As more high-profile women (and men!) proudly call themselves feminists, the conversation around feminism is getting bigger and louder. But where do transgender issues fit within this complex conversation about equality?
While feminist and trans issues share common causes like fighting gender stereotypes, reclaiming one’s bodily autonomy and opposing patriarchy, that could allow for a more inclusive feminist dialogue, oftentimes this comes with the fear of creating an overly monolithic movement.
Jenny Kutner, an assistant editor at Salon, addressed this issue in a HuffPost Live conversation on Thursday and stressed the importance of preserving nuance within the larger feminist conversation.
“Bodily autonomy, to me, does not mean the same thing as it does to a trans person because we [cisgender women] have had completely different experiences and we’ve been targeted in different ways and threatened to have that bodily autonomy removed in different ways, but we are all still fighting for it,” she said. “And the way to fight for it, is to be working towards the same goal.”
Writer Feminista Jones suggested a similar approach. While she pushed for a more inclusive feminist conversation focused on “gender equality and equity and access” for all, she explained the need for trans women to tell their own stories.
“I am a trans-inclusive feminist woman. I do believe that trans women need feminist support,” she said. “I also understand that the conversations, again, need to be nuanced and that people’s voices need to be heard. I can’t speak for trans people and I would never say that I’m trying to. I just want to listen to what they have to say.”
Learn more about the intersection of feminism and trans issues in the HuffPost Live conversation above.
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