Cissexism And Oppression Of Transgenders

Often times, oppressive assumptions and falsehoods are so entrenched in our society that it is difficult to understand how truly damaging they really are. In order to effectively remove these discriminatory barriers, one must carefully examine the primary assumptions and attitudes that support oppression. We live in a society that naturally assumes gender based on the appearance of an individual’s genitals. As a result, trans individuals are often labelled “unnatural” or “abnormal”, and are often “oppressed, marginalized and underrepresented by society” (Ferguson 2014, par. 14). Cissexism can be defined as the norms and actions that privilege cis individuals and/or oppress those who are trans. This form of sexism appeals to norms that enforce
When we are born, we are categorized as a gender based on the appearance of our genitals. It is often seen as “natural” to identify with the gender associated with an individual’s biological genitals. However, it is this attitude that regards cisgender as the norm which leads to the denial of rights for those who are trans. Transgender individuals are being excluded because their assigned genders do not match their identified self-genders. Issues of individuals identifying as transgender are often categorized as mental illnesses, rather than physical transitions. Medical transition is a personal choice for each and every individual – not all trans people decide to undergo all available procedures. The legal issues with a medicalized gender identity means that an individual’s ability to self-identify is limited unless that person has supporting documentation. Furthermore, medicalization requires a transgendered person to obtain “official” recognition from a gender identity clinic before receiving appropriate services or treatment from the healthcare system. Family doctors often do not have the expertise or resources necessary to provide transgendered patients with appropriate services. As a result, many trans individuals turn to self-treatment with hormone therapy, which subsequently puts their health
Accountability can be defined as the obligation or willingness of one to accept responsibility for one’s actions, while solidarity refers to a feeling of unity between individuals who share the same interests and goals. It is unfortunate that some of the most hateful speech against transgender individuals has come from within feminist movements. This bitterness continues today in the exclusion of trans women from women-only spaces, in the form of social media wars, and in the existence of Radical Feminism. While transphobic feminists are a minority, they have made themselves heard and created much power, ultimately contributing to a culture of violence and harassment against trans individuals. In society today, trans women have and continue to be excluded from women-only feminist spaces. For example, a trans women was kicked out of the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival in 1991 (Kacere 2014, par. 17). This women-only festival was created as a safe-haven for women to be able to share music and raise political consciousness. After this event, many artists and festival-goers spoke out against this by boycotting and petitioning the festival. The Trans-Inclusive Feminist Movement strives to make trans individuals and other marginalized members of the feminist movement a central part of it. In her book on