This guest blog is written by Liana Lial, a vocal young trans MAP, and published by Mu. Opinions expressed belong to the author, and do not necessarily represent those of the Mu Committee.

Upon his inauguration, Donald Trump passed an executive order which purportedly aimed to safeguard women from "gender ideology." The rhetoric speaks to the influence of a longstanding tradition of bigotry - Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminism (TERFism.) Despite its blatant presence, many communities have not taken the time to analyze its place in the web of interconnected oppression.

As a transgender woman who loves children, I feel compelled to provide a well-rounded description of transmisogynistic forces and how they relate to youth-love. I, too, feel compelled to bring attention to these forces as worth opposition in of themselves. That I have a vested interest in treating these tendencies within our own community should not be seen as clouding judgement. Rather, I hope this article will be viewed as an opportunity to consider an analysis which may have otherwise been ignored.

Before we delve into any potential connections, however, a question needs to be answered.

"What the hell did we do?" And other questions trans women ask ourselves

The perennial question asked by all trans women is, "What the hell did we do?"

On the surface, we are an utterly irrelevant population to target. Taking up a small portion of society relative to cisgender folk, it is initially a perplexing question. Many of us wished to transition and live quiet, happy lives. Many of us were not radicalized or convinced of leftist politics until our experiences as conscious, out trans women. So what’s the reason?

The answer lies in transmisogyny - that is, the intersection of misogyny and transphobia as experienced by transfeminine folk. To simplify greatly, trans women are the most flagrant insult to traditional views of sex and gender. What all transgender people do is transition - a shockingly devastating blow to the idea of sex and gender as immutable and rigid. However, trans women deal a particularly strong blow to patriarchal standards.

In transitioning towards womanhood, we release traditional forms of masculinity. To transition is not an intentional degradation on our part - but it insinuates that maleness can be relinquished in favor of the opposite. In a society which asserts maleness and masculinity as favorable to femininity, both in power and autonomy, this is a grave insult.

For this reason, transgender women become the fetishized objects of misogynists. Wherever misogyny cannot be acceptably directed at cisgender women, there is a vulnerable trans woman who can receive it. This is transmisogyny, and it serves to affirm and reclaim the rigid, heterosexual paradigm which exists around gender and sexuality.

TERFism, or why hating trans women is hardly feminist

It is important to understand where TERFism departs from Feminism as a whole. Feminism, in its historical and modern iterations, has sought to dismantle systems which activists viewed as patriarchal and male-supremacist. TERFism, however, lacks firm ideological underpinnings. TERFism is a thinly-veiled bigotry.

To illuminate this fact, we need only take a look at the question of gender essentialism. Historically, one of the major underpinnings of feminist theory has been that men and women do not occupy fundamentally opposed states of being. TERFists completely disregard this fact when trying to justify their exclusion of trans women.

For example, prior to its cancellation, the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (Michfest) had a policy of only permitting "womyn-born womyn" to attend. This category was invented entirely for the exclusion of trans women, and reaffirmed that one's birth sex completely disqualified one from the category of 'woman' and from discussions on feminism. In doing so, TERFism ignored traditional feminist teachings against rooting social categories in biology. (Poignantly, Michfest is where the term "Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist" originated, having been coined by the trans-inclusive feminist writer Viv Smythe.)

What this example illustrates is that TERFism is not beholden to specific ideological underpinnings but, rather, an aesthetic. This aesthetic is the skeleton of feminist rhetoric, applied over exclusionary rhetoric. A dagger, but one painted with a little bit of glitter over it.

Establishment ties, or what youth-lovers should consider

Stripped of genuine principles, TERFist rhetoric is capable of being used by nearly anyone who wishes to fear-monger about us dreadful trannies. This malleability has made it popular among the American right. It has been used with particular ferocity, for example, by Republican politicians who like to use the rhetoric of women's protection to give justification to attacks on transfeminine people. We can think to the countless examples of propaganda about men masquerading as women to invade female spaces (especially for sexual purposes.)

What this indicates is that TERFism is very capable of supporting establishment politics. As youth-lovers, this should concern us. The modern paradigm around sexuality and gender is deeply exclusionary towards us. We cannot fit into the model of adult, heterosexual love, no matter how hard we try to adjust ourselves. Despite the progress which has been made, this paradigm is still based on a familial, heterosexual unit which we disrupt as sexual 'deviants' and social nonconformists.

For this reason, it is important that youth-lovers position themselves as diametrically opposed to TERFist ideology. This includes its central, transmisogynistic beliefs. The fundamental fault of TERFism is not its feminist aesthetic, but rather, its exclusionary policy. To reject TERFism but accept transmisogyny would be to wipe the glitter off our aforementioned metaphorical dagger before it stabs someone. (I mean, if you're going to do that, might as well keep the glitter so I can be shanked in style.)

What is required is a re-evaluation of many of our political frameworks. What is required is - get this - a consideration of transfeminism.

"I suggest transfeminism!" And other statements most people ignore

Inherent to TERFism is an utter refusal to meaningfully challenge establishment views of gender and sexuality. Thus, to find its solution, it is worthwhile to see what exists which does challenge this paradigm. For this purpose, I suggest transfeminism. (A trans woman suggesting transfeminism? Proposterous!)

Key to transfeminist theory is the deconstruction of this paradigm. The insights I have discussed through this article can be claimed as examples of transfeminist theory. For example, my description of trans women breaking the rule of masculinity and femininity as immovable categories in a superior-inferior relation comes directly from transfeminist author Julia Serano's explanation of oppositional and traditional sexism. Transfeminism has no stake in establishment politics, and with the rise of right-wing extremism, is likely to remain cognizant of this for years to come.

With a commitment to the deconstruction of establishment views on bodily autonomy, transfeminism can serve as a useful building block upon which to add analysis. Transfeminism, it should be made clear, is not sufficient but necessary. What it does not hone is its analyses on the question of age and intergenerational politics. Modern transfeminism fails to fully grasp the prejudiced implications inherent to accusations of grooming, for example, because most cannot meaningfully handle the reality that youth-love is harmless. This is where we make additions and addendums which can bring about a broader understanding of the current sexual paradigm.

However, we first have to make a conscious decision not to scrap all our analytical tools before we've even begun deconstruction. What we should not deny ourselves is the opportunity to utilize the insights of other communities, and, in doing so, prevent a perspective which applies layers and nuance into something cohesive. Throwing away a puzzle piece, regardless of how small or large, will always create an incomplete picture.

To end on a more sincere, less overtly analytical note, it is impossible for many youth-lovers to conduct their lives in a way which permits such choosiness. I cannot choose to ignore transfeminism - because I will be confronted with transmisogyny. I cannot ignore the draconian measures against youth-lovers when I am forced to closet myself. I most certainly cannot ignore either when my fellow trans women are accused of being pedophiles as though it were some grave sin and persecuted on this basis.

In my shoes, neither could you.

Feel free to discuss Lial's article in on our dedicated forum thread.