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I've written an article in which I discuss a somewhat common idea regarding the idea of trans people "existing" [1]. Some trans rights activists (TRAs) refer to denying the statement "transwomen are women" as denying the existence of trans people. Another manifestation of this is when people argue that denying that transwomen are women is threatening to transwomen's existence. The same applies to transmen of course. I argue that these arguments rely on ambiguity in language about "existence." Denying the existence of transwomen seems very silly because that is an unusual way to describe rejecting that a transwoman actually is a woman. Phrasing this as a threat to existence evokes thoughts of genocide. I think this is another case of language being used in an unusual way that is misleading, although perhaps not intentionally. This description of "anti-trans" attitudes should be avoided as it is not accurate and morally charged in a misleading way.
[1] https://parrhesia.substack.com/p/do-transgender-people-exist
Unironically just read every LessWrong article about Definitions. In a sane world, we'd just create new words to distinguish between transwomen and women and call it a day.
Do you have any suggestions for words for transwomen?
Non-consensus Women?
Is there anything wrong with the term "transwomen?" Some people would say the term is offensive, and you should simply write "trans woman."
I think the OP's blog post lays it out simplest: this is a policy question disguised as a definition question. No amount of definitions will cause anyone to be OK with me saying things like "male trans woman." Socially/mentally bucketing Lia Thomas and Joe Biden together is an example of one such contentious policy.
No amount of gerrymandered definitions will change which concepts people think are worth using.
And socially bucketing Lia Thomas with biological females has clearly been contentious. TBH just looking at pictures of him on the podium with smaller women gives off a sense of wrongness to me.
It's contention all the way down. The question is whose position should win.
I would not be opposed to some compromise position *where we accepted that our use of terms like "transwomen" was clearly just acknowledging a polite fiction and not to be used to imply something deeper and to seize more and more absurd concessions (like Thomas on a podium with women). But it's clear now that the trans activist side is utterly opposed to this and feel they shouldn't have to compromise and should enforce their ideology on everyone.
So why should I care if there's a backlash that attempts to destroy even the compromise position and roll us back to "contentious" outcomes like "males shower with males"? As far as I can tell it's a solution that solves problems for vast segments of society, as opposed to creating problems for all of us in the name of a tiny minority.
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