Feminism As A Trans Man by: Alexander Johnston

Guest post by Alexander Johnston with contributions by Blair Lamoreaux

Intersectional feminism is a topic that is near and dear to my heart, even if it might not get as much love as some other topics in our grand spectrum of human rights. It’s very easy to say you’re a feminist, actually its something that most people say automatically without thinking of the “why” behind the statement. “Do you believe that the sexes should be equal?” Sure! “Do you want equal pay?” Heck yeah! But there’s so much deeper to it than that, and I think that’s where a lot of people get lost when thinking about how feminism influences the queer community.

I was born and raised Alexandria, a name that I haven’t used for almost four years now. In the genetic lottery, I’ve probably won the jackpot, because I was born white and to a family that was mostly accepting despite the few outliers. Even if it might be stereotypical I knew that something was wrong practically my whole life, but not in the way that most sweet coming out stories go. I wasn’t particularly masculine, I didn’t tantrum when put in dresses, but despite this something in my brain was off. From a young age I, like many people, was subjected to the gender norms that we are forced to view in everyday life. Butch, femme, prep, goth, I lived it all as if my life was a puzzle except I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. You see, in our society to be a man is a set of tight parameters, and many people consider this an issue for young boys but rarely consider how this influences somebody with a budding transgender identity. Even rarer still is the consideration that somebody of male identity has experienced both ends of the gender spectrum. 

With that said, this isn’t an autobiography or the story of my hardships in a predominantly cis-minded world but rather an introduction to give you some insight on my position as a queer individual living in this world. As we come up on the anniversary of the Women’s March, and calling attention to the inequalities of this world, please be sure to keep in mind the privilege you have and how this might influence the way you see this world.

Here are a few examples:

1. Trans people are not your mascot, your excuse to riot, or your token minority friend. Too often in our current political climate people are looking for any reason to be angry and that includes using minorities in their circle as a source to victimize themselves. Don’t get me wrong, we appreciate the love and we appreciate that you are so passionate but be certain you are doing it for the right reasons. Why are you angry? Why are you passionate? And what are you going to do about it besides ranting on Facebook? Is this about you wanting change or you wanting an excuse to make a topic about yourself?

2. Learn to look below the surface, and expand past what you see. When discussing inequity too often I’ve had cisgender feminists look me up and down, then immediately write off what I have to say. Yes, I look male, I am male, but I grew up in a female world and have seen first hand how the universe changes when you present as a man. After changing genders on my ID, resume, and legal documents it seemed that the universe in which I existed had completely turned on its head. Job callbacks turned from 50%, into almost 90% of places I applied to, as did much of what employers asked me to do. Be open-minded, even below the surface, people might surprise you.

3. Advocate, even out of the spotlight, and because you want to not because its what you think you should do. What not many people know is that we can spot a limelight supporter from a mile away, and unfortunately, this was my big “why” moment behind my reason for needing feminism. When coming out to my family I was met with support from everyone in public, but behind the scenes the story was different. Sat down in my stepmother's office, I was met with the classic “we support you, but” statement followed by an hour of her telling me all the reasons she didn’t believe I presented as male. What followed was an hour of explanation as to why she didn’t believe I identified as a male that left me crying in my car. Two years later, and they only respond to texts when they need something or a holiday comes up that requires public appearances. You support and you advocate, or you don’t. There is no in between. And you do more damage trying to pretend to be something you’re not. Surprising, I know, but it’s better to take a long hard look at yourself and say “You know what, I’m not comfortable,” and come to terms with why. Once again, we can tell, we can tell, we can tell.

4. Know the word TERF, it stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, and its a very dangerous way of thinking. Trans women are still women, as are individuals who identify feminine but don’t want to put a gender to it. What is your definition of feminism? If it doesn’t include trans individuals, then it might be worth some hard thought.

5. Don’t be too hard on yourself. There is a learning curve for understanding and expanding your way of thinking. As long as you are trying that’s more than what we can ask of some people. Whether it's he, she, him, her, or they, them, xe, xer, learn pronouns and use them when asked. Misgendering when first meeting someone is common, apologize once, move on, and make sure you are using the correct identifiers even when the person is out of the room. If a year later you’re still constantly referring to someone by the wrong pronouns, it’s a big tip-off to the fact that we’re being misgendered behind our backs.

6. Finally, we don’t need every day cheerleader when all we’re doing is trying to exist. If you see a trans woman who is just trying to pee and point out how brave they are, it’s like a screaming reminder of how not passing they are. You wouldn’t walk up to another cis woman in the bathroom, pat them on the back, and say “Good for you girl!” At least I hope not.

Now more than ever we need to support each other and stomp out ignorance. The world is a vibrant rainbow of people from all different backgrounds, and views. Keep learning and above all, keep expanding.