Should trans gendered people be considered sexist? ?

Question

M to F people are always saying that they feel female, that they have always liked to wear dresses, put on make up, play with dolls, and being girly. F to M have always said things about feeling like they are guys, into cars and doing guy things. They feel so much like th opposite s*x that they go out and get operations so they can get the right equipment.

Are these people sexist because they imply that they must be a different gender in order to fit how they feel? have they been connived by society into fitting a certain gender role? Or is it that they truly are what they are on the inside, male or female? How does this effect the idea that gender roles are taught?

Thanks.

I personally don't have a problem with them.

Answer 1

No, not sexist. It isn't like they're saying that all men or all women are lousy and the opposite gender is superior. It's that they personally aren't happy with the gender they were born with and want a change. I see them as troubled, myself....it can't be an easy way to go through life, and alot of them find that having gender reassignment surgery doesn't fix the problem.

Answer 2

Why would they be sexist if they are both male & female?

Answer 3

There is a normal distribution of behaviors... just because it's a fallacy to hold the exception as the rule, doesn't mean that exceptions don't actually exist.

Edit: I'm saying that there is a natural distribution of behaviors within the sexes(or there is a range of behaviors).... for a girl to play with dolls and wear make-up is not sexist.

I'm also saying that just because there are natural tendencies between the sexes doesn't mean that there aren't variations in each individual of where they fit categorically. There are always exceptions to the rule, or to the norm... (or a spectrum of behaviors with some being far from the norm).

This is not to say that certain behaviors are not socially constructed... but it is to suppose that all existence is not entirely socially constructed. Of course this is partially opinion considering the "Nature vs. Nurture" debate has never been resolved...    and 'a priori' and 'posteriori' knowledge or existence on a larger scale has not been resolved.

Is the existence of things inherently so, or is every individual(object) a clean slate at the beginning and molded by its environment. I assume most would agree that it is a combination of these concepts.

Answer 4

Let's face it, everyone probably is sexist to some extent.  And my opinion on it is people should be allowed to do what they want with their own bodies.  That being said...Not all transgendered people are into girl or guy things or even find one gender or another attractive.  From what I understand, they think of themselves as the s*x which they are not.  So it doesn't really have to do with preferring one to the other...they actually in their heads see themselves as that.

As to a debate on whether or not gender roles are learned behavior or biological...we don't know completely, but it's probably a bit of both.

Answer 5

There are certain social norms that go along with each gender...there have been studies on this too...for example, twins separated at birth, one undergoes a s*x change in life, the other remains the s*x born...interesting study.

Answer 6

Good point. I think everyone can be sexist in order to fit on the "ideal" of society for each gender.

Well, not. Actually means his identity tents to feminine identity, is something that just the individual can choose. Is an election, so when He says "I feel a woman", He's saying he have decided to opt for that identity.

Answer 7

I tend to see this in technical terms. Cold perhaps but, I hope, not too far out of line. The operating system works fine, but some of the hardware is wrong. All someone does when they reassign gender is solve a compatibility issue. There's nothing weird, crazy, or sexist about that. If it gets the results they need, then that's all that counts.

What makes a person sexist is what they say and do to  _other people_.

Answer 8

No, they're not sexist. They feel opposite of the gender that they physically are. I think they truly are the opposite gender on the inside. I mean, if they weren't, would they go through s*x-change surgery to help their outside match their inside? Not to mention the social ramifications of being transgendered. If someone didn't genuinely feel they were in the wrong gender's body, they wouldn't go through everything they do to change it. It has nothing to do with gender roles.

You mentioned playing with dolls. I'm a girl (naturally ^-^) and I played with dolls when I was a little girl. Nobody pushed into playing with them, or tried to keep me away from "boy" toys, like trucks, cars, etc. I just naturally gravitated toward the more girly toys, like a lot of other girls do. So, while sometimes what children play with may be pushed on them to conform to gender roles, sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it's just natural.

Answer 9

People with gender dysmorphia are not sexist for wanting to be the opposite s*x.  

Answer 10

Whats wrong too good to be a man

Answer 11

These are all good answers.

Being a retired nurse, I keep up on the science of human anatomy. Men's brains and women's brains show subtle differences in structure. It has been shown by PET scans that g*y men have similar brain function to straight women, and that g*y women have similar structures as straight men.

What amazes me is that people in their 50's are willing to undergo transexual surgery. At that point, why bother?

No, I don't think it's sexist.  It might qualify as gender confusion, but that's an entirely different thing.

Answer 12

Their condition addresses the nature Vs nurture issue of masculinity/femininity. The experiences of TS people is unpopular with most feminists because it suggests that masculinity or femininity is something we are born with, and of course feminists prefer the view that masculinity/femininity is a result of upbringing.

My personal view is that masculinity/femininity is both inborn *and* socialized, and for this reason perhaps people get s*x changes a bit too quickly i.e. without considering that its ok to be a totally 'masculine' woman or a totally 'feminine' man. Of course its easier on people if they can have an operation and pass as the opposite s*x, but often its difficult to carry off and they may have been better off spending money on therapy to help them adjust to being 'a woman in a man's body' etc.