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The gender critical rights issue
This piece is in conversation with Professor Gary Francione, who asked that I engage in discourse with him with respect to trans rights and gender critical beliefs. He asked me to consider two pieces of writing his has published[1][2]. His request was that I outline what gender identity is, as his assertion is grounded on that trans identities are a manifestation of belief that liberal and pluralistic societies should not humour because it harms women’s rights.
I preface this by stating that I am a trans inclusive scholar who roots her understanding in the conception of gender identity as a triptych of internal understanding of self, external expression, and chromosomal biology. Gender, as a conception of self, requires consideration of all three, meaning that the gendered self is the sum of mind, body, and external manifestation. It is not enough simply to focus on one or two aspects of this because this erases an essential element of gender. My focus is not to rebut or refute Francione’s writing, rather, it is to show the dangers in relying on self-conception of other people and what ought to be done for the sake of defending gender critical beliefs.
The UK case of Forstater v CDG Europe established that gender critical beliefs are worthy of respect in a democratic society. At no point in British legal history has a trans person brought a similar claim under…
