2015 Association for Women in Psychology Conference

Feminism and the trans* revolution share a common foundation in the struggles against patriarchy, and for the full humanity of all people. A system of power and privilege that values white, young, cisgender, able-bodied men over all others limits people’s access to a rich and full life, and oversimplifies complex experiences and expressions of identity. Trans* activists and feminists share a desire to inhabit a body that is transgressive and challenges systems of beauty, sexuality, and body autonomy. Feminists and trans* activists share an adversarial relationship with the medical community that continues to be centered on the needs of cisgender white men. We also share an extensive history of having ordinary needs dismissed, pathologized and criminalized, from hysteria to limiting reproductive rights to forcing a narrative of gender transition. We share being part of a patriarchy that defines access to housing, healthcare, etc. according to bodies that count. Bodies that do not count are institutionalized and criminalized. In this interactive workshop, we want to build on the strengths of these movements, and to acknowledge that being a trans* activist and being a feminist are not only compatible, but they empower one another. Valuing interdependence, acknowledging systems of oppression, and empowering people relationally only serve to strengthen the realization of feminist vision, challenging patriarchy and helping all oppressed and marginalized people (including women of all gender identities, expressions, races, abilities, and gender nonconforming people) to thrive. We will look at the richness and complexities of intersecting identities, highlighting how systems of oppression make false dichotomies. Over the last several decades in the feminist movement, we have seen incredible and positive change: women working against being pathologized, having consistent access to healthcare, and having access to the workforce. These same changes have been gaining momentum in the trans* rights movement, especially over the past 15 years. Our movements cannot exist without one another. The feminist and trans* movements are strengthened when connections are made between racial, gender and economic justice. Both movements have learned and are learning about building true solidarity with people of color, people living in poverty, people living with disabilities, and people of all sexual and gender identities and expressions. Race and class divides among women continue to run deep. This is true for trans* and cisgender women of color who continue to live at an intense level of poverty and endangerment compared to white wealthy women. Trans* women of color especially experience extreme rates of unemployment and job discrimination, incarceration, and HIV infection. The foundations of the feminist movement compel us to value the lives of trans* women. There are many places where our movements are pitted against one another, and this is not new in the struggle for social justice. We are constantly invited to feed on each other rather than looking toward a common goal. This is how oppression works, in a systematic way. Patriarchy sustains the ways that our people and our movements are pitted against one another. We are working toward a common goal of ending oppression, and we have and continue to encounter misogyny in all social movements. Scarcity and fear, both in feeling and reality, can compel us to see others working toward similar goals as the enemy. By emphasizing the strengths of the feminist and trans* movements, we will come to a place where we remember and recognize that we are not at odds. In fact, we need one another to create a world where people of all genders have access to what they need to build not just healthy, but vibrant, thriving lives.