Real Gender: A Cis Defence of Trans Realities
We are two cis philosophers seeking to understand and convey trans realities. Our new book, Real Gender: A Cis Defence of Trans Realities is the first book to present a cis defence of what it means to be a transgender person: man, woman, or genderqueer (nonbinary, bigender, pangender, gender-fluid, agender, etc.). Replete with trans voices, it is primarily aimed at cis people who are struggling to think clearly about trans realities and may be confused by anti-trans rhetoric and related fearmongering, but it will also be of interest to anyone (cis or trans) with an interest in philosophical and socio-political issues surrounding the gender wars.
Contrary to popular opinion, we maintain that the affirmation of trans rights does not require the denial of either biological or sexual reality. We also delve into the various factors which make many trans people’s experience of their gender (or lack thereof) as natural and unquestionable as that of cis people. While recognising the undeniably social aspects of gender, we equally allow that gender has biological underpinnings. Trans people may choose to publicly transition or not, but they do not simply choose to be (or not be) a certain gender. Gender is not dependent on sexual characteristics. One can be born with a penis, and yet be a woman; with a vagina, and yet be a man or, indeed, neither one nor the other.
Our book addresses major aspects of the debates surrounding trans issues, but no prior knowledge of these is required on the reader’s part. It seeks to clarify the cis-specific perplexities and combat the cis-specific prejudices that clash with the intellectual liberalism and principled openness of the book. We expose, confront, and debunk the putative arguments of people who encourage cis prejudices and injustice, including so-called trans exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs). We hope that, in reading us, some of them will desist; but, most of all, we hope that people who have been misled by their rhetoric will come to realise that what is needed is a more liberal understanding of our gender concepts, one which would prevent us from confusing diversity with pathology.
Though Real Gender contains some philosophical arguments, it is addressed to a wide readership, including the parents and teachers of trans children; people who work with transgender youth, whether they be health professionals, clinicians, psychotherapists, or support group workers and organisations; as well as teenagers and young adults, be they cis or trans. We also hope our book will provide help and reassurance to people exploring their own identities as well as those of their friends and wider social groups. We seek to support the unsupported, inform the uninformed, and convince the unconvinced. To this end, our book is written in simple non-academic prose and we have kept jargon to an absolute minimum. Trans testimonials and photographs are also included.
Here’s a quick run through the book: our opening chapter, ‘The Woman Question’, challenges the widespread claim that only ‘adult human females’ are women. In Chapter 2, ‘False Alarms’, we rebut various alarmist claims brandished as reasons to be trans-exclusionary across a range of domains, from restroom spaces to competitive sports. In Chapter 3, ‘I say, Therefore I Am?’, we defend the validity and authority of being trans as a phenomenon whose authenticity must be respected by default. Chapter 4, ‘Trans Kids’, considers the source of gender certainty in young children, initiating our examination of the allegedly exclusive social nature of gender. We also endeavour to distinguish facts from falsehood on topics such as peer influence and detransitioning.
We further probe the existential nature of gender certainty in Chapter 5, ‘Bedrock Gender’. This chapter introduces the concept of the negative certainty of ‘not being cis’, that is experienced by many trans people who might otherwise be unsure or even confused about their gender. The often-rejected notion of ‘feeling one’s gender’ is also discussed. In Chapter 6, ‘Gender Born and Lived’, we delve further into the biosocial nature of gender and argue against the popular idea that trans people, by definition, deny the reality of biological sex. Catchphrases such as ‘sex is real’ and ‘biology is real’ have become transphobic dog whistles, intended to distract us from the fact that biology is all-too-real for the many trans people who choose to have gender-affirming surgery. The idea that gender may be reduced to the sexual organs with which one was born needs to be challenged. At the same time, while natal sex does not in any way determine one’s gender, it does not follow that gender is a mere social construction. On the contrary, the evidence suggests that it is the combined outcome of both biological and social factors.
In Chapter 7, ‘Gender Across Time and ’Place’, we explore gender concepts across different cultures, past and present alike, addressing the diversity of its manifestations from both an evolutionary and an anthropological perspective. The final chapter, ‘Reconceptualizing Gender’, demonstrates that our concepts of gender are not fixed but, rather, evolve alongside human practices and behaviour. We also warn against some well-intentioned but ultimately misguided attempts to abolish gender concepts altogether.
Steeped in published and personal trans testimonials, Real Gender does not seek to provoke or attack, but to unequivocally defend the rights of trans people. If you are keen to have a closer encounter with the realities of being trans and a better understanding of the divisive discourse surrounding gender, then this is the book for you.
Danièle Moyal-Sharrock and Constantine Sandis.
Real Gender: A Cis Defence of Trans Realities is out now from Polity Books.
