Is distinguishing trans-women as trans-women problematic/transphobic?

Question

I was scrolling through Twitter a few minutes ago and saw a video of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie speaking her opinion that trans-women are trans-women, their experiences in life start from a place of "male privledge" and how she believes that trans-women issues shouldn't be combined as one with womens issues.

Obviously people are upset or saying that her words are transphobic and problematic, but are they really? I can say that as a black woman I have certain experiences that I go through that are completely separate from women of other races/ethnicities. Does acknowledging that take away from either of our womenhood? Does acknowledging that difference make any of us less of a woman? Of course not.

So then why is it wrong to distinguish the difference of experiences between trans-women and cis-women? Why is pointing out that difference transphobic or "taking away" from trans-women or marking them as "less than a woman"?

(You can watch the video here: bit.ly/2mv6p8X)

Update: A lot of women here either understand intersectional feminism or they feel that saying trans-women are trans-women is taking away from their womanhood. I personally didn't understand the opinion to be that way. If we can look at two women one white and one poc, and understand that although they have a difference in experiences they both are still women, why can't we do that for trans and cis women? Women in general share the same issues but the way those things play out is influenced by the type of women you are I.e. Race/class/gender/religion/illnesses etc etc. None of these things makes us less of a woman in my book. There's no cardinal rule to womenhood..and I guess understanding that diminishes the hurtful thinking that transwomen aren't women if people say their issues don't have to be combined with ciswomen issues.

Accepted Answer

I think there are topics when specification is necessary. There's a difference in how cis women and trans women are treated. And I think  to erase that doesn't help transgender women.

I mean, trans-misogyny is a very real and current problem in society. That needs to be recognised.

But I don't think recognising those differences, and addressing them, excludes transgender women from this whole concept of "womanhood".

But I think to say transgender women have "male privilege" is a blanket statement. Maybe it's correct for women like Caitlyn Jenner? But not every woman transitions later in life. I prefer to hear that perspective from transgender women themselves, rather than hearing it from cisgender women.

Idk how accurate this is, mind you. This is just my perspective, and I'm not transgender so it's not even my perspective that should be prioritised.

Answer

Trans women are women though, they face both trans misogyny and misogyny in general. Not everyone even knows they're trans, so of course they'll face the same things as other women. Not to mention the fact that being misgendered, really, isn't a privilege.

Answer

I can't change my white privilege anymore than a trans woman can change her previous experience with male privilege pre-op. We can have honest open conversation so that we can understand one another & our unique individual experience as women. This would be no different than a white woman working together about women's rights with a black woman. I do not know the black experience as a woman. I can hear her and try to empathize & learn. I'm still white. I will never truly understand. And I can hear a trans woman's journey but I will never truly understand.

Answer

I agree with her. As a trans woman you don't have the experiences 100% that a natural born woman has. But idk if I agree with excluding them in the fight for women's rights.

Answer

It defeats the whole point of transitioning. Why go through the struggle, surgeries, psychological and emotional damage to still not be acknowledged as a full-on woman? Evey single woman has different and unique problems, even if they're different it doesn't mean we're not women. So why, if their problems are different, can't they be just women as well?

Answer

To receive a privilege isn't to be absolved of an oppression, firstly.
White peoples can still experience sexism. Cis people can still experience homophobia. Intersectionality folks.

Secondly, things shift over time. A privilege you once had can no longer apply. If a king's kingdom falls and he's banished he's no long upper class. If a family slightly below the poverty line wins 3million$ they're no longer poor (probably- I have a weirdly narrow understanding of money and class).

Similarly, while transwomen used to experience male privilege, they are now women and no longer have that privelege.

However whatsherface COULD make the argument that transmen gave up their opression for male privilege. However the main issue regarding her feminism is that it excludes male/masculine perspective

Answer

To my understanding, her comments are found problematic because she is essentially regulating transwomen to an "other" category. But I myself am still learning and don't fully understand

Answer

This is all just about things that overlap though, everyone, literally everyone's issues are different. The issues among all women, whether they be trans, cis, white, black, disabled, mentally ill you name it, everyone has some experiences others will not, so why is it that a trans women's experiences as a Woman are any less than another woman's diverse experiences? And since this is all about overlapping, and you say that there are issues like that with periods and pregnancy which they can't understand, then what about trans men? They're not women, yet they sure do understand these issues? Should they be included in something for women specifically? Personally I think not. This is why we can't define these things by what specific experiences people have, because none of them are the same. Actually, the only one similar experience all women have, is being a woman, that's the only qualification someone should need to have to be included. Since trans women are women, there's no reason to exclude them, just like you wouldn't with any other woman.

Answer

I didn't see the video but I do agree with you saying that people have different experiences. Trans women will have different issues than a cis-woman- some issues may overlap but there are different concerns. For example, a trans-woman may face different kinds of discrimination such as transphobia. While a cis-woman will not. But a cis-woman may be shamed for having a period, etc (as far as I know doctors have yet to figure out how to do a full sex change so that a trans-woman would actually have a menstral cycle) and this would not be something a trans-woman would go through.

I don't think we should discriminate against a trans person at all but they will have different experiences and different obstacles to overcome. But you can say that about any two individuals. For example, I grew up overseas and being female that meant I suffered a lot of sexism that was very cultural and prominent to where I lived. My brothers didn't have to go through that but they faced their own challenges. Neither set of adversity should be belittled so that one set of issues is made out as more important. But we're different groups (male/female). I think is the same with trans vs cis women- they may both have issues and adversity and many may be the same. But some will be different. That doesn't mean the problems a cis or trans woman suffer through are less important than the others group it just means the issues are different. Different doesn't mean bad or wrong.

Answer

My opinion is that trans-women ARE women. And while we have separate issues between cis and trans women, we should care about all issues as women's issues. I think there is a need to distinguish in cases, but NOT a need to exclude trans women in conversation and activism for women's rights. All women should walk side-by-side in the fight for women's rights.

For some trans women, they did benefit from male privilege previous to transitioning, but not in all cases. And it's not like they STILL benefit from male privilege. Trans people inherently suffer oppression as part of the LGBTQ+ community.

This is just my opinion on the matter.

Is distinguishing trans-women as trans-women problematic/transphobic?

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