Let's Talk About the Transmedicalist Scare | Trans Deeper #8

It looks like the cancel culture activists have found a perfect boogeyman to target trans people with

Welcome back to Trans Deeper, a show where we take a deeper look at what people are saying in the trans conversation, and whether their claims are valid or not.

Today, I want to take a look at another aspect of the controversy surrounding trans actress Hunter Schafer supposedly agreeing with a controversial Instagram post. Among other things, Schafer was called a 'transmedicalist' by many who attacked her. (Schafer has since stated that she is "not a transmedicalist".) This makes the whole incident reminiscent of the 2019 cancelation of trans YouTuber ContraPoints, who was also often called a 'transmedicalist' at the time. However, what do these people mean when they call someone a 'transmedicalist'?

From what I see, when the term 'transmedicalist' is used as a pejorative, it carries connotations of bigotry against non-binary people, discrimination against trans people who don't 'pass' as their identified gender, semi-acceptance of gender critical ideology, a 'more trans than thou' attitude, and so on. On the other hand, some trans people actually identify themselves as transmedicalists. According to these people, the defining feature of transmedicalism is the belief that 'you need to have gender dysphoria to be trans'. From what I see, most transmedicalists have no problem accepting non-binary people as part of the trans community, as long as they have gender dysphoria. I have never seen a transmedicalist who discriminates against non-passing trans people, or supports gender critical feminism. The other important thing is, most of the people being accused by online mobs of being 'transmedicalists' have actually never voiced opinions that would be considered transmedicalist by the aforementioned definition. Given these observations, it must follow that the term 'transmedicalist' used as a pejorative has no clear relation to people who actually identify as transmedicalists.

So, then, 'transmedicalist', at least as used by the online cancelation mobs, is a term that has no concrete meaning in objective reality. However, those branded with it are considered traitors to the trans community, oppressors of non-binary people, and more, and worthy of cancellation. Moreover, the accusation is generally not backed up with any concrete evidence. In other words, it is nothing but a boogeyman that is used to justify the existence of cancel culture within the trans community. As with other forms of cancel culture, the actual goal is to silence dissenting opinions, create a culture of fear, and keep the discourse in line with a certain ideology.

This is why I have adopted an anti-anti-transmedicalist attitude. My point is, you don't necessarily need to agree with the people who identify as transmedicalists, although I would say that their emphasis on gender dysphoria is a very valid point. No matter if you actually agree with real transmedicalists or not, the fact that cancel culture activists are using this term as a boogeyman, to target people in the trans community for cancellation, is not OK. It is a dangerous development we need to resist. I am anti-anti-transmed because I am for free speech, and against cancel culture.