Walt Heyer and “sex change regret” (Gender Analysis 09)

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Zinnia Jones

(Support Gender Analysis on Patreon!)

Hi, welcome to Gender Analysis. In the popular imagination, there are few subjects as fascinating as transitioning. It’s an intensely personal decision to do something most people never even contemplate, undergoing such a seemingly radical transformation both physically and socially. And our increasing visibility has inspired a moment of cultural reckoning, along with endless media coverage of our experiences. So, in the midst of this fascination, what happens when someone transitions back? Continue reading →

Posted in Health care, Hoaxes, Media, Outcomes of transition, Regret and detransition, Transgender medicine, Transphobia and prejudice | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

How Do You Know What it’s Like to Be…? (Gender Analysis 08)

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Zinnia Jones

(Support Gender Analysis on Patreon!)

Hi, welcome to Gender Analysis. As trans people, we’re often asked how we would know what it’s like to be our gender. Trans women are expected to explain how we know what it’s like to be a woman; trans men are asked how they know that they’re men. At first glance, this might seem like a simple enough question: what is it about our experiences that aligns with womanhood or manhood? But this line of inquiry, innocent as it may be, runs parallel to scrutiny and invalidation. And when you break this question down, it doesn’t really make any sense. Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy and language | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Stop Calling Trans Women “Male” (Gender Analysis 07)

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Zinnia Jones

(Support Gender Analysis on Patreon!)

Hi, welcome to Gender Analysis. Calling trans women “male” is like the background noise of transphobia. It comes from many directions, and it’s pretty much constant. On one level, it’s a lazy invalidation of who and what we are, offered up by armchair biology fans who insist that trans women are always and forever “male”. On another, it’s unwittingly perpetuated rhetoric by people trying to provide 101-level explanations of what it means to be transgender while unaware that they may be causing even more confusion. And, of course, it’s overtly weaponized as a rallying cry of those looking to keep our genders from being recognized and protected under the law. Continue reading →

Posted in Biology of transition, Philosophy and language, Politics and law | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Bathroom Bills: Dehumanization and Control (Gender Analysis 06)

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Zinnia Jones

(Support Gender Analysis on Patreon!)

Hi, welcome to Gender Analysis. Ever since I transitioned, I’ve noticed something interesting: a lot of cis people really seem to care about where I go to the bathroom. Over the past few months, lawmakers in several states have proposed bills to ban people from using restrooms and other facilities that don’t match their sex assigned at birth. Practically speaking, this would have the effect of forcing trans women to use men’s restrooms and trans men to use women’s restrooms or face fines, jail time, or more. Continue reading →

Posted in Bathrooms and public accommodations, History, Politics and law, Sociological research, Transphobia and prejudice | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Trans Passing Tips for Cis People (Gender Analysis 05)

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Zinnia Jones

(Support Gender Analysis on Patreon!)

Did you know that parents tend to see newborn boys as larger and newborn girls as smaller, even when they’re the same size? Welcome to Gender Analysis. Continue reading →

Posted in Media, Perception and cognitive science, Sociological research, Transphobia and prejudice | Tagged , , | 5 Comments