I believe these are beginning to have their intended effect.
It is as if a steady framework of routine has appeared, slowly pushing back the tide of chaotic impulsivity that creates so much fear, confusion, and thus anger within me.
The chaos isn’t gone by any means, but my response to it becomes more a response and less a reaction.
At least it feels that way.
Because of this, I have changed the name of this segment. I don’t know that anyone really WANTS a look into my private thoughts about anything and everything. But it is looking as if, for now, if I want to be able to move to other stuff, this has to be part of it.
Since sharing is part of the motive for getting it done. *shrugs*
Today I have something I’ve been wanting to write about for a while now. A little idea that has been squatting in the back of my mind wanting out. Occasionally it trots itself forward and I say part of it to someone who may or may not be half heartedly listening. It’s not really something thought provoking, just something that seems obvious to me.
It’s about trans women, and how successful and effective demonising them appears to be at getting conservatives organized to vote a certain way.
This is especially true with the topic of trans women competing in women's sports.
It is easy to say it is rooted in male dominated patriarchal misogynist culture.
Let’s be honest though, most have no idea what that is supposed to mean, even when they pretend they do.
I’m going to try and type out my interpretation, my understanding of what motivates men and women to be so afraid, hateful, and disgusted by trans women. Without using the word patriarchy.
The base is simple.
Men are the top tier, first class citizens.
Women are second class citizens. Always have been.
Masculinity is tied to men viewing themselves in this way. It is the core of their idea that strength, drive, productivity, ability to provide, and the ability to protect are the goals they should live up to. Physical strength and the ability to build are heavily weighted.
When a cis man witnesses another man choose to leave that first class position and join the second class, he has no frame of reference to process such a choice. How could any man choose to be weaker and lesser than the position he was born into?
They don’t understand it, and because of that it scares them. They find weak men offensive, and the only thing to do is aggressively dominate and ostracize them.
But wait, there’s more!
As it turns out, choosing to buck societal norms to be true to yourself while paying the price of societal persecution is incredibly courageous! This can not be, how can a weak man be courageous?! Add to that the fact that men who transition become incredibly happy and content with themselves and in their lives, despite the persecution, and for your average cis man the situation becomes untenable. Infuriating.
How dare this person find success in choosing to be unsuccessfully male!?
They can not handle it, so the narrative gets changed.
This is where trans women in sports come in, and also drag queen story hour.
They see it differently now. Trans women aren’t men courageously living in a way that makes them happy. No. They are weak men choosing to be women so they can be the strongest of the second class citizens, and prey upon them at their leisure.
Suddenly their confusion, fear, and anger are validated again. Now they can go back to hating and ostracizing. Working to cut the “weak” from the crowd.
It never occurs to them they are acting out their own dissatisfactions with their own lives and the norms society has foisted upon them. Most of them don’t even like the women they make noises about protecting.
Current events with the WNBA are evidence enough of that.
Because of this mindset. It doesn’t matter what biologists say. It doesn't matter that trans women don’t absolutely dominate in whatever sport they choose. It doesn’t matter that biological women can and do compete against men, and regularly win, in a wide variety of sports.
Their hatred of trans women is not rooted in anything rational. It is nothing more than a fearful emotionally immature reaction to a changing world they do not want to understand. A world where strong men aren’t first class citizens above everyone else. That’s why they hate trans women, but don’t care about trans men. Because of course a woman would want to put herself at the top. What better way than to choose to be a man?
For women who act against trans women the motive is the same, but different, and much more simply stated.
As second class citizens, women are preyed upon by men. Abused by men. Used by men. Treated as objects by men. Dominated by men. Dismissed by men. Invalidated by men. I could go on and on.
For a lot of women, their experiences with men have never been anything outside this list of abuses.
In that context, it makes sense they would not be willing to trust any man, no matter the context. Especially in the few spaces left for them to be vulnerably free of men. Or the spaces they perceive as their daughters having to be free of men.
I have to admit, I have more sympathy for the women who are anti trans than the men.
What does this all mean? I don’t know. This is only my impression of the situation.
The solution is obviously retooling society to push young men and women toward emotional maturity.
Beyond that I don’t think there is much to be done except standing with and sometimes in front of vulnerable trans people when they need it. And be a quiet, affirming, and accepting presence in their lives the rest of the time.
Trans lives matter, always.