Dealing With Sexism After Transgender Transition
A transwoman may experience unexpected sexism after transitioning. How do you deal with this?
If you are a transgender person, primarily a male to female, you may notice that you experience some sexism, primarily from men, after transitioning. This may not always happen, and it may depend on how well you pass as a woman, but it may come as a shock to you as you’ve never experienced this when living your life as a male.
You may be wondering what’s going on, and why? Well, first let’s define what sexism is. It is primarily segregation based on sex, when people view you as inferior or not capable solely because of your sex. Since you pass as a women, and do not appear as a transgender individual, any segregation based on your sex as a woman would be considered sexism and not discrimination based on your gender identity, which is a separate issue.
The reason this is so surprising is because as a male, you may not have experienced sexism. While it is mostly women who experience this, men can as well, but it’s far less common. As a woman now, after you’ve transitioned, you may find people don’t take you as seriously as when you were a male, and may not let you do certain activities you were perfectly capable of when you were a male. This is, unfortunately, part of society and how humans view one another that has its roots in the physiology of human beings.
Despite the natural roots for some of the inequality, or rather the differences between men and women, it still may be off putting to you after you’ve transitioned. If you find yourself in this situation, then realize that some people, especially some men, view women as inferior, and nothing you can do can change that. No amount of effort can change someone who has a preconceived notion that women are inferior. You will find very quickly who you shouldn’t be around if you feel discriminated against around certain people.
While it may seem obvious to you, experiencing life as both a man and a woman, that human beings are all equal despite their sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, nationality, religion, and so on, many people will still not see it because they may not have been through the hardships you have. Additionally, they may not see it because they see systemic discrimination based on these things that make us appear different instead of the broader picture.
There is no reason why someone who is a woman cannot do what a man does. However, be aware that some tasks may not be able to be done. A good example, men, by default, are physically stronger than women. This is because of hormones and a part of how the human body is. You can push for equality, but also be conscious of the physiological differences between a male and female’s body.
This raises another interesting thing, as a transwoman, you have a male body, but have transitioned to a female. Meaning that you may have some physiological advantages that cisgender women do not have. However, due to hormones, many of these advantages are diminished, but some may still remain. So make the most out of your skills and abilities and be the best version of yourself.
The number one way of letting go of sexism is to be yourself and be a confident and strong woman. Even if others see you as inferior, see yourself as the strong person you are because that’s what is the most important.
Let me know how this works for you. Have a great day!
Additional Info
As a male I wasn’t really social and didn’t interact with people much. However, I do think people take me less seriously now than when I was a male. Not quite sure the reason, maybe it’s my sex, or maybe it’s because I come across as a bit odd and different. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to reach people because they just aren’t listening. Other than that, I can’t say I’ve experienced any discrimination based on being a female.
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