Forty years ago, public views about homosexuality were extremely negative in many rich countries. As the chart shows, back in 1984, one in three Dutch people believed homosexuality was “never or rarely justified”. In Spain and Great Britain, that view was held by the majority. Perhaps most strikingly, three-quarters of Americans thought the same.
Idk if well ever get ours. We’re just so much smaller a demographic, and the whole medical aide of things seems to just inherently disgust cis people
None of us are free until all of us are free. I have faith that this fight is winnable because I used to be the kind of cis person who wanted to consider herself a trans ally, but who didn’t really know what that meant. In hindsight, I was too concerned with avoiding saying or doing the wrong thing, feeling like I was walking on eggshells around the topic of transness I don’t mean in a virtue signalling kind of way, but because I didn’t want to cause any harm, whether to an individual, or to trans activism in general — it wasn’t my cause, so I believed that the best thing to do was to be respectful and stay back. There are many cis people who aren’t necessarily disgusted, but confused and anxious about how to react (people on the left do this kind of transphobia a lot, in my opinion).
It took a partner coming out as trans to kick me out of that. I learned a lot about trans reality very fast, including how foolish my previous approach had been. It was admirable, in a way, to be so keen to help but not knowing how. It was also cowardly and ignorant. Ultimately though, I’m glad for this experience because it has shown me not just that it’s possible to change, but also that this change was super beneficial to me too. Being in community with trans people has made me more comfortable and happy in my own assigned gender — turns out that gender euphoria isn’t just relief from gender dysphoria, and that cis people can experience gender euphoria too. That journey has also helped me to unpick a bunch of my internalised misogyny — solidarity is one hell of a drug.
Trans people are a much smaller demographic, it’s true. However, when I reflect on how it felt to change my understanding on this topic, and how impactful it was on me, it makes me feel like progress is surely inevitable, because of how much this felt like puzzle pieces sliding together as a definite step to discovering Truth has been found. This is absolutely my fight, and whilst it’s not easy to cause someone to have the self growth journey that I did, the prospect of exponential growth increasing our fighting numbers gives me faith. Iirc, a similar thing happened with gay rights — as more people came out, then more people became aware that they had a gay neighbour, or colleague, or sister, or uncle. Whilst unfortunately there were some who became estranged from their loved ones due to this, there were others whose families became advocates for gay rights. The town I used to live, at one timr believed itself to have no gay people living there. Then one guy came out. Then a few years later, we’re up to 5. Then a few years later, it’s at 50.
The small number of trans people will mean it will take longer to get this fire to roaring temperature, but I actually do feel confident that we’ll get there. Perhaps it’s because I think we will make progress on trans rights because that’s literally what’s necessary for the world — climate change and patriarchy and classism and so many other things latch together so intricately that I don’t think we can meaningfully extricate any one piece enough, so we will have to reckon with the fact that none of us are free unless all of us are free.
LOL, read my post again for some inspiration! We’re getting there.
One problem I see with the youth is, uh, don’t know how to say it, they’re confused?
My daughter is 12, claims she’s bi, never kissed a boy, or a girl for that matter. I seriously doubt she’s bi, just that she can see both sexes as attractive. When I was young, I might have said I was bi! Going through puberty saw some bi fantasies. Nah. I peg the Kinsey Scale hard hetero.
Might have said I was trans! Liked hanging with the girls, far more comfortable than boys for me. For many reasons, always joked that I was surely a woman in a past life! At 54 I wear women’s clothes all the time, but ya can’t tell. I’m merely secure in my sexuality.
Anyway, bigots see and hear and experience what I have, think there’s some bizarre agenda that will convert people. How to fight back?
My best friend used to think homosexuality was a choice. Really! Asked him, “OK. You were no doubt as horny as I was at 14. Tell me about making your choice. You could go either way, right? What influenced your decision?”
LOL, poor guy went from being a conservative Southern Baptist to a lefty atheist! I ruined him over the years. :)