This entry from the transhealth website dates back to 2001 and it offers a very nice dissection of the now mostly debunked but still controversial AGP theory and how this transgender woman could care two cents about it. People who have been trying to marginalize the experience of gynephilic transwomen have pushed for the stigmatizing idea that they are actually perverted men. Well this soul, who couldn't give a hoot either way, isn't buying any of it and her frankness at times had me chuckling to myself as I read her posting. If we ever met I would give her a hug for seeing through the BS but mostly for being herself: "About a year ago I was reading on Dr. Anne Lawrence’s site about a new theory of the origin of trans called “autogynephilia.” This theory asserts that many trans women—and transsexual women in particular—desire reassignment surgery because they are eroticizing the feminization of their bodies. The first thing that struck me about it, of course, was t
Thoughts and ideas (plus a little gender theory) from an intellectually curious transgender person. - Being trans is not a choice but what to do with that knowledge just might be
I'm all for gender-freedom and choice but have doubts about some of this. Our society's understanding of gender is still primitive so claiming knowledge of it is often faulty. Back in the Seventies/Eighties, I was part of the feminist movement that argued gender is a social-construct with no biological basis. We (or at least I) now know that to be untrue. It may be politically popular to talk about existing outside the binary but I suspect in 10-20 years, science will disprove many of these ideas. Which isn't to say I disagree with arguing politically about expanding our society's idea of gender -- that's a worthwhile project -- just that I don't believe anyone has yet arrived at the absolute truth of humanity.
ReplyDeleteI see this whole thing as a rudimentary and clumsy step towards establishing an identity outside of the strict binary rules. It doesn't mean that it will last but I for one am glad that people are trying to break away from their straight jackets. Do I think that there are many genders? no but the appetite to define oneself is often fed through titles which is what this effort is about. As soon as gender variance is more widely accepted a lot of this will likely calm down.
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