I’d also like to add to this that what we as trans men experience is, mutatis mutandis, a part of what queer men as a group experience — a man who’s not masculine enough might as well be a woman, i.e. fair game for misogyny. And how do we prove we’re in fact masculine enough? Misogyny! And the women in reach are generally the women in our own spaces.
Another facet of this is that when fellow trans men decide you’re not masculine enough, they start inventing ways to justify anti-effeminate homophobia as progressive discourse protecting the real vulnerable men (them, masc and white and often Christian) from the nefarious invaders.
It isn’t enough to say “trans men are men” because “men are men” has never been an adequate feminist explanation that is capable of addressing a fundamental obstacle to women’s liberation.
… and, thank you. Both to you and Steph. Watching this shit happen from this side hasn’t been great fun either. I’m glad we’re having difficult conversations about it. (I’m glad it’s no longer something people deny out of fear of being mean to the little birthday boys.)
I’ll admit to having taken part in resentment politics towards transsexual men before, but I am formally apologizing for my part in not having a constructive discussion about it. I do not apologize for having attempted to make it a conversation in the first place and being one of the first to push it to the forefront all those years ago.
My view is, frankly, that some resentment is unavoidable, and that those of us who are legitimately committed to change and are also relatively more powerful need to learn to tank some baseline amount of resentment from those who have less power. And in some cases, the weight of the past simply means some of us might die mad about it anyway. Often rightly so.
Ploughing ahead with the conversations when it requires we wrestle with the resentment and the temptation of blame and finger-pointing is the only way forward.
But also, I’ve been purposefully out of the loop for like five years. You’re one of the essayists and theorists who’s tempted me back into engaging.
I’d also like to add to this that what we as trans men experience is, mutatis mutandis, a part of what queer men as a group experience — a man who’s not masculine enough might as well be a woman, i.e. fair game for misogyny. And how do we prove we’re in fact masculine enough? Misogyny! And the women in reach are generally the women in our own spaces.
Another facet of this is that when fellow trans men decide you’re not masculine enough, they start inventing ways to justify anti-effeminate homophobia as progressive discourse protecting the real vulnerable men (them, masc and white and often Christian) from the nefarious invaders.
It isn’t enough to say “trans men are men” because “men are men” has never been an adequate feminist explanation that is capable of addressing a fundamental obstacle to women’s liberation.
… and, thank you. Both to you and Steph. Watching this shit happen from this side hasn’t been great fun either. I’m glad we’re having difficult conversations about it. (I’m glad it’s no longer something people deny out of fear of being mean to the little birthday boys.)
I’ll admit to having taken part in resentment politics towards transsexual men before, but I am formally apologizing for my part in not having a constructive discussion about it. I do not apologize for having attempted to make it a conversation in the first place and being one of the first to push it to the forefront all those years ago.
My view is, frankly, that some resentment is unavoidable, and that those of us who are legitimately committed to change and are also relatively more powerful need to learn to tank some baseline amount of resentment from those who have less power. And in some cases, the weight of the past simply means some of us might die mad about it anyway. Often rightly so.
Ploughing ahead with the conversations when it requires we wrestle with the resentment and the temptation of blame and finger-pointing is the only way forward.
But also, I’ve been purposefully out of the loop for like five years. You’re one of the essayists and theorists who’s tempted me back into engaging.