthcare Barriers
Access to healthcare is another significant hurdle. Transgender and non-binary people often face discrimination in healthcare settings, leading to delays or denial of necessary medical care. Furthermore, the cost of gender-affirming treatments and surgeries can be prohibitive, and many insurance plans do not cover these essential services.
4. Legal and Bureaucratic Obstacles
Navigating legal systems can be daunting for transgender and non-binary individuals. Changing one’s name and gender marker on identification documents can be a complicated and costly process, with varying requirements depending on the jurisdiction. Inconsistent legal recognition across different regions creates additional challenges, impacting everything from employment opportunities to personal safety.
5. The Social Construction of Gender
Gender is not merely a biological construct but also a social one. Sociologists argue that gender is a complex interplay of biology, identity, and society. This perspective emphasizes that gender identity is shaped by social norms, cultural expectations, and individual experiences.
- Supporting Theory: Judith Butler’s Theory of Gender Performativity posits that gender is an identity constructed through repeated social and cultural performances. According to Butler, there is no inherent gender identity behind these expressions; instead, these performances constitute one’s gender identity.
- Supporting Quote: “Gender is a performance that is rehearsed and repeated, not a stable identity based solely on biological sex” (Butler, 1990).
6. The Impact of Gender Recognition
Recognizing trans women as women and trans men as men in social, legal, and institutional contexts can significantly impact their lives. Legal and social recognition of gender identity can reduce discrimination, enhance access to healthcare, and improve overall social inclusion.
- Example: Many countries now allow individuals to change their legal gender on official documents without requiring surgical intervention, acknowledging that gender identity is not necessarily tied to physical characteristics.
- Supporting Quote: “Legal recognition of gender identity is crucial for the social integration and well-being of transgender individuals, as it affirms their lived experiences and provides them with the rights and protections accorded to their gender” (European Court of Human Rights, 2015).
Steps Towards Inclusion and Support
Creating an inclusive environment for transgender and non-binary individuals requires collective effort and commitment. Here are some actionable steps to support these communities:
1. Educate Yourself and Others
Education is the foundation of understanding and empathy. Take the initiative to learn about transgender and non-binary identities, their experiences, and the challenges they face. Share this knowledge with others to foster a more informed and accepting community.
2. Use Inclusive Language
Language plays a powerful role in shaping perceptions. Use inclusive language and respect people’s preferred pronouns and names. This simple act of recognition can make a significant difference in affirming someone’s identity.
As an anecdote from my own personal experience with this, on Aruba, the island where I was born, it is still common for people to use the derogative term in Papiamento “marico” for calling gay people. But it is not always used with the intention to actually consciously offend people, a lot of people use it to tease others or “to set someone straight” if they are doing something stupid or silly.
As you can maybe also see/feel with saying “setting someone straight” that language could also imply that one who is not (going) straight is doing it wrong. However, linguistically or conceptually, set someone straight probably means setting someone on the straight path instead of the curved path. So I would not put the latter in the same category as saying or calling someone “marico” because with “marico” even when saying it jokingly, the implication is always that being a “marico” is wrong, something to be ashamed of, something to renounce.
Does not matter if a gay/queer person says it jokingly or says “they don’t care” or “it does not affect them”. Unconsciously it does affect anyone, humans are not made from stone, even when we act strong. Being gay, a “marico”, is not something wrong or something to be ashamed of just because being gay deviates from the norm, and thus no language should be used that even implies it, how harmless or endearing they think they are being.
3. Support Inclusive Policies
Advocate for policies that protect and support transgender and non-binary individuals. This includes anti-discrimination laws, access to gender-affirming healthcare, and the ability to change legal documents without unnecessary barriers. Support organizations and initiatives that work towards these goals.
I personally love the concept of “woke” because the concept of being “woke” involves a heightened consciousness of social injustices, systemic inequalities, and the experiences of marginalized groups. It encourages individuals to be informed and active in promoting social change, combating discrimination, and advocating for equal rights.
You do not need to be woke to support inclusive policies that protect and support transgender and non-binary people, however, you do need to be woke to be able to call out injustices you see happening against transgender and non-binary people, even perhaps when for example your current job/career is on the line. It is easy to do bad things, easier to do nothing, but very hard to do the right things for others, especially when you do not personally benefit from doing so.
Are there people who go too far or who abuse the principles of woke-ism for their own ego? Of course, unfortunately, in our digital age even benign ideas get abused to try to create “engagement”, get “ego boosts” and get even money. However, same as charities and crowdfund campaigns get abused by fraudulent people, but we do not advocate to eliminate charities and the possibility to organize crowdfund campaigns, we should not try to prevent people from daring to be woke simply because there are others who abuse or go to far in their search for their own sense of justice.
4. Create Safe Spaces
Whether at home, in the workplace, or in public spaces, strive to create environments where transgender and non-binary people feel safe and valued. This can be achieved through inclusive practices, such as gender-neutral restrooms, diversity training programs, and zero-tolerance policies for harassment and discrimination.
5. Listen and Validate Experiences
One of the most powerful ways to support transgender and non-binary individuals is to listen to their experiences without judgment. Validate their feelings and provide a supportive space for them to express themselves. Empathy and understanding can go a long way in building trust and solidarity.
Conclusion
The journey towards a more inclusive society for transgender and non-binary people is ongoing. By educating ourselves, advocating for inclusive policies, and creating safe spaces, we can contribute to a world where everyone, regardless of their gender identity, is respected and valued. Let us commit to this journey with empathy, openness, and a genuine desire to understand and support one another. Together, we can build a future where diversity is celebrated, and all individuals can live authentically and without fear.
