Writer's Commentary on my Feminist Essay from College.

 

Hello everyone, this is Brittany, the writer behind BDUnicorn. I remembered I had written an essay on a final essay I had written on feminist views of transgender issues and I had argued that the correct position was that feminists should include trans people, especially trans women and transfeminine non-binary people like myself. That's the synopsis of the essay. I had written it originally in the months of April and May in the year 2019. So it's over a year since I had turned it in to a philosophy professor who taught me as the course's final exam.

Here is the link to it

This blog will be my commentary on it.

The essay has a dry, even stale, yet factual set up and introduction. I demonstrate knowledge by specifically comparing TERFs and other radical feminists, especially feminists that are pro-trans and include trans women in their feminism, rather than exclude.

One thing I did, which I may not have done in hindsight, as use autogynephilia as a touchstone for medical transphobia, but I hadn't really considered other avenues for that yet. I would have a stronger paper and thesis if I had supported my arguments with both documented discrimination from doctors against trans people and discourse of medical terms like "people who menstruate" and "people with (genitals)" as one facet of that section.

I've written a mini research essay on transfeminine health, which was also inspired by videos i have seen about trans men and transmasculine people's experiences with reproductive health and gynecology. Medical language has been moving away from cisnormative phrases and more and more doctors and laypeople are embracing gender neutral language.

This is much more compelling and relevant to more people than a crackpot theory from a crank that only other cranks and TERFs push, it's not totally irrelevant, but not as interesting, in the context of my feminist essay. Also, many better and smarter people have talked about AGP and Blanchard's typology and did it way better and even had some good entertainment. My undergraduate essays could not outshine popular Leftist YouTubers' work, especially when they have more academic experience, especially with philosophy.

Going back to my paper, I discussed some theories I had learned in that course. I stand by my discussion of the sex-gender system in society and how it relates to assigned gender, and the differences between cisgender and transgender. Sex and gender refer to different things about a person, for the most part, but work in tandem and are both socially constructed.

I also stand by the comparisons of cisgender and transgender on the topic of social privilege. Though, I should emphasize that cis men and trans men/transmasculine people have different relationships with male privilege– a common theme of discussion and discourse in feminism. Cisgender men have both cis and male privilege compounded. Though trans men lack cis privilege so it does not compound with any male privilege they experience, and trans male privilege is exemption from transmisogyny, which has many facets, but put a pin that.

Cisgender women have cis privilege, and that can compound with others, if they are white, heterosexual, or abled, for example. They do not have male privilege, and trans women and transfeminine/AMAB non-binary people also do not have male privilege. A common trans exclusionary feminist critique is that since trans women and some non-binary people were assigned male at birth, they have male socialization, and I hinted at this, but did not discuss in detail, though I remember writing similar themes in past blog entries.

So, the sex-gender system discussion touches upon social privilege in regards to gender. And that was one of my supportive statements for my thesis. I hope this blog was a good commentary and explanation of my final research paper for a feminist philosophy class I took over a year ago. Overall this essay was definitely a B grade, can't remember if it were just a B or a B plus, but that is not important, it was not an A, and I definitely didn't get a C in that class. Overall, my argument remains the same, though I would elaborate on other points and I should have been more attentive to the editing, as to polish my writing more. At the time, it was rushed and I phoned it in because I was budding trans activist.

Coda: Blog Update June 2020.

It was something I had to decided to use to bump my blogs and writing brand. I want the BDunicorn name to be a writing name, though I also wondered if I should have been more creative with the name. Still, I want to be a writer, though I could use my own name of Brittany Diana, or Ms. Eakin. Though that is not the point of this specific post. I am interested in writing history and philosophy as my means to make a living, though I am looking into doing some fiction, I do have a commission that's taking some time. A friend of mine hired me to write a short story for her, it was erotica mind you. I open to almost any genre. That was a writing style I wanted to try. My patreon is 18+ anyway, so I can openly discuss some so-called adult themes. Though my educational background is historical and non-fiction. My partner and I have discussed writing fantasy together. I am also glad I have gotten into poetry a little bit. I hope to keep on writing and I will start a side job offline so I hope to have two sources of income and hope to see my lovers when it is safe soon. Stay tuned and keep sharing my blog posts!

Thank you!

-Miss BDE of the Unicorns.

Support independent writing today!