Fighting for trans rights is worth it
Rule number one of social media is never engage in a Twitter storm unless you are prepared for the consequences. I joined Twitter pretty much the month it launched, and up until recently was a back seat tweater not really engaging with other people’s content. Over the last week I have reengaged in a way that I would normally shy away from, expressing opinions and pushing back against exclusionary feminists who are promoting problematic sex-based views.
Yes, I know that Twitter is a waning lifeform in the digital world, yet for trans rights it remains an ecosystem that provides both trans positive and exclusionary feminist perspectives to engage with. My opinions are purely my own, and growing up I was made very much aware of that fact. For me to speak up about something would involve long conversations, picking apart of cherished ideas, and challenging of personal assumptions. In small doses this is fine, but often I found it overwhelming. Twitter is pretty much the same, especially when you are entering spaces that are diametrically opposite your own. I have a thick enough skin to take the barbs, but also a keen sense when to let someone else have the last word. Sometimes the retort is simply not worth the time sink that follows.
As a rights researcher and trans rights advocate I need to engage with those who are discussing trans rights in the round, not simply any echo chambers I am in academically. Yes, there are personal risks to engaging with any social media platforms, which is why I use Rejserin as my handle rather than my full name. If you look closely at my writing you could probably piece together my identity, but it would take work. My point is, the anonymity allows me to engage is issues that are contentious without people using my looks or professional background as sticks to beat me with. Trans rights are a worthy cause to fight for, though my personal mental health must come first.
Which is why writing, tweeting, and engaging are necessary for me to develop a deeper understanding of the issues at hand. Yes, the toxic nature of the conversation on Twitter is corrosive to the soul, but without understanding what those on the other side are saying in the round it is impossible for me to get a handle on how to counter their assertions. Matt Walsh grabbed my attention back in April 2023 because of his extreme views, yet the more I unpack him and the Daily Wire the more I can see their tendrils across all right-wing media. Twitter allows me to track information in ways that are below the radar of media websites.
I am paid to do this as part of my research, it is my job. I chose to go into this line of enquiry, and as such I am in a privileged position. Most trans activists struggle to get funding or have other personal priorities that make it hard for them to engage fully. Because of this I take the research and engagement seriously, conscious that any interaction I have on social media must be professional and have no blowback on my work or university. Yes, on occasion I can be a smidge baiting in my responses, but my cardinal rule is first and foremost act in good faith even if others do not. Hence why not responding and letting others have the last word is a useful tactic.
So why do it? Why take this upon myself 20 years after I exited my initial phase of trans activism in 2003. For me it is seeing the pushing back of trans and women’s rights globally, and the UK closer to home, that changed my mind. Sex based ideologies are actively harming all women, cis or trans, and as a feminist who strongly believes that women deserve equity in society exclusionary feminists are actively harming all women. Fighting for trans rights is fighting for a better gender based world where gender identity is not the defining factor in someone’s identity, just part of their broader whole. This fight requires understanding of where other people are coming from, as well as an awareness of how to address their concerns. I cannot do that in a vacuum.
Most days I am simply a keyboard warrior using my education as best I can, yet at some point I need to get out into the world and speak. Words alone are never enough to persuade people, emotions, charisma, and charm all play a part. People believe what sounds plausible and convincing based on their world view, and if that world view has no trans voices in it then of course they will see trans people as other. Twitter, Reddit, and blogs are a small part of the people’s lives, and it comes down to seeing trans folk as a normative part of society that will likely tip the balance in the end. All I can do is advocate the best I can, continue my research, and championing rights where possible. Cleaning out the Augean stables in real time is always a messy business.
