Your dick is not an assumption

I’ve been pretty up front on this blog about the fact that my impetus to create it arose from abject horror at the way lesbian communities (in particular) were being colonized/destroyed. Suddenly, organizations and publications that previously focused on the needs of women, on topics of import for women, were now focused squarely on the interests of males who feel like women. Such interests – pronouns, access to hormones and surgeries, entry into women’s restrooms, theorizing on penises – are in no way important to women’s liberation or women’s actual experiences. They may be very important to trans folk, but they have precious little to do with the issues actually facing women. And yet, women are expected to take these issues on in spaces that once were for and about them. Very few people are outraged over this, because very few people truly care about women and fewer still care about lesbians.

One aspect of queer/trans ideology that I find deeply disturbing is the fact that it’s become perfectly acceptable for straight men to adapt stereotypical female dress and behavior and be considered “lesbians.” As academic Sheila Jeffreys says of the term “woman,” I believe the term lesbian to be “an honorific.” Lesbian is more than a sexuality; it is a fuck you to compulsory heterosexuality, it is a rejection of male supremacy/male worship, it is, in and of itself, a form of political radicalism that does not provide space – sexually or otherwise – for males and their egos.

Of course, to appease the male gaze lesbian sexuality has been fetishized in pornography and in popular culture. Men absolutely love lesbians when lesbians are not lesbians. So I guess it stands to reason that men who are not lesbians would love the idea of being a lesbian. (And there is a very large number of MtT’s who identify as lesbians – this is more than mere coincidence.)

Now, for straight males who think they are lesbians, sustaining this ruse becomes tricky if other lesbians recognize . . . wait for it . . . REALITY. Since lesbians are attracted to women/females, it’s going to be pretty difficult for a male who thinks he’s a lesbian, with his male body and dick, to date them. However, the trans movement has created some super snazzy po-mo rhetoric to address this problem. That rhetoric asserts that biology is “subjective.” I mean, because if biology is subjective, then what are all you dykey broads gettin’ all upset about when a dude wants to hang out in your lesbian orgs and maybe fuck you?

It’s like some trans-Jedi mind trick whereby women are hypnotized into believing penis is a female organ if the Obi-Wan in ladyface says so.

In any case, a male who thinks he’s a lesbian recently wrote an adorable article on this very topic for Autostraddle – a publication that for a fraction of a second was actually for and about lesbians. In this article, he spews out the usual trans nonsense about biology. It’s no accident that such articles routinely appear in publications geared toward young women (often young lesbians) and not in, say, Maxim. This ideology is designed expressly to convince women that penis is female and that males have a right to claim the little bit of safe space we have managed to eke out for ourselves.

I want to address a couple “greatest hits” from this Autostraddle article, starting with this one:

Time and time again, transmisogynists and transphobes go back to that old excuse that they are just standing up for the reality of “biological sex” when they spew their ignorance and hate. (Rude, “It’s Time”)

This is a pattern in trans-logic – if you believe in established, verifiable realities, you are “ignorant” and “hateful.” MtT’s who think they are lesbians, in particular, do not want women to believe in biological reality because it’s biological reality that keeps them from being able to sleep with lesbians.

But it was this one that really made me laughcry:

It’s pretty bizarre that we place so much importance on an assumption that doctors make when we’re born. (Rude)

What motherfucking assumptions? Your dick is not an assumption.  And yes “how bizarre” that we place importance on the things doctors say about our bodies. Next time I’m due for a checkup, I’ll be sure to call the nearest man who thinks he’s a lesbian to tell me about my overall health. I mean, I wouldn’t want to subject myself to the zany assumptions of doctors. Seriously, sisters. Are you hearing this shit? Is it loud and clear enough yet?

And lastly, this gem of reason and logic:

If an alien civilization found earth, they wouldn’t look at a person with a penis and say, “Oh, that must be a male . . .” (Rude)

No. Probably not. What’s his point? That because space invaders would have a different word for sex that means penis is female? Germans have a different word for male than English speakers do, so does that mean penis is female? Is this person high? And seriously, if your ideology relies on hypothetical martians to make a point, I have to question its legitimacy. All women should question the legitimacy of this bullshit.

And it’s bullshit. I understand being skeptical of science, particularly from a female standpoint. Science, and the language of science, has historically been used as a tool to marginalize women. And in a world where we have a cure for limp dick, but not breast cancer, it’s perfectly appropriate to claim medicine has a long way to go in terms of prioritizing women. However, in the year 2014, it is ONLY RATIONAL to believe in biology. It is LOGICAL to accept that there are scientific facts and realities. And I, for one, will be taking my biology lessons from scientists and my medical advice from doctors and NOT delusional males who want to convince me to ignore reality so they can have access to my space, so they can call themselves lesbians and me a bigot for not believing them.

I feel lucky that I was able to, as a baby-dyke, be free of this misogynist, homophobic bullshit. I could call myself a lesbian and everyone knew what I meant. I could figure out who I was among other women who, like me, had once been girls. I was able to take part in lesbian organizations and events when they were uncontaminated by the precious needs of the male ego. I could find places to be away from males and male behavior. And it was awesome. I needed those spaces, and my heart breaks for all my young lesbian sisters who will never know how amazing that was – when you could just be a lesbian, a female, and any man who dared lay claim to those honorifics was dismissed. Sex matters. Biology matters. Sisters, do not let fools persuade you otherwise. I can assure you trans theory has little (if anything) to do with us, and I can guarantee you trans theory does not have our best interests in mind.

* The referenced article by Mey Rude may be found on Autostraddle. (I ain’t linking to that shit here.)