Separating Gender Ideology From Trans Lives | Re Andrew Sullivan | An Asian Trans View

Today, I want to respond to a recent article by Andrew Sullivan on Substack, titled 'A Truce Proposal In The Trans Wars'. I want to respond to this article because it at least contains suggestions on how we can move forward in good faith. Far too often, people attack the position of their opponents without offering reasonable solutions of their own, which is generally a bad faith move, because it allows one to galvanize opposition to a particular movement or group of people. It is the very definition of negative thinking, and in some cases, it can even be literally hateful and bigoted. This is why, I believe, whenever someone says they are against something, we must demand to know what exactly they are for instead, and where they have done so, we should aim to continue the dialogue in good faith. In this first part, we will be looking at Sullivan's statements about the ideology of both gender critical feminists, otherwise known as TERFs, and postmodern gender ideology. As I often say, these ideologies have nothing to do with the actual lived reality of trans people, and the reality of gender dysphoria. So let us untangle this mess.

Sullivan says he supports trans people and trans rights, but has some reservations. He then goes on to say that he does not 'believe that a trans woman or a trans man is in every way indistinguishable from a woman or a man, and that he does not 'buy the idea that biological sex is socially constructed, or a function of "white supremacist" thought'. Guess what? I'm sure that the majority of trans people are with him on these points. As some trans people put it, if biological sex weren't real, they wouldn't be trans, right? If biological sex weren't real, then we wouldn't have gender dysphoria, which would be wonderful. But the reality is, biological sex is real, and hence gender dysphoria is real, and no amount of escapist postmodern theory would change this. Acknowledging the reality is helpful both for encouraging public understanding of trans lives, and for the needed discussions to take place, regarding how to best accomodate trans people while taking into account the concerns of other stakeholders. More on that later.

Sullivan then says that 'for some radical feminists, my empathy for trans women, and concern for their welfare, is regarded as a function of my misogyny and hatred of women'. I think that may not be technically correct actually, but it captures very well the sheer hatred some gender critical radical feminists have towards trans people. It's an ideologically rooted thing. As I often explain, gender critical thinking is basically one way to apply the pseudo-Marxist critical theory framework onto sex and gender. In gender criticalism, biological sex is real but gender is a social construct. Following this, the only valid difference between men and women would be in their anatomical and reproductive difference. Any other difference, including social and psychological difference, is due to social conditioning, and hence a form of 'false consciousness' designed to oppress women as a class, in a parallel to Gramsci's theory that capitalist 'cultural hegemony' is designed to keep workers satisfied with their oppression. Hence, any non-physically apprent differences between men and women must be streneously denied, despite all the empirical evidence, and despite our knowledge of Darwinian evolution. In other words, gender criticalism is as anti-science as critical theories come. Gender criticalism has no empathy towards trans women, because we are an inconvenient evidence that their theory is wrong, that there is a biological basis to gender (as well as sex). This is why gender criticalism must completely deny the validity of trans women, at all times, in all cases. It's like how the religious right completely denies the validity of gay people and gay relationships, and is just as rooted in ideological reasons.

Sullivan later says that the 'trans ideology' which seeks 'to abolish the idea of biological sex altogether and to teach kids they have a choice over whether to be a boy or girl, should be kept out of the classroom'. I totally, wholeheartedly agree with this. Except please don't call it 'trans ideology'. This ideology is part of the postmodern critical theory umbrella, and it originated in the academic humanities, rather than the trans community. It belongs to the radical feminist tradition (yes, the same tradition as transphobic gender critical feminism, and they do share many views too). Old-school trans people never accepted this ideology, but there have been attempts to brainwash the younger parts of the trans community with the ideology. In real life, trans people transition not because we 'have a choice' over our gender. It's because we don't. As trans people sometimes put it, our crippling gender dysphoria means that we don't have the luxury of seeing gender as a social construct. The postmodern radicals are silencing this basic truth of trans lives. Understand that the trans community is as much a victim of this anti-scientific ideology as the rest of society, and that many of us are very frustrated that it is getting in the way of productive conversations about trans issues based on actual scientific and clinical evidence.

I believe that there is a fundamental problem in how we are discussing trans issues in the mainstream media right now. It boils down to the fact that we do not center the condition of 'gender dysphoria' enough in those discussions. The fact is, trans people transition to relieve their gender dysphoria. Without gender dysphoria there wouldn't be trans people or trans issues. So understanding, and being empathetic towards, the very real condition of gender dysphoria, should be the first step in the development of any views towards, or solutions for, trans issues. Indeed, this was how historical pioneers of medical research into trans people, like Dr. Harry Benjamin, approached the issue. I am worried that we are losing sight of this. I am worried that the intrusion of radical feminist theories, of both the gender critical kind and the postmodern kind, is derailing the proper approach to understanding trans issues, and essentially turning a health issue into a culture war issue. This, in turn, leads to a conversation based not around understanding, empathy and science, but around academic theories, worldviews and tribalism.