Transfeminism - History

History

Early voices in the movement include Kate Bornstein and Sandy Stone, whose essay "The Empire Strikes Back" was a direct response to Janice Raymond. In the 21st century, Krista Scott-Dixon and Julia Serano have contributed work in the field of transgender women.

Transfeminism.org was created in 2000 to promote the Transfeminism Anthology Project by Diana Courvant and Emi Koyama. The site primarily devoted itself, however, to introducing the concept of transfeminism to academia and to finding and connecting people working on transfeminism projects and themes through an anthology of the same name. Koyama and Courvant sought other transfeminists and to increase their exposure. The anthology was intended to introduce the movement to a large audience. At a Yale event and in bios associated with it, Courvant's use of the word (as early as 1992) and involvement in Transfeminism.org, may make her the term's inventor. Courvant credited Koyama's Internet savvy as the reason transfeminism.org and the word transfeminism got the recognition and attention that it did.

Patrick Califia used the word in print in 1997, and this remains the first known use in print outside of a periodical. It is possible or even likely that the term was independently coined repeatedly before the year 2000 (or even before Courvant's first claimed use in 1992). The term gained traction only after 1999. Jessica Xavier, an acquaintance of Courvant, may have independently coined the term when she used it to introduce her articles, "Passing As Stigma Management" and "Passing as Privilege" in late 1999. Emi Koyama wrote a widely read "Transfeminist Manifesto" around the time of the launch of the website that, with her active participation in academic discussions on the internet, helped spread the term.

In the past few decades the idea that all women share a common experience has come under scrutiny by women of color, lesbians, and working class women, among others. Many Transgender and transsexual (together: trans, see Survivor Project link) people are also questioning what gender means, and are challenging gender as a biological fact. Transfeminists insist that their unique experiences be recognized as part of the feminist sphere.

Transfeminism includes all major themes of third wave feminism, including diversity, body image, and women's agency. Transfeminism is not merely about merging trans concerns with feminism. It also includes critical analysis of second wave feminism from the perspective of the third wave. Like all feminisms, transfeminism critiques mainstream notions of masculinity and argues that women deserve equal rights. Lastly, transfeminism shares the unifying principle with other feminisms that gender is a patriarchal social construct used to oppress women. Although the "trans" in transgender and transsexual has been used to imply transgressiveness.

The road to legitimacy for transfeminism has been quite different than that of other feminisms. Marginalized women have had to prove that their needs are different and that mainstream feminism does not speak for them. Contrarily, trans women must show they are the same as other women, and that feminism can speak for them without ceasing to be feminism. Radical Feminist Janice Raymond's resistance to considering trans people as women and as participants in feminism are representative of this obstacle. Her career began with The Transsexual Empire (a book-length dismissal of transsexual women) and she has often returned to similar efforts.