# data[].attributes.body
The social construction of gender has been a topic of debate for decades. It refers to the way society assigns roles, behaviors, and expectations based on one's perceived sex or gender.

Transwomen are women because their gender identity is female, regardless of the sex they were assigned at birth. This means that they should be treated with the same respect and dignity as any other woman.

# data[].attributes.body
Trans women are women, without question. Gender identity is personal and valid. Being a trans woman does not diminish or alter one's womanhood. It's simply part of their unique journey.
Victoria Seva

# data[].attributes.body
In other perspectives transwomen is women the way they act for themselves and manage. And literally transwomen are women because they know to themselves that they feel in that way. Before they get into surgery they're sure about it. And that should be the world must see. To respect each other identity, to stop criticizing people's ability but to have a passion to embrace the reality. Gender matters because of socialization. And our socialization shapes how we occupy our space in the world.

# data[].attributes.headline
Transwomen and Women by Skye Dominique Cortez

# data[].attributes.subject
Transwomen and Women by Skye Dominique Cortez

# data[].attributes.body
The notion that trans women are women stems from the realization that gender is a social construct and is not exclusively determined by biological sex. Trans women, like cisgender women, identify as female and should therefore be accorded the same rights and social recognition as women.

This viewpoint is supported by the World Health Organization, which defines gender as "the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities, and characteristics that a given society considers suitable for men and women." This definition acknowledges that gender identity is not solely determined by biological sex, but also by cultural and societal norms.

In addition, the American Psychological Association acknowledges that transgender people "identify and/or express themselves as a gender other than the sex they were assigned at birth" and that gender identity is a profoundly felt sense of being male, female, or somewhere in between.

On top of that, the medical community has acknowledged that gender dysphoria (the distress a person feels because the sex and gender assigned at birth do not match their gender identity) is a legitimate medical condition that can be treated with hormone therapy, surgery, and other medical interventions.

The belief that trans women are women is founded on the understanding that gender is a social construction and that individuals have the right to identify and express themselves according to their gender identity.

Sources:

World Health Organization. (2022). Gender. https://www.who.int/health-topics/gender#tab=tab_1
American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people. https://www.apa.org/practice/guidelines/transgender.pdf
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://cdn.website-editor.net/30f11123991548a0af708722d458e476/files/uploaded/DSM%2520V.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Transcending Gender: The Truth About Trans Women by Honey Grace Denolan Gender has been a source of debate and discussion for decades. While some believe that biology determines gender, others argue that it is a social construct. This debate is especially pertinent when it comes to the rights of transgender people, particularly trans women.Because they do not conform to traditional gender norms, trans women are frequently subjected to discrimination and violence. It is critical to acknowledge that trans women are women who deserve the same rights and respect as everyone else.Transwomen, in my opinion, are women because gender identity is a deeply felt sense of self that should be respected regardless of physical sex assigned at birth. Transgender people, including transwomen, have expressed dissatisfaction with their assigned sex and gender, prompting them to transition to their affirmed gender.Transwomen can be considered as women because gender identity is a deeply personal and internal experience, and a person's gender should be respected based on their own self-identification.Transgender women frequently express dissatisfaction with the gender assigned at birth and may undergo medical and social transitions to confirm their gender identity. Hormone therapy, surgery, and changes in presentation and social interactions may all be part of this process. Many of the same experiences and challenges confront transwomen as cisgender women, such as discrimination, harassment, and violence. They are also entitled to the same spaces, resources, and opportunities as cisgender women, such as healthcare, education, employment, and legal protections. Refusing to recognize transwomen as women reinforces harmful stereotypes and prejudices and can have serious consequences for their well-being and safety. As a result, it is critical to recognize and affirm transwomen's gender identities, as well as to treat them with the same respect and dignity as other women.

# data[].attributes.subject
Transcending Gender: The Truth About Trans Women by Honey Grace Denolan Gender has been a source of debate and discussion for decades. While some believe that biology determines gender, others argue that it is a social construct. This debate is especially pertinent when it comes to the rights of transgender people, particularly trans women.Because they do not conform to traditional gender norms, trans women are frequently subjected to discrimination and violence. It is critical to acknowledge that trans women are women who deserve the same rights and respect as everyone else.Transwomen, in my opinion, are women because gender identity is a deeply felt sense of self that should be respected regardless of physical sex assigned at birth. Transgender people, including transwomen, have expressed dissatisfaction with their assigned sex and gender, prompting them to transition to their affirmed gender.Transwomen can be considered as women because gender identity is a deeply personal and internal experience, and a person's gender should be respected based on their own self-identification.Transgender women frequently express dissatisfaction with the gender assigned at birth and may undergo medical and social transitions to confirm their gender identity. Hormone therapy, surgery, and changes in presentation and social interactions may all be part of this process. Many of the same experiences and challenges confront transwomen as cisgender women, such as discrimination, harassment, and violence. They are also entitled to the same spaces, resources, and opportunities as cisgender women, such as healthcare, education, employment, and legal protections. Refusing to recognize transwomen as women reinforces harmful stereotypes and prejudices and can have serious consequences for their well-being and safety. As a result, it is critical to recognize and affirm transwomen's gender identities, as well as to treat them with the same respect and dignity as other women.

# data[].attributes.body
Kathleen Stock, encapsulated my reservations about this topic. I can safely say that I am not a transphobic. I just have some worries about how defined the framework of this concept, with changes and progressions like this in the society, there will always be confusions and loopholes. It might be the different interpretations of the concepts and theories. These indeterminate territories can give an opportunity to sex offenders to perceive an avenue to abuse women, and transwomen. It is clear to me that the problem here is male violence, just like Kathleen Stock said on this article. But as long as there are so much job half-done and loose ends untied,  can I keep my reservations intact at the moment?

Rosemarie Quijano-Aala

Reference:
https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/07/06/changing-the-concept-of-woman-will-cause-unintended-harms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kathleen Stock is a Reader in Philosophy at the University of Sussex. She writes on the philosophy of fiction, and on issues in feminist philosophy. Her current research project focuses on conflicts of interests between trans women and natal women, and how to resolve them. Here, she examines arguments against expanding the concept of "trans women" to include anyone self-identifying as such.
What are concepts for? At least: for categorising things into useful groups. Concepts tell us what gets included and what doesn't: for instance, books don't normally get into the category of plates. This isn't "exclusionary" in any sinister sense.

Some philosophers do "conceptual analysis": roughly, tracking our current concept use and its implications. Let's focus on the sentence "trans women are women". It's occasionally said that this is already widely accepted as an implication of the current public concept of "woman". Certainly, some speakers sincerely believe it, but still, I think, the usage hasn't spread widely enough for this to be persuasive. Most use trans people's preferred pronouns and names, but arguably this only shows a wish, which I share, to be compassionate and respectful. It's also true that British law recognises trans women as women, but again, this was not intended to settle conceptual disputes but to alleviate discrimination against trans people.

In the same vein, in recent philosophical discussion a different focus has emerged: "conceptual engineering", or deliberate conceptual change, towards good social ends. In particular-sticking with our example-some philosophers say that, even if the current public concept "woman" doesn't include trans women, we should actively engineer it to do so in future. It's argued that this will vastly improve the experience of trans people, ultimately helping to minimise both their sense of gender dysphoria (distress caused by a mismatch between felt and perceived gender identity) and their susceptibility to transphobic violence.

Trans activists emphatically agree. But crucially, they also effectively suggest that the concept "trans woman" should simultaneously be engineered. Namely, "trans woman" should include anyone who isn't already a natal woman and who sincerely self-declares as a woman. Putting these two proposed acts of engineering together, we get: anyone who isn't already a natal woman, and who sincerely self-declares as a woman, should be counted as a woman.

In public discourse, there's a lot of focus on whether trans women should be counted as women. Whatever the ultimate answer, that's obviously a reasonable question, despite trans activists' attempts to count it as "transphobic". But I think we should also ask whether self-declaration alone could reasonably be the only criterion of being trans. There's little precedent elsewhere. In a superficially comparable case, such as coming out as gay, there is still another underlying factor, sexual orientation, that secures your membership. It's not just a matter of saying that you are gay. And though, as in the notorious case of Rachel Dolezal, a person might "self-declare" that she is "trans racial", it has seemed clear to nearly everybody responding to this case that such a declaration would be not only false, but also offensive to genuinely oppressed members of the race in question. There is no such thing as being "trans racial"; there is only thinking falsely that you are.

If it's not self-declaration, but some other factor, that makes you trans, what's that factor? Not all trans people seek surgery or take hormones; not all consistently dress or self-adorn in a stereotypical feminine or masculine way; not all have gender dysphoria; and neither trans women, as a group, nor trans men as a group, have any common sexual orientation. Equally, some people have gender dysphoria and yet resist calling themselves trans; some surgically add feminised features without being trans. And so on. All we seem left with is self-declaration.

If we agree, and also accept that trans women should be categorised as women, then ultimately this leaves us with: anyone who isn't a natal woman, and who sincerely self-declares as a woman, should be counted as a woman. Both Theresa May, Britain's prime minister, and Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour party, have apparently enthusiastically taken up this conclusion. They want to change the law to allow gender self-identification via an administrative process of self-certification as the only criterion for legally changing the sex recorded on one's birth certificate. However, I'll now suggest that such a move is not cost-free. In particular, certain harms to original members of the category "woman" should be weighed against any gains.

One problem is that, since "woman" and "female" are interchangeable in many people's minds, we're likely to lose a secure understanding of the related concept "female". (Indeed, some activists advocate stretching this concept to include trans women, too.) Yet the existing concept is in good order. It designates a person with XX chromosomes, and for whom ovaries, womb, vagina and so on are a statistical norm, even if some females are born without some of these, or lose one or more later. That intersex people exist doesn't seriously threaten this category, since most categories have statistical outliers.

Nor does the existence of males born with none of these features, who then take hormones or undergo surgery to gain some such features artificially. Maintaining the concept "female" as it is is crucial to an understanding of a particular kind of lived physical experience, already significantly under-investigated in relation to other medical and academic specialties. To put it bluntly: if we were to lose this concept, and with it the concept "male", we would have to reinvent them.

The category "female" is also important for understanding the particular challenges its members face, as such. These include a heightened vulnerability to rape, sexual assault, voyeurism and exhibitionism; to sexual harassment; to domestic violence; to certain cancers; to anorexia and self-harm; and so on. If self-declared trans women are included in statistics, understanding will be hampered. A male's self-identification into the category of "female" or "women" doesn't automatically bring on susceptibility to these harms; nor does a female's self-identification out of those categories lessen it. In a sexist world which often disadvantages females, as such, we need good data. We need good data about trans people too, of course, but the two tasks should be separated.

Even more pressingly, if we lose a working concept of "female" in the way indicated, self-declared trans women (males) may well eventually gain unrestricted access to protected spaces originally introduced to shield females from sexual violence from males. We are already seeing the erosion of these, as companies and charities open formerly female-only spaces such as changing rooms, shared accommodation, swimming ponds, hospital wards, and prisons, to everyone out of a desire not to appear transphobic.

The problem here is male violence. The category of self-declared trans women includes many with post-pubescent male strength, no surgical alteration of genitalia, and a sexual orientation towards females. And, even currently, gender reassignment can legally change sex category on birth certificates. This leaves the future of "same-sex" spaces unclear. Note that this is emphatically not a worry that self-declared trans women are particularly dangerous or more prone to sexual violence. It's rather that we have no evidence that self-declared trans women deviate from male statistical norms in relevant ways. There's also a separate worry that violent males who do not consider themselves trans will eventually take advantage of increasing confusion about social norms about such spaces. Sex offenders already go to great lengths to access vulnerable females; there's no reason to think they wouldn't use this situation to their advantage. The construction of social spaces is necessarily coarse-grained. Once sex-based protections are gone, we can't easily keep out only the dangerous people.

And changing the concept of "woman" to include self-declared trans women also threatens a secure understanding of the concept "lesbian". Lesbians are traditionally understood as females with a sexual orientation towards other females. Again, the categorisation is socially useful. It helps members of the category understand themselves in a positive, distinctive way, despite living in a heteronormative society. It motivates them to create their own social spaces. It gives them special protections, as a discriminated-against minority; and access to special sources of charity funding. Some trans activists seek to engineer the concept "lesbian" too, arguing that, since self-declared trans women are women, or even female, self-declared trans women with a sexual orientation towards women, or females, are "lesbians", and should have access to exactly the same social spaces, protections and funding. Furthermore, many self-declared trans women retain male genitalia. Some trans activists have it that female lesbians are "transphobic" for ruling out sexual attraction for those with male genitalia. The upshot of this is likely to involve confusion and shame for some emerging young lesbians, socially pressured into considering sleeping with males to whom they are fundamentally unattracted, as determined by their basic sexual orientation.

These are only some of the harms associated with introducing self-declaration as the defining criterion of being trans, whilst simultaneously counting trans women automatically as women. Harms also arise for females having to share already meagre sex-based resources with self-declared trans women (such as all-women shortlists for political candidacy, representation in the media and sports scholarships). They arise for post-operative "transsexuals" in relation to the approaching massive expansion of their defining category. And they arise for gender-nonconforming children, whose emerging world-view can be strongly influenced by trans-activist rhetoric about self-declaration. In sum, when deciding what the law should say, or even what our concepts should be, there are more things to consider than some trans activists would have you believe.
This is part of a two-week discussion on transgender issues, with ten contributors. The other contributions are available here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Changing the concept of "woman" will cause unintended harms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kathleen Stock is a Reader in Philosophy at the University of Sussex. She writes on the philosophy of fiction, and on issues in feminist philosophy. Her current research project focuses on conflicts of interests between trans women and natal women, and how to resolve them.

# data[].attributes.body
Transwomen are Women
By Edward Fabian

Transwomen are characterized by the society as female personalities whose gender and sexuality are to female rather than their biological features of a male. They somewhat went to transition by means of surgery, where their biological male genitalia will transform into women’s genitalia known as sex change or sex reassignment surgery or modification of their legal documents from being male from birth to being female. They tend to be discriminated by some people, most often from males, wherein they are being mocked as a female with a male organ because their appearance always deceived the men and they are hiding their true voices in front of the people.
Social construction of gender plays the vital role for the discrimination of Transwomen, even before their juvenile period wherein their tendency of being attracted to female things will prompt people surrounding them to contemplate on the accepted social norms of being a male must display masculinity on their behaviors and appearance, however, as they age their feminist behavior tends to appear as the parent restriction went loose, transwomen displays their female side freely but some people will not able accept them.
The above concept of society causes hindrance to transwomen being able to express their emotion and acts as a woman freely without the fear of suppression from other people.

# data[].attributes.headline
Transwomen are WomenTranswomen are characterized by the society as female personalities whose gender and sexuality are to female rather than their biological features of a male. They somewhat went to transition by means of surgery, where their biological male genitalia will transform into women’s genitalia known as sex change or sex reassignment surgery or modification of their legal documents from being male from birth to being female. They tend to be discriminated by some people, most often from males, wherein they are being mocked as a female with a male organ because their appearance always deceived the men and they are hiding their true voices in front of the people.Social construction of gender plays the vital role for the discrimination of Transwomen, even before their juvenile period wherein their tendency of being attracted to female things will prompt people surrounding them to contemplate on the accepted social norms of being a male must display masculinity on their behaviors and appearance, however, as they age their feminist behavior tends to appear as the parent restriction went loose, transwomen displays their female side freely but some people will not able accept them.The above concept of society causes hindrance to transwomen being able to express their emotion and acts as a woman freely without the fear of suppression from other people.

# data[].attributes.subject
Transwomen are WomenTranswomen are characterized by the society as female personalities whose gender and sexuality are to female rather than their biological features of a male. They somewhat went to transition by means of surgery, where their biological male genitalia will transform into women’s genitalia known as sex change or sex reassignment surgery or modification of their legal documents from being male from birth to being female. They tend to be discriminated by some people, most often from males, wherein they are being mocked as a female with a male organ because their appearance always deceived the men and they are hiding their true voices in front of the people.Social construction of gender plays the vital role for the discrimination of Transwomen, even before their juvenile period wherein their tendency of being attracted to female things will prompt people surrounding them to contemplate on the accepted social norms of being a male must display masculinity on their behaviors and appearance, however, as they age their feminist behavior tends to appear as the parent restriction went loose, transwomen displays their female side freely but some people will not able accept them.The above concept of society causes hindrance to transwomen being able to express their emotion and acts as a woman freely without the fear of suppression from other people.

# data[].attributes.body
In my opinion, no one can tell anyone who someone is or who someone can be nowadays. No more than 2 decades ago it’s common for young people to make fun of gay people anywhere, and nobody bats an eye. We even hear success stories of homosexuals who experienced gender-based violence being their father or family member as the perpetrator/s. It is undeniable that the society now is much more open to new concepts and ideas compared to the past decades. It may not be true to all but most people of different sexual orientation can now freely express themselves through different means with people around them who are willing to defend their right to do so.

A transgender woman or a transwoman is someone who was born a biological male but identifies as a woman (Head, 2021). The keyword here is “identify”. Anyone can subjectively identify himself/herself as literally anything and no one should be discriminated nor persecuted for that. It is no one’s fault that they’re trapped to a body from the opposite sex and no one has a need to explain why they identify themselves as such to enjoy the same rights as someone who is straight. We have evolved so much as a society to deprive people of their basic rights.

There might still be discussions on how transgender people rights can be implemented, but the core idea should always be equality and justice. We must find a way to be inclusive as a society for us to move forward. The society we live in is now smarter than ever. Let’s not waste the knowledge and wisdom that humanity gained all these years to not let a transwoman feel like a woman.

Reference:

Head, T. (2021, September 13). The Difference Between Transgender and Transsexual Women. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/defintion-of-transwoman-721264

# data[].attributes.headline
Trans women are women by TP Yumul-Calzado

# data[].attributes.subject
Trans women are women by TP Yumul-Calzado

# data[].attributes.body
In our previous discussions, we were asked to share our insights about the articles that we had read and what we had learned so far. I remember sharing my sentiments that it is imperative that, as students, we unlearn the things that our predecessors thought about trans women and instead inform them about inclusivity and equality.

It is important that we look at and recognize trans women, whatever color, race, or nationality they are. We must always fight for gender equity and lead social change. Trans women are part of the "blanket of freedom" that women have been making for hundreds of years. We are doing ourselves injustice if we ignore those lessons. We are all resilient, but the challenges that they demonstrated deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated.

# data[].attributes.body
Society has historically been cruel and discriminating to those who doesn't conform to its standards. From the human chattel slavery, which constitutes the enslavement of Africans and African Americans from 1776 to 1865, to the rise of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 which constitutes the extirpation of the Jews due to its antisemitic views of the world, among many other examples. This is no different from the discrimination that a trans woman experience each and everyday, not just in the Philippines but also all around the world.

Being a trans woman is a choice in which a man identifies to be a woman, although they are anatomically identified as a man at first. It is still a widely debated topic on how and when a person realizes that he/she will identify as a transgender, the age old debate of nature vs nurture. This change in identity, as harmless as it may seems, doesn’t sit well with other people. Homophobia and trans phobia are some of the terms that comes to mind when we talk about this kinds of people. This kind of thinking may stem from the point I have established In the beginning people are naturally repulsive and dismissive to other people who does not conform with what society normally dictates, or what could be called a social construct, specifically of gender.

The need for a global paradigm shift is needed in order for the discrimination to stop. People should understand that being a transgender person is not something for people to segregate ourselves from, as being a transgender is a personal choice everyone is entitled and should be respected for. Fostering empathy, understanding, and open-mindedness is essential to dismantling harmful prejudices and ultimately creating a more inclusive and accepting world for everyone.

# data[].attributes.body
Why would a man, who is known to be the superior sex, want to become the ever so oppressed woman? As a person who was born with the parts of a woman, the belief of one gender superior to another is something I have lived and will live with for the rest of my life. When I first heard of what it means to become someone considered trans, not only did it baffle me but definitely made me question as to why would someone go to great lengths to change their gender, especially to become a woman? Being a woman in this world is no easy task, but what more trans?

We heard all the stories, we know their struggles but never their pain. The Philippines as a Catholic dominated country follows societal norms to a T, And the thought of recognizing trans women as women is deeply rooted transphobia and sexism. But can we blame them? Patriarchy plays a big part in Filipino culture, a phrase known by all women “kababae mong tao” which reminds women that they should act better. Women in this country are constantly reminded that they are always second place, what more, society’s treatment of trans women? Not only does pressure from society hold back trans women in the Philippines, but they also deny the intersectionality of trans women, that allows harmful discrimination that denies them of their basic human rights and access to essential resources.

Trans women are a true form that recognizes intersectionality as they experience multiple forms of oppression, which creates a unique set of challenges which society cannot understand, since it doesn’t affect them. Hence why it is important to recognize and fight for my fellow women. Advocating to protect their rights and dignity by recognizing the intersection of sexism and transphobia. And most importantly, to teach the new generation that everyone has the right to be who they are and to celebrate each other’s differences.

# data[].attributes.headline
Trans Women are Women by Christian Alamo

# data[].attributes.subject
Trans Women are Women by Christian Alamo

# data[].attributes.body
This claim undermines the frequently reaffirmed binary gender perception in society. Hence, it's consistent with the social construction of gender theory, which emphasizes the significance of personal action and decision-making in establishing gender identity in our society.

Reference:

Drew, C. (March 1, 2023). Social Construction of Gender: 10 Examples and Definition. Helpful Professor. https://helpfulprofessor.com/social-construction-of-gender/

# data[].attributes.body
On Social Construction of Gender: the theory argues that gender is not a biological or innate characteristic but a product of social and cultural influences. Therefore, gender roles and expectations are not fixed, but rather fluid and subject to change.

Trans women are women because they identify as such, challenging the traditional gender binary and highlighting the constructed nature of gender.

In addtiion, Trans women are women because gender is a social construct, not solely determined by biological sex. According to Shaw, S. (2014), gender roles and expectations are socially constructed and vary across cultures, leading to the possibility of non-binary gender identities. Therefore, a trans woman's gender identity is valid and should be respected.

Reference:

Shaw, S. (2014). Gender and Social Construction. California State University, Sacramento. Retrieved from https://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/shawg/courses/033/readings/social_constructions.pdf

# data[].attributes.body
In most cases, particularly opinion-based cases, Trans Women can be considered Women and it may not. In order for us to visualize and understand the topic of Trans Women are Women, we first have to know a few information about it. According to “Transgender People, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression” (n.d., p1-2) trans gender is a term typically used to those gender identity or gender expression that do not associate with the sex assigned at birth. When we say sex assigned at birth, it refers to biological status of a person, primarily with their physical attributes. Gender are the roles, behaviors, activities and attributes that a society considers for men and women. Sexual Orientation refers to an individual’s physical, romantic, or emotional attraction to another person. Gender identity refers to the sense of being male or female of a person (p1-2). In the concept of Intersectionality, we have to consider intersectional approach to look for the possibility that transwomen are also prone in experiencing different forms of discrimination and with this concept we can address the issue through engaging in a reflective process, recognizing ways in which social identities produce intersecting systems of privilege or oppression (Reynolds, 2010). In this social categorization, discrimination and oppression are the most created system that affects LGBTQIA+ and women. Sexism refers to discrimination based on beliefs about the gender or sex of an individual and the root of inequality. Sexism affects all people (women, girls, transgender even nonbinary). It shows criticism failing to align with gender norms associated with sex assigned at birth or their actual gender (Strong, 2022).

In conclusion, trans women are still women with our intention to inclusive. Though, honoring the importance of women through history are still higher, we should not exclude in this right time the contributions of LGBTQIA+, over the exclusion they have experienced for so long.  The only problem here is that this particular “issue” is becoming marginalized as there are still strong cultural and gender norm basis that hindrance the freedom of these individuals and also their consideration of how society described women in many ways. But if we will consider the correlation of such issue and provide understanding, information, awareness to this, probably there won’t be an increasing rate of physical, mental, emotional, or social impact to those people. With this, unified community makes a lot of changes in the lives of each and everyone rather than continue staying with the painful result of discrimination, harassment, and oppression.

References:

https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender.pdf

http://www.lgbtiqintersect.org.au/learning-modules/intersectionality/

https://www.healthline.com/health/what-is-sexism#the-impact

https://www.aclupa.org/en/news/trans-women-are-women-avoiding-mistakes-our-predecessors

# data[].attributes.headline
Trans Women are women by Christian Paul Penaflor

# data[].attributes.subject
Trans Women are women by Christian Paul Penaflor

# data[].attributes.body
Trans women are women
When you hear the word trans women, the word women is included in the word transwomen, so therefore they are women. A trans women where born male, but their heart and soul are women so they will live as a women and take a journey to a womenhood. Recognizing trans women as women is a step towards creating a equal rights, regardless of their gender, race, religions. Trans women should have the same rights and opportunities as others in society.

# data[].attributes.body
"Trans Women are women."

I think the two social concepts that I can apply to the statement "Trans Women are women" are Intersectionality and sexism.
Firstly Intersectionality, yes They are biologically assigned as male However, They are identifying themselves as female, and I think that's the most important of all, on what you truly feel and to show who you are.
But that's not the reality, Our society dictates how gender should behave according to their holy standard and that's why most of the Trans women in the Philippines are experiencing sexism.
They are facing discrimination and marginalization because of their gender identity and homophobia, and worst, They are also facing economic challenges, and lack of opportunities due to inequalities because of the social standard that society has imposed that" male should be male" and "female should be female".
I think as part of society it's important to recognize that person's gender identity is deeply personal, it should be respected and acknowledged by others.

Ducut,Marco

# data[].attributes.body
"Trans Women and the Meaning of Woman" an essay by Talia Mae Bettcher

This essay questions traditional notions of womanhood, arguing that gender is a social construct shaped by cultural and historical forces rather than an innate characteristic. She claims that trans women are not simply "men in women's clothing," but rather people who identify strongly with womanhood.

Bettcher contends that society has created a narrow definition of womanhood based on biological sex and gender roles. This definition excludes trans women who do not fit into the traditional gender binary. She claims that this narrow definition is problematic because it reinforces gender stereotypes and perpetuates discrimination against trans women.

She suggests that we should prioritize gender identity over biological sex. The perception of oneself as male, female, or non-binary is referred to as gender identity. Trans women have a gender identity that corresponds to the female gender and should be treated as such. She claims that trans women are already women seeking recognition of their gender identity, rather than attempting to "become women."

She also discusses the various issues that trans women face on a daily basis, such as discrimination and marginalization. She emphasizes the importance of creating a more inclusive and accepting society that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of gender identities. Bettcher encourages readers to reconsider their gender and identity assumptions and work toward a more inclusive society that values and respects all individuals' experiences and identities.

# data[].attributes.body
Under the symbolic interactionism, Transwomen are Women because their behavior is “symbolic”, meaning their gender is affected by how they think about themselves, how they relate to others, and how other people think and relate to them (Longmore, 1998).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This is a preview. Log in through your library.

In this article I examine the symbolic interactionist approach to the study of sexuality. The philosophical roots of symbolic interactionism are examined beginning with a review of the themes emphasized by the social philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment as well as American pragmatism. The situational, structural, and biographical-historical approaches to contemporary symbolic interactionism are compared in terms of methodological orientations, assumptions, and concepts. Key symbolic interactionist concepts, including the definition of the situation, scripting, identities, self, self-concept, and socialization, are examined within the context of sex research. I conclude with a critique and an evaluation of the use of symbolic interactionism in the study of sexuality.

Journal Information

The Journal of Sex Research (JSR) is a scholarly journal devoted to the publication of articles relevant to the variety of disciplines involved in the scientific study of sexuality. JSR is designed to stimulate research and promote an interdisciplinary understanding.

Publisher Information

Building on two centuries' experience, Taylor & Francis has grown rapidlyover the last two decades to become a leading international academic publisher.The Group publishes over 800 journals and over 1,800 new books each year, coveringa wide variety of subject areas and incorporating the journal imprints of Routledge,Carfax, Spon Press, Psychology Press, Martin Dunitz, and Taylor & Francis.Taylor & Francis is fully committed to the publication and dissemination of scholarly information of the highest quality, and today this remains the primary goal.

Rights & Usage

This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions
The Journal of Sex Research © 1998

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Symbolic Interactionism and the Study of Sexuality on JSTOR

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a preview. Log in through your library. In this article I examine the symbolic interactionist approach to the study of sexuality. The philosophical roots of symbolic interactionism are examined beginning with a review of the themes emphasized by the social philosophy of the Scottish Enlightenment as well as American pragmatism.

# data[].attributes.body
When we are saying that “transwomen are women” we are not saying we are ciswomen. We are not saying that we are born with a gender that we identify as, but us being trans women living our lives as women it does not mean we are stealing womanhood away from ciswomen. We are just sharing it. We are women because we identify as one and we live our lives everyday as women, we don’t take this off at the end of the day. It's not like a costume that we wear when we present ourselves, it is our identity, it is how we live, so we are women. And ciswomen and trans women share womanhood together though our experiences as a trans woman may entirely be different from your experience but that doesn’t make us less of a woman nor does it make you less of a woman when we claim that we are women. And I know that people sometimes get scared and misunderstood that phrase but we are not here to eradicate cisgender women, we’re just here to share lives with them. We are women with trans experiences and us claiming that we are does not erase the fact that cisgender women are women. Your womanhood does not diminish just because a trans woman says she’s a woman. I look up to many cis women, I have a very supportive mom and 2 loving sisters. Me wanting to be like them and wanting to be a person of society that is very compassionate and genuine does not mean I’m taking womanhood away from them. I know that this country is so far behind in terms of accepting trans women because of two things, religion and government. I believe that everyone should have religious freedom, everyone should have the safety to believe in what they believe and practice their faith. What I don’t believe is judging a person’s life or taking control over someone’s life because of your own belief. Just because your religion tells you that you should not be a transwoman and transition does not mean that you stop one from becoming one. Religion should not be forced because if it is then I wouldn’t call that faith anymore. Second is the government, because even if we hate to admit it the Government does not do a lot in terms of protecting our rights as transwomen. We can’t change our gender legally, we can’t change our names legally and I don’t see why the government does not cover that when giving us the ability to change our names and gender on legal papers wouldn’t affect any lives at all, except for us. Again transwomen are women we have always been here and we are still here, and we will always be here.