Hill-Meyer presents a list of supposed Litmus Tests used to determine someone is "really" transsexual. Some of them are legitimate, some are just absurd:
The Litmus Test List
(Both personally overheard and collected from friends)
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you haven't had vaginoplasty (the more generous version allows for women who haven't had vaginoplasty so long as they never give up on pursuing it)
This one, which Hill-Meyer chooses to start off with is dead on. If you are not pursuing vaginoplasty, that is, if you like your penis, and you want to keep it, then no, you are not a transsexual, period.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you don't pass as a cis woman 100% of the time
Nope... Now, if you don't try to pass, or worse, if you try to not pass, then that would be an issue.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you transitioned after 45 (or 35, or 25, or 18 depending on who you ask)
The age one transitions can be affected by many things. It proves little. The age when you became aware that something was wrong is what is important.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you ascribe to feminist gender deconstruction theory
No, but if you do ascribe to such idiocy, you are probably trying to compensate for something.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you buy clothes in the men's department
I would say it depends on why. Some women do buy clothes in the men's department.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if mainstream transphobes wouldn't respect your gender if they somehow found out everything about your body and medical history
Huh? There are a lot of people who have NO respect for anyone's gender if they know their history. I would say it is more like, "You are not a transsexual if the majority of people who know you have no respect for your claimed gender." That is, if you act like a man, but claim to be a woman. Several excellent examples spring to mind....
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you didn't know - with certainty - from birth
No, on the other hand, if you had NO serious indications of gender issues until you were, oh say, 45....yeah, then in that case, you are full of crap if you claim to be transsexual.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you don't have a GI/GID diagnosis or can't afford the process to get one
Another load of crap. It is more like, "If you don't have the motivation to seek out a doctor for help." It is pretty hard to find a place where there are not free mental health clinics for those who cannot afford to pay, so "can't afford" is bogus.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you don't fit your therapist's definition of a "real" woman (no exceptions even if the only therapist in your area is incredibly sexist)
This is just silly.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you are caught without makeup on
This sounds like someone has been hanging out with some transgender types.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have facial or body hair that you don't shave
That does raise some questions. Yes, some women don't share their leg or body hair. But, on the other hand, if you have facial hair, and you don't shave it, and are not trying to have it permanently removed, then you are clearly more interested in being "gender queer" and just freaking people out with you weird behavior.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have facial or body hair that you have to shave
Another silly claim. It is true that a lot of transsexuals don't have heavy body hair, but that is not a diagnostic criteria.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you don't wear dresses and skirts all the time
I would be more suspect if you do...
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you never crossdressed before transitioning
I know some who claim just the opposite.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have ever identified as a crossdresser
People tend to identify with terms that may not apply until they learn better. Now, if you were an enthusiastic member of Tri-Ess or some other such group, well that would be a red flag. The first word I ever came across was "transvestite." But the more I learned about the term, the less it seemed to apply.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you become sexually aroused while wearing women's clothing (Does this mean those who present as women all the time can never be sexually aroused? Probably not, but it's not clear where that crossover happens)
The issue is, are you sexually aroused BY wearing women's clothes. Put another way, what is your motivation for crossdressing?
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have sex with men
No, the question is, how do you see yourself when you are having sex with a man. Do you want him to see you as a man? Are you willing to be the active partner during sex? That is the real issue.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have sex with women
The same question arises here. Do you enjoy using your penis when having sex with a woman?
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you are not sexually available to men
No, though you might be a slut....just kidding.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have sex using a strap on
That would be pretty questionable. Why would you want to???
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have sex with your genitals before vaginoplasty or anything that others might consider a penis
If you are actively seeking to have sex using your penis, then it does raise some questions.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you masturbate involving your genitals before vaginoplasty or anything else others may consider a penis
A silly claim.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have sex
Again, very absurd.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you allow yourself to be seen naked before vaginoplasty or with anything others might consider a penis
No, but if you are comfortable being seen without clothes, then it certainly raises questions.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have ever done sex work
No, lots of transsexuals do sex work. Now, if you specialize in being a top with men, that is another matter.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you haven't considered suicide
No, but you are possibly very luck.
- You're not a real transsexual woman unless your only alternative to transition is suicide
I would say yes, this is very true. If transition is not that important to you, then why would you want to claim to be a transsexual? Because you think it is really cool?
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you're still attending Southern Comfort
No, but why would you ever want to go to such an event?
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you didn't keep up with your dilation
Nope....
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you are not stealth
This one has some merit. If you are "out, loud, and proud" then it seems more likely you don't really want to be seen as a woman, but instead have some other issues.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you are stealth
No, but you are hanging out with some transgender nutcases.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you've been to camp trans
Again, no, but why would you want to?
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you perform as a drag king
No, but it would be a bit odd.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have ever performed as a drag queen
Again, no....but if you really embrace drag it would raise questions.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you have ever yelled "suck my dick" (even if you are only referring to a metaphysical dick)
No, we all do things in efforts to try to fit in before we start transition. Now, if you yell this after you have transitioned, or especially after surgery, then yes, it would raise questions.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you ever pee standing up
If you do this after beginning transition, then it would again raise some very serious questions.
- You're not a real transsexual woman if you play sports (no exceptions for being on the women's rugby team, but maybe for softball)
If you play sports as a woman, no... If you are playing as a man, after transition, then yeah, something is possibly wrong.
Well, there you have it. Clearly, this is a list put together by someone who is not transsexual, in an effort to slam true transsexuals. I would say that some of these are probably figments of Hill-Meyer's imagination. They are just too silly. Others are legitimate issues that Hilly-Meyer is quick to dismiss.
I will touch on the other silliness from Bilerico in another article.
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2 comments:
THM should have titled the peace
"The many reasons why I don't give a hoot about passing"
THM makes the claim those are all the reasons transsexuals use to set themselves apart from Tee-Gees.
Well Toby the goal of transition is to become a member society as the opposite sex not as some third imaginary sex.
In fairness, I was a young genderqueer person who just wanted to shock people 10 years ago. I dare say it's not uncommon for transsexuals to identify differently at age 18 than later in life. Now I've got all my documentation changed, am stealth at work, and while I still don't worry about passing, now it is because I don't need to worry about it in order to pass.
This list is full of stuff that I have heard directly and that people have told me they heard directly. None of it is made up. I don't claim that none of it matters, nor do I claim that all of it matters. What I want to say with this is that requiring each trans person to submit to a barrage of tests (legitimate or not) is not a useful thing to do.
A generation ago, it was not uncommon for transsexual women to adamantly claim to be men throughout young adulthood, or tell themselves that they were just crossdressers.
While that experience is quite different from mine, I can understand the fear of admitting being transsexual, and finding some reason or excuse to stay in denial. To a significant degree, that's what I was doing when I said I was not transsexual but just a genderqueer. And I've seen many others in my generation do very similar things. That's why I think it's a bad idea to draw a line in the sand and put everyone who doesn't measure up on one side, telling them that they can never cross it.
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