this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023
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Our perception of reality isn't consistent, though. Our perceptions can be changed quite easily. Optical illusions can show us things that aren't there, schizophrenia can convince us of things that aren't true, and religion and magick can change how we interpret what we see into a worldview. And actually, these facts are deeply relevant to surviving as a species and not killing each other --
When a transphobe looks at a trans woman, they see a man. When an ally looks at a trans woman, they see a woman. Perceiving a trans woman to be a man is a form of life threatening violence. It is our ethical duty to perceive trans people as they wish to be perceived, both as workers maintaining class solidarity and as fundamentally decent people. Trans liberation requires that we see our perceptions as malleable, and within our control. To pass the buck onto an imagined "material reality" and demand reality control our perceptions for us is irresponsible, transphobic, and violent.
Demanding that trans people undergo visible transition and changes in gender presentation before we will perceive them as they wish is violent. Just change your thoughts, don't put the burden on the person who may die if their efforts to transition fail.