Transgender and feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Transgender and feminism - Essay Example That said, one notices that diversity indicates strength, not weaknesses. Despite polarization and fragmentation, no force can nullify inclusive coalition politics (Connell, 2012). This paper will talk about transgender, with transgender feminists being marginalized from the mainstream of the womens movement. It will then explain relationship between transgender and feminism. Transgender individuals have been subject to extended scrutiny. Feminist literature is among the examination of these individuals. These literatures are the first to expose the antagonistic relationship between feminism and transgender individuals (Riley, 2015). A study by Butler (2010), defined transgender as ‘those who gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth (Butler, 2010, pp 2). Every time the transgender feminists, who had been previously silenced, begin to speak out, some feminists begin to rethink on what they stand for or who they represent. In many cases, the idea of rethinking by feminists leads to the painful realization of their biases. However, in the end, the feminists would have widened their perspectives and constituency (Butler, 2010). Studies indicate that, feminists movements that have expanded their views are encouraging transgender individuals to take part in the feminist revolut ion (Connell, 2012; Riley, 2015). This expands the scope of their movement. The feminism movement formed by transgender individuals is called transfeminism as noted in the study by Koyama (2001). In the past, trans-men have contributed significantly to feminism than trans-women. Experts believe that is important for more trans-women to participate in feminism movements in order to increase the chance of liberating the women (Koyama, 2001). Many people think that transfeminism is in place to take over the existing feminist institutions. However, this is not possible because