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Title: No Platform for Transphobia Author: Anarchist Affinity Date: 14 June 2014 Language: en Topics: transphobia Source: Retrieved on January 26, 2021 from https://web.archive.org/web/20210126181910/http://www.collectiveaction.org.au/2014/06/14/no-platform-for-transphobia/
Transphobia is hate speech.
We do not use the phrase ‘hate speech’ lightly. When we describe
something as ‘hate speech’ we are talking about speech qualitatively
different from mere bigotry, prejudice or ignorance. Hate speech is a
weapon, wielded against the marginalised. Hate speech serves, constructs
or reinforces systems of oppression that operate upon its targets. Hate
speech is characterised by an attempt to dehumanise and delegitimise the
very existence of its target, and in this sense it is ultimately
eliminationist. By dehumanising its targets, hate speech encourages and
supports further violence, marginalisation and oppression.
At its core, transphobia denies the legitimacy and reality of sex and
gender diverse peoples’ experience of gender. It is worth highlighting
the extreme consequence of this denial. Trans people face extremely high
levels of homelessness, poverty, physical and sexual violence, and
social ostracism. Other systems of oppression, such as sexism and
racism, deny the humanity, intelligence and worth of their targets.
Transphobic attacks, in denying the reality of trans peoples’ experience
of gender, in effect deny that trans people even exist.
Transphobia is advanced in our midst by those claiming to be radical
feminists. Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists portray trans people as
gender ‘imposters’ and argue that they undermine feminist organising.
This is often accompanied by the intentional misgendering and
involuntary outing of individual trans people. Through their actions and
ideas, Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists promote discrimination,
bullying and create the ideological basis for the further oppression of
an already marginalised group of people
While these ideas are often put forward under the guise of feminism,
they are no part of a genuinely libertatory feminist or anarchist
movement. Those advocating transphobia must be confronted and rejected
in the same manner we should confront and reject racists, homophobes and
misogynists. We must deny those advocating hate speech any legitimacy in
our midst.
Anarchist Affinity calls on all other anarchist groups and individuals
to join us in rejecting transphobia by refusing to provide a platform to
any person or group advancing transphobic hate speech, and by refusing
to share a platform with persons perpetuating transphobia.