On taking the flak

My position on identity is heavily Wittgensteinian. I'm a philosopher by trade and persuasion, though a teacher by earnings. I think of myself as a trans' woman, not a woman in the nominative sense. I often say that I 'carve out' a niche for myself within the culturally female domain. I don't expect to have access to all single-sex spaces or facilities (whose exclusion is allowed under British Law), but I am hostile to blanket bans and over-determination of a concept into an all-consuming social rule. We've seen this sort of thing before with other minorities, and up until a short time ago I had assumed we'd got over these knee-jerk reactions. But, alongside the rise of popular fascism and the growth of intolerance as a perverted public 'good', the same old panic-driven nastiness has arisen.

Hey man, there are far too few trans people in the UK to be a social problem to anyone. Maybe 500,000 if you double the last census count and add a few.That's about 0.7% of the UK population. About the same as the Jewish population. A lot less than the Muslim population. And, of course, a LOT less than the cisgender female population (51%). And my trans population numbers are grossly inflated for effect (the Census counted 262,000), including non-binary and other gender-nonconforming people. The reality of it all is that even if the trans population trebled, we'd still be a tiny minority.

There will always be those who will say that 'one is too many'. This was said about gay people, Jewish people, Black people, and (here's the BIG irony) feminists at one time. It is being said about Muslims today. Of course, for some the idea of living in a totally homogeneous society is just too... attractive. Everyone exactly the same, or at very least different in ways that are allowable by the majority (nicely, inoffensively, and undisturbingly different). You do realise this has happened before, don't you? You do realise that some folk today want this homogeneity? They want to feel safe even when there's no threat of any substance.

Then what's the panic about, truly? Trans people are not organised (there's no single national campaigning body, just a plethora of small pressure groups), we have no agreed ideology (I know Reform voting trans people... and Communists... go figure!), and we actually envy the naturally born population. Yup, it would be a lot less like hell if I didn't have to fight the same old battles every day with folk who seem to take a delight in trying to make other people unhappy. Why? My theory (based on twenty years of lived experience) is that a small part of the 70 million British population are disconcerted simply because the very thought of trans people makes them feel ill and hence causes a visceral reaction in the easiest accessible discussion area: social media. Yes, social media, where you can feel that you're somebody for about five minutes when your mates give you a like for slagging someone off. It's all very juvenile.

What's more peculiar is that this panic doesn't overtly happen in the 'real' world. For the most part, trans people go about their jobs, activities, and day-to-day life with no obvious problems. When's the last time I was attacked in public? Never. Not in eighteen years. But on Facebook... all you need to do is stick-yer-neck-out. It's distance and anonymity. It's much more difficult to attack someone when your workmates, friends, family, or local community are all physically watching. There would, in such a reality, be retribution; if not in law, then at least in terms of shame leading to ostracism.

What's the best reaction? Just be yourself as always. After all, everyone else is taken.