VGPolyglot said:
I see that, but what would you prefer I use? If you want a self-identified term, I'll use it, but I'm definitely not going to agree with your thoughts on transgender issues. I also don't understand this argument: "Understanding that gender is imposed, and is oppressive/exists to create a hierarchy between men and women." How can you simultaneously say that gender is imposed, and refuse to accept those who refuse to have the sex that they don't associate with imposed on them? |
I think you both have good arguments about transgender women and their role in feminism.
If I talk to a transgender woman, aka a biological man who identifies himself as a woman and tries to be seen as a woman, I would definitely address her as a woman. Also normally one can not know how many X and Y chromosomes an unknown person has, one can only assume on the basis of their appearance, so transgender women are strongly affected by the social norms for women.
However, transgender women and biological women can not be treated equally in all aspects. Women's sports leagues are a good example, they exist mainly for two reasons:
a) the obvious one, women have less physical strength than men, so they are unable to compete with men in physicaly demanding Sports.
b) in less physical demanding Sports, like chess, women's sports leagues exist to counteract the social and historical disadvanteges women have and to provide an environment in which a healthy competitive scene can develop.(pretty feminist idea if you ask me)
It's debatable if transgender women should be allowed to participate in women's sports leagues, they have better physical conditions than women, even if they take hormones, and even though they have social disadvantages compared to men these are very different and not really comparable to the ones women have.
I actually have a perfect example of point b).
In February of this year, the Canadian Starcraft 2 pro Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn won a big tournament in Korea tied to the Olympics. A little while later I read an article about the tournament in which the author arguaed that winning that prestigeous tounament wasn't only a huge acomplishment for her but also for all women in e-sports. Scarlett is a transgender woman so i have trouble to understand how she could be a inspiration for biological women.
