Considering transmasc people as occupying the same social class as women (cf. TERFs) or cis men (cf. Beaubatie) is too simplistic. Esp since the anti-transmasc will both describe us as crazy + pathetic girls (psychoanalysis) but will also deny us access to queer [2/21]

and/or feminist spaces because of a supposed acquired "male privilege" (cf. excerpt from the FTM Newsletter #41 below (the tone is sarcastic to mock TERFs + exclusionists) [3/21]

The only constant to explain this reversal is to understand anti-transmasculinity as an (epistemic) injustice preventing transmasc people from placing themselves as experts of their own experiences [4/21]

1) The first form of this epistemic injustice, Miranda Fricker calls "testimonial injustice" - consists in denying the credibility of a subject bc of one or more social attributes. She takes the example of non-white people judged less credibly & more suspiciously by police [5/21]

In the context of anti-transmasculinity, transmasc people are considered less credible to talk about gender discrimination (even, often especially their own) because women (rather cis) are considered wholly unique and the only experts in gender discrimination matters [6/21]

By relegating transmasculine people to the rank of that who would watch from afar, women have "women's" problems. Jack Halberstam explains, in "Female Masculinity" that in whole sections of radical feminism "woman" is the exact synonym of "gender minority" so [7/21]

so to imagine a "man (even, often especially, trans)" oppressed by the regime of sexual or gender difference is more than unthinkable, it's heretical! [8/21]

To illustrate this form of testimonial injustice that undermines the credibility of transmasc people who talk about gender – or even their personal experience, consider this anonymized Mastodon post excerpt below [9/21]

As you can see, they liked the video, but it instantly loses credibility bc it was written by a trans guy. Here again, the idea returns that trans men are outside of feminist struggles on the same level as cis men or anyone else not marginalized by sex or gender [10/21]

2) The second form of epistemic injustice is "hermeneutic injustice". This injustice is more structural because it is the impossibility for a social group to make sense of its social experience due to a lack of collective resources [11/21]

In the context of transmasc people, I quote the people who are able to say outright “there is no form of transphobia specific to being transmasc and/or trans and cafab” Not "here is a criticism at a specific point in your analysis" No, just “it isn’t real” [13/21]

I don't think people realize the violence. To "prove" that anti-transmasculinity should not exist, we often make the false equivalence between talking about anti-transmasculinity and being a masculinist (see thread below) [14/21]

Or it’s claimed that any transmisogyny benefits trans men & vice versa. Under these conditions, transmasculine ppl must formulate specific forms of discrimination in terms of "misogyny", "collateral damage" or "general transphobia" but never direct and specific [15/21]

The false equivalence between trans guys & masculinists leads to situations like us being specifically targeted by the far-right offensive & instead of having media-trained organizations standing up for our specific interests we have isolated individuals who [16/21]

here and there have to be spokespersons for a community that does not really exist (see Ali Aguado on the Quotidien set) or even forums which (the height of irony) relegate transmasc people in the background of their feminist + trans alliance https://blogs.mediapart.fr/les... [17\21]

Bc the argument is "trans women are women (cis like the others)" & "transphobia also affects cis women") but If you claim to be in favor of trans liberation you can't leave half of the community vulnerable like that. You cannot ignore our specific issues. [18/21]

The two forms of epistemic injustice (testimonial + hermeneutical injustice) are not mutually exclusive. When judged as not credible as a producer of knowledge, one cannot make sense of one's own social experience & will constantly need the approval of "real experts" [19/21]

In conclusion, I dedicate to fellow transmascs. You have the right to make sense of yr experience as something specific (not the carbon copy "female/male socialization"). You can use your own words, you don't need endorsement from anyone to invent new words, new practices [20/21]

On the contrary, get organized! You don't have to love yourself, just get organized! Let's get organized! [21/21] end thread 🧵

@thewarmvoid Thank you for this

@thewarmvoid Thank you. Thank you thank you thank you. You've given me words. Crying so much rn, thank you for explaining it it such wonderful academic detail. 😭😭 /gen, positive

@thewarmvoid me with this thread: (pos)