Is it wrong to say that trans women are not women?
A ‘woman’ is defined as:
1. the female human being (distinguished from man).
2. an adult female person.
3. a female attendant to a lady of rank.
4. a wife.
5. the nature, characteristics, or feelings often attributed to…Or we could not let outdated dictionaries define who we are. We could respect how people identify and not try to tell them who or what they are based on the narrow dictionary definitions of words that have evolved with how people use and interpret them. We could, instead of trying to exclude trans women as if we are in some kind of exclusive “real women” club, accept and welcome them in sisterhood.
Seriously, can we stop labeling people based on their bodies and let them decide for themselves who they are? Merriam-Webster doesn’t have definitions for genderqueer or demisexual, does that make them invalid identities? No, because identities don’t need dictionary definitions, and they sure as hell don’t need yours or my acceptance to be true for the people who have them, but it would certainly make the world a better place if we could learn respect them.
Thanks for the comment.
Regarding the meaning of words check out Wittgenstein. He’s amazing. Also check out his contemporary Bertrand Russell.
Anyhoo, it is particularly damaging to transwomen to pretend that they are women: I speak not as some outsider but as a transwoman myself. It is a dangerous and nonsensical meme to pretend transwomen are biologically female: it is factually incorrect and it leads to a self-limiting cognitive dissonance. Transwomen deserve and should have equality, but not at the expense of women.
