What to “Know” About Transgender People
Why are some in government putting limits on transgender people with legislation and executive orders trying to make us go back into the closet? Is it that there are transgender women in sports? Is it the pronouns? Is it using the bathrooms? Do you want to go back to the good old days when we were in the closet? Is it the money spent on transgender healthcare? Do you think we are immoral? Are you worried about “experimentation” on youth? What about gender nonbinary people? I think it is all of these issues, and as a transgender woman, I would like to address them.
My experience is that most people are not concerned about transgender people. I would say that once in a while I get a frown or a look, but this is fairly rare. I have lived around liberal Ann Arbor, Michigan for the last 20 years. But I have also traveled all over the country and rarely have I experienced any negative reactions for being my female self. People may not understand transgender, but they have a life to live and someone else being different is not an issue for them. A survey by YouGov (https://today.yougov.com/society/articles/12503-transgender) found 31% thought being transgender is immoral. Those thinking it is moral were 14%, 39% thought it was not moral or immoral, and 16% were not sure. What no one seems to be talking about is that there are studies showing that transgender people’s brains are more like their desired gender (https://www.ese-hormones.org/media/ei0psrhz/transgender-brains-are-more-like-their-desired-gender-from-an-early-age.pdf) and this appears to be apparent from an early age.
One person, when I told them about the brain studies, said they did not believe it. That appears to be a big problem in the world. People are extremely defensive of their beliefs. It can cause religious wars and appears to be behind the flurry of legislation limiting transgender people. But a belief means you do not know. Since there is much, we do not know, people cannot avoid beliefs. But is it worth, or moral, going to war, or limiting other’s freedom, for a belief? You have a right to your beliefs, but is it okay to force people to conform to your beliefs? The brain studies impact all the transgender issues people have concerns about. How can it be immoral to be transgender when our brains are more like our desired sex? It is like asking a person of a different race to not look like that race. The problem is that no matter how hard we try by using hormones and surgery we do not always look enough like our desired sex to match how we feel. But in this case, we do “know,” because of the studies, why transgender people are different. So, while other’s beliefs are understandable, because we may not completely look the gender we are, transgender people have the truth on our side. The executive order regarding transgender people by President Trump on day 1 of his second presidency was called “common sense,” but it once seemed obvious that the earth was flat, but it was proved otherwise. It is better to “know” than “believe” regarding transgender issues.
What about pronouns? I get misgendered fairly often, but I understand, that in most cases people are not doing it maliciously. I do not pass, so I understand the misgendering unless someone is doing it deliberately. And when it comes to, they/them pronouns I make mistakes myself. But it does bother me when people use male pronouns regarding me. And I am embarrassed when I do make a mistake with someone’s desired pronouns. But the singular/plural problem is a problem. I preferred xe/xer/xers but if the first letter were a z it might have been better, I think. Or if we used the word “thou” for singular maybe that would work. But I understand when people make mistakes with pronouns as long as you are not doing to prove the point that we should only use pronouns that we were assigned at birth. It is disrespectful to transgender people if we do not use their preferred pronouns deliberately. It’s like using a derogatory word for someone, such as the n word for African Americans. But again, I understand if you are doing it unconsciously.
This brings up the question as to why we have masculine and feminine pronouns to begin with. The only reason I can think of is to reinforce gender roles. And that has changed significantly in recent years, so a move to gender-neutral pronouns for everyone would be better for women and transgender persons. Of course, It would take a while to get used to since I have already admitted I make mistakes myself with gender-neutral pronouns and existing alternatives have problems.
What about healthcare for transgender youth? While it is true that there are few studies on transgender people here is one that says: “According to a study published in 2022 by the Journal of the American Medical Association, young people who received gender affirming therapies were 60% less likely to experience depression and 73% less likely to experience suicidal ideation or behaviors than youths who did not receive gender-affirming care.” (https://eu.freep.com/story/news/health/2025/02/07/transgender-minors-michigan-corewell-beaumont-trump/78307419007/) Still, there is concern that there are few studies on the long-term effects of hormones and surgery for transgender people. But these treatments have been around for decades and the percentage of people that want to go back to their assigned gender at birth is very small. I know quite a few transgender people and I know no one who wants to reverse their transition. I have heard reports in the news of a few though. Some think being transgender is a fad but the transgender brain studies say otherwise.
The parents of transgender parents do not consent lightly to the procedures and there is counseling that has to be gone through. Parents when learning that their child is transgender either react negatively with denial, or hopefully they may be concerned, but investigate what the medical community recommends. The standards of care for medical professionals do not recommend surgery before 18 years of age. Still, puberty blockers followed by hormone treatments do cause some changes that are difficult to reverse. But again, a miniscule number of transgender people have buyer’s remorse. Hormone blockers followed by hormones that match the person’s brain, and sometimes surgery if the client is over 18 years of age are the recommended treatment by the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association. So, the numerous states and the Trump administration’s efforts to ban these treatments in an attempt to deny the reality that transgender people exist can cause irreparable harm to transgender youth. There is a much better chance for depression and suicide in young transgender people than that they will regret their decision to transition.
So, why are we hearing so much about transgender people now? There are 3 reasons I can think of. The technology to transition did not exist previously, it was harder to survive in the past if you were Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual ,(LGBTQIA) because gender roles were more important, and the continuation of humanity. It is pretty obvious that the technology for gender transition, other than the castration that India’s transgender class used, did not previously exist. It started in the 1930s. And it is constantly improving. So essentially, it was impossible to transition before then except for castration and wearing clothing more appropriate to your desired sex. The primary technology for survival before industrialization was the horse-drawn plow. Women experienced miscarriages when trying to follow behind a horse-drawn plow, so gender roles were more proscribed for the 5,000 years that this was the primary means of survival. Before then there was horticulture (use of the hoe) and since women could do this without problems, they had more political power in those societies and gender roles probably were not as important. Before that hunting was male-dominated because of upper body strength. So, gender roles were again more proscribed. Beyond that, it was helpful to have children to help out on the farm. That left LGBTQIA people out since it was difficult to reproduce except by using the body you had at birth. And, since infant mortality was a lot more prevalent until the last hundred years or so, the survival of humanity depended on your physical body characteristics at birth. But since we have an overpopulation problem and women have an equal chance at performing many factory jobs, and even more of a chance to do the work required in the information age, LGBTQIA individuals now have more opportunity to express their gender identity and gender sexual preference than for most of mankind’s previous years on the planet. But many still want the “good old days” values regarding gender roles and LGBTQIA. This is understandable since that is how it was for thousands of years. But why not allow women more opportunity, and we have, and those who are LGBTQIA to be who they are?
I have been using women’s bathrooms since 2005 and in all those years only once have I received a negative reaction. A woman frowned as we passed as I was on my way out of the bathroom. A transgender woman is hardly a threat. And it seems an unlikely way a straight man would choose to do a sexual assault. Unfortunately, they have other ways to do this. Force, sexual harassment, and drugs are used. And women’s rooms have stalls, so I have never seen any other woman’s breasts or genitalia, nor have they seen mine in my visits there. People go to the bathroom, wash their hands, and leave. That’s all there is to it.
Some do not want their tax dollars spent on transgender healthcare. While it could have some impact on Medicare, Medicaid, and military healthcare costs transgender people are a small percentage of the population, so the impact on the tremendous amount of money spent on healthcare, especially in the United States, should be very minimal. And I see very few people criticizing the Affordable Care Act for the aspect of it that says preexisting conditions should be covered. So, in the overall picture of highly inflated healthcare costs I do not see having much impact.
What about gender nonbinary people? Is it any wonder that when someone’s brain does not match their body, they choose this designation for themselves? So, choosing to put an x on their identification hardly seems like much of a problem either. And using gender-neutral pronouns has already been discussed. While it does bother the gender nonbinary person, if it is not done deliberately, it should not be made a big issue. This is a legitimate grievance regarding people who criticize wokeness if people misgender people subconsciously. A gentle reminder of someone’s preference might be the best way for it to be handled. But keep in mind it is a matter of respect to use a person’s preferred pronouns.
What about transgender women in sports? I have to agree with limiting this unless the person in question went on blockers before puberty. Even though a transgender female may have reduced strength due to hormone blockers and estrogen that they started after puberty begins, they still might have some advantage in sports. This is also a minor problem possibly. There are 2 female transgender athletes competing in all of the state of Michigan that are under 18 years of age. And I do not know whether they started hormone blockers before puberty. And it is probably pretty unlikely these 2 transgender girls are having a significant impact on their sport. But I will agree that special locker room arrangements should be made, since transgender girls are extremely unlikely to have had genital surgery. So, I agree that limiting transgender participation in women’s sports could be done in some cases.
This brings up the efforts to transfer transgender women to men’s prisons. This could be very dangerous for the transgender person. If they have had genital surgery I do not understand this being a problem for other women in prison. If there has not been genital surgery then special accommodations for transgender women should be made, or surgery should be done if the transgender woman desires it and is medically eligible.
While it may seem to be some that it is “common sense” that transgender people do not exist. As a result of this “belief,” presidential executive orders, and many laws are being passed and proposed to limit them. But this is contradictory to the “fact” that studies have demonstrated transgender people’s brains are different. While some people have numerous concerns regarding the transgender population many have been addressed here, and for the most part, except in women’s sports, and unconscious mistakes in the use of pronouns, the transgender community just wants to be left alone to be themselves.
