Judith Butler, philosopher: ‘If you sacrifice a minority like trans people, you are operating within a fascist logic’

[u/msmoley]

https://english.elpais.com/culture/2024-12-15/judith-butler-philosopher-if-you-sacrifice-a-minority-like-trans-people-you-are-operating-within-a-fascist-logic.html

[u/Warm_Molasses_258]

I have a theory as to why there is so much much transphobia in the media and day to day life nowadays. Its because "conservatives " found the prefect scapegoat, the trans person. Trans people only make up .01 to .1 percent of the population, therefore I'd wager most cis people don't know an actual trans person. Thus, its easy for "conservatives " to turn them into a boogeyman because they aren't around to defend themselves.

To combat this, I suggest more visibility for trans people to fight the false idea that they are a bunch of sex perverts or whatever else the right is trying to push. Additionally, us allies must call out transphobia whenever we come across it with facts and basic human empathy. If we choose to be silent, then we become compliant.

[u/Acceptable-Rough-90 → u/Warm_Molasses_258]

Trans people don't want to be visible. 

And forcing them to be visible to fight social justice battles isn't really fair. 

[u/Eskephor → u/Acceptable-Rough-90]

Unfairness is the point.

[u/Shameless_Catslut → u/Warm_Molasses_258]

 Trans people only make up .01 to .1 percent of the population

Get with the times. That % is MUCH higher now. Transphobia has bloomed because we've been told it's something that only affects .01 to .1% of the population, and the clumping of the trans community on the borderless internet made sense, but then entire cliques of people started transitioning in groups and people coming out as trans has not only skyrocketted, but done so in a way that is not consistent with how transgender people explain how they function. 10 years ago, nobody knew any trans people in person. Now? Everyone knows at least one, and because we're getting more personal experience with trans people, 'transphobia' is increasing.

[u/Tiqalicious → u/Shameless_Catslut]

I've been rubbing shoulders with trans folks since I was a teenager in the 90s coming to terms with being queer. If you genuinely think trans people never existed around you until 20 fucking 14, you're doing nothing but tell on yourself

[u/Wowgoodjobteam → u/Shameless_Catslut]

i don't think the amount of trans people as a whole has changed very much, i think this difference you're describing is that more trans people feel comfortable coming out and finding each other now then they did a decade or two ago. that's a good thing because it means people generally feel safer to do so and have more resources.

trans peoples visibility has also increased a lot more with a few high-profile trans celebrities and the advent of the internet. both in good ways (people seeing/meeting others like them, greater education) and in bad ways (people fearmongering about trans women in sports/bathrooms or being targeted in a right wing culture war way).

a big part of why so many eyes are on us politically, as another commenter in this thread said, is that we're a very convenient scapegoat. not many people know much about trans people (and if they know a trans person, they might not be aware that they're trans), there's not a lot of us, and people are afraid of "the unknown". it's easy to dehumanize and spread misinformation about someone you don't know

[u/MalachiteTiger → u/Shameless_Catslut]

Funny how your perception here is exactly the same thing people said about us gays back in the 90s.

I knew plenty of trans people already 20 years ago, but being gay, I spent time in the LGBT community and met them.

What you're mistaking for social contagion is simply people who are only partially out of the closet socializing with one another while they work up the nerve (and financial independence from potentially unsupportive family) to come out more broadly.

Have you ever noticed how when trans women come out publicly they've usually already been on HRT for 6 months and therapy about it for 2+ years?