[Vicky.]

Originally Posted by Jack_

Honestly I hate the fact I get anxious whenever someone posts or bumps a gender thread on here these days, it shouldn't be like that but most of them used to just end in people being really nasty for no reason :/

Anyway...

You started well by acknowledging that gender is a social construct, I actually get a little excited when people come to this realisation - and it's about time more people did! All of what you said is true, the stereotypes that encompass traditional notions of what constitute a 'man' and a 'woman' are by their very nature socially constructed, they are not in any way inherent. The only difference human beings have on this planet is chromosomal makeup and anatomy, which are biological and refer to one's 'sex', not 'gender'. I've been saying this for years to no avail and being mocked when it's simply the truth.

I should quickly point out it's 3am, I need to sleep and am travelling tomorrow so am rush replying to this and won't be cross checking everything you said. I believe you mentioned the fact that some trans people don't wish to 'transition' and have sex-reassignment surgery and you're right - it's actually more common than you might think. I remember reading a blog once which basically boiled this issue down and really struck a chord with me - can you imagine just how awful it must be to feel like you have to go through such life altering surgical procedures - the results of which only you and a select few people will ever see - just to feel like you're at last ~truly~ the gender of which you identify with. The person who wrote this was quite cutting and dismissive of the idea, basically saying **** that and asking why should he be compelled to do that? And he's right. The problem is of course is that we live in a society which has constructed this binary of men and women, with various gender stereotypes and roles associated with them - and many people feel as if they have to conform to one of these. The fact that many people place genitalia when it comes to defining gender (mistaking it with biological sex) on such a pedestal doesn't help matters either. In an ideal world people could dress how they want, act how they want and live in an environment which doesn't perpetuate what is ultimately a completely pointless binary. There are very little reasons for us to divide people into 'men' and 'women' when you think about it. What's the point in segregated toilets? The answer: socially constructed fears and taboos. What's the point in toys targeted at boys and girls? The answer: gender stereotypes. If it weren't so late I'd think of more examples but ultimately my point is it's unnecessary for us to live in such a society where people are boxed and categorised, humans like to label things to make sense of a complex world but that doesn't change the fact it is complex.

I went off on a bit of a tangent there but I think my point is that trans people who wish to ~officially~ transition and have the op often do so because they believe that that's the 'only way' the gender they identify with will align with their sex, and we as a society are to blame for this. It's us who seem to see anatomy and genitalia as the true marker of one's identity but yet it isn't. Your gender, and the socially constructed roles and stereotypes that go along with it - are how you identify yourself and other people identify you. That is what gender is, it's what people see and how you outwardly present yourself. Nobody self identifies or is indentified by other people via their sex, for that to be a thing you'd have to inspect people's bodies upon meeting them and that just doesn't happen. It's not relevant to anything or anyone unless you sleep with them. We need to move away from being a society that believes 'well you aren't a woman until you have tits and a vag!!!!!' and 'you ain't coming in this women's toilet to piss in private with a dick mate!!!'. It's damaging and defeatist, not to mention pointless.

As for the rest of the stuff about these deranged people on Tumblr and the like, all I'd say is you have to be very careful about taking these people at face value and assuming they're representative of the entire trans movement. They're not. You're always going to get some crazies on the internet and most of these people are just looking for a reaction to some ludicrous ideas, don't pander to them. It's just the same as how radical feminists do not represent the entirety of indeed the majority of the feminist movement (which you fleetingly mentioned at some point), it's annoying how feminism has been tarnished because people believe all feminists are man haters when that's simply not the case.

Anyway, that's enough for now lol

Jesus christ..this seems like you mostly agree with me? I was expecting to lock horns as my view isn't really the current politically correct one

The bolded bit I know this already. But it is the views of the main trans-activists that we hear about, and as such it is attributed to the whole community as they are the only ones who speak out...'normal' (for want of a better word) trans people just want to get on with life..not be constantly raking up hatred by coming out with unnecessary stuff such as lesbians should have sex with people who have penises. That is just ****ing absurd to me?!