When feminism supports trans rights everyone benefits: the problem with JK Rowling's trans comments
Few will be unaware that billionaire fiction writer JK Rowling has been very outspoken about trans rights in the past few weeks. She has talked at length on social media and via a 3,000-word statement about how the demands made by trans activists are dangerous to women, conflating sexual assault with the trans community. The author has most recently described hormone treatment as a “new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people”.
Not only has the media continued to fuel the fire of this debate, but The Sun launched a vile attack on Rowling over the domestic abuse she suffered, which over 60 high profile trans advocates publicly condemned in an open letter.
The discussion on Twitter has been incredibly toxic—but it’s important to differentiate between the toxicity of twitter, and people who rightfully criticise and challenge what Rowling has said.
A point that has been repeatedly put forward is that the concerns of women need to be addressed—namely concerns that the inclusion of trans women who might not have undergone genital surgery causes concern or anxiety for women who have been abused by men. The fundamental fallacy made here is that their issue is with men, not trans women. Trans women, like all women, know what it’s like not to have their fears listened to or taken at face value. Research shows trans women suffer disproportionate levels of sexual and domestic abuse from their partners, showing quite clearly that this is a feminist issue - trans women need to be given access to these spaces too, so that they can escape abusive homes and process their trauma.
Trans women, just like other women, use toilets, locker rooms and women’s shelters every day in Britain without issue, and have been legally allowed to do so for over a decade under the Equality Act 2010.
In countries where people can change their gender marker through self-identification—such as Iceland, Argentina, Norway, Denmark, Malta and Ireland—there has been no indication of a rise in attacks in public bathrooms or single-sex spaces. The reality is that if men wanted to abuse women, they certainly don’t need to pretend to be women to do so. Nine out of 10 women in the UK suffer abuse from men they already know, such as partners or family members. We live in an unequal society already, and unfortunately abusive men don’t need to go down such convoluted avenues to abuse us.
A post shared by Owl (Ugla Stefanía) (@uglastefania) on Apr 14, 2019 at 4:20am PDT
Thankfully, the majority of people don’t hold these very hostile and misleading views about transgender people in the UK. A recent poll by YouGov and Pink News showed that the majority of women across the UK support trans people’s right to self-identify their gender. This is a welcome addition to a discussion that has often been very one-sided and painted transgender rights in opposition with feminism or women’s rights.
In Iceland, where I am from, all major feminist organisations are staunch supporters of transgender rights. While there is definitely conflict and difference of opinion on particular issues, there is a fundamental understanding that the views held by Rowling and others are not constructive and conflate transgender rights with issues of male violence.
Service providers in the Women’s Aid Movement in the UK also reflect inclusive values, as they have been inclusive of transgender women for a very long time. This is because most people in the movement recognise that our challenges all stem from the same place, and we all suffer the same in terms of male violence, discrimination and rigid gender expectations.
Those that oppose transgender rights often align themselves with organisations or politicians that have been against women’s rights or LGBTQ+ rights, showcasing that these values are often built on conservative and fundamentalist attitudes towards equal rights. This should be a concern for anyone that cares about creating a more equal and fair society.
At the heart of it all, transgender people are just people like everyone else, trying to get on with their lives as best they can. If we could let go of these hypothetical debates and instead listen to the stories of transgender people, we’d all find out that we have way more in common and all share similar aspirations, fears and values in life. Transgender people just want an opportunity to be who we know ourselves to be in every aspect, and to create a society that values safety, inclusion and freedom.
If that isn’t a feminist cause, I don’t know what is.
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