When I transitioned, I knew that I’d experience the world in a much different way as I did at the time. One of the unexpected effects of my transition was the strengthening of my belief in feminism. Having lived in both genders has really opened my eyes to the reality of the inequality between the sexes.
I’ve written a lot about my feminist beliefs here and on my personal blog, Marti Abernathey.com. I posted about a blog entry that I found via google alerts that said:
“Ideological movements are generally movements of the gullible led by the manipulative, and feminism is no exception. The feminist movement can be regarded as a taxpayer-funded religious social club run by lesbians, where women are encouraged to gather in secret for the purpose of hating men.”
The men that visited my blog weren’t in the mood to discuss, but bash (to which I returned, in kind). The above statement isn’t something that can be debated, only argued. But one of the latest comments really shows the heart of the anti-feminist crowd:
Marti, I’ve seen your OkCupid page. It’s rather pathetic. You are 40 and you have wrinkles. You have facial piercings as if in an attempt to reclaim your youth. You are obviously a bitter old man-hating lesbian who can no longer find a date in real life so you have to resort to online dating services.
It’s obvious that you have no interest in finding the truth, but only in attacking and making men look bad. At least you try to make them look bad. pulled in a lot of angry men.
Just a bitter old lesbian trying to make the man look bad!? That’s an easy way to smear anyone that wears the label feminist. To someone that’s been told that they are “supporting a patriarchal society ” by transitioning, the irony is almost more than I can stand.
4 Comments, Comment or Ping
Zoe Brain
Ironic? Yes. But also utterly hilarious.
Let’s see… we’re gay men to some, even the lesbians. Except for the guys. We’re insane, which is why we need certificates to show we’re not insane before we can get treatment for our insanity. We’re attention-seekers, which is why so many of us are stealth. And depending on the jurisdictions of residence and birth, two transpeople could be deemed both men, both women, one man and one women, or one woman and one man (respectively) for the purposes of marriage. Regardless of whether they’re trans-men, trans-women, or one of each.
I’m married and have dual citizenship. If we get divorced, we couldn’t re-marry, because the Family Court where we live goes by medical reality, regardless of documentation, and same-sex marriage or civil unions are absolutely forbidden. In Australia, I could only marry a man. But in the UK, where I was born, I could only marry a woman, because my BC says “boy”. In the UK, non-ops can have their BCs changed, but post-ops like me who are married cannot - and we can’t convert to a Civil Union to allow it because UK courts don’t have jurisdiction on overseas marriages.
You have to laugh.
Oh, but it gets better in my case. The 1985 diagnosis at a fertility clinic after a physical examination was “undervirilised male”. The 2005 diagnosis, after goodness knows how many MRI scans, ultrasounds, blood and chromosome tests was “severely androgenised woman”. I transitioned shortly thereafter, the natural changes (the reason for the testing) pretty much made that mandatory. Had I not been TS it would have had to be FtoM rather than “going with the flow”, but as it was it was a wonderful relief, a “get out of hell free” card.
Now under those circumstances, the whole gasbagging by the Raymondites, the Concerned Women of America (and their male spokesman), Barney Frank’s bathroom obsession, they’re all so terribly, terribly funny. Accent on the “terrible” too of course, but still something out of Monty Python.
Dec 27th, 2007
Chris Holden
To paraphrase H. L. Mencken, nobody ever went broke underestimating the male of the species.
Dec 27th, 2007
Kathy
Um..just what did you say that could possibly make such an ass look worse?
I may need to use that line in the future.
Dec 27th, 2007
Felix
I think you should send Rebecca round to that guy’s house, Marti!
X
Dec 27th, 2007