This is not an uncommon sentiment I’ve seen among some anti-transx/transid bigots. Even those who are okay with the ‘concept’ of being transx/transid (in this case, transage), their distaste of our using the prefix “trans” just boils down to respectability politics.
We should just simmer down and keep quiet until the real trans folk get their rights and then maybe we’ll talk about the rest of us. We’re ruining it for them by too trans, the weird and wrong types of trans. By saying we’re trans, we’re impeding the progress of societal acceptance of trans people.
I don’t have much else to say about it, it’s just so mask-off.
I also dislike this general argument (from the screenshot, from anti-transid folks) because the limiting of trans into only transgender hurts their own communities (like trans* as an umbrella term used to include transsexuals, crossdressers, GNC folks – not just transgender).
The idea that the prefix ‘trans’ when talking about social issues (because it’s used elsewhere in English like for ‘transportation’) can only mean transgender affects multiple communities. It is likely anti-transid first, but I thought to add that (because I’ve had trans folks tell me I’m transphobic for including non-transgender people under the trans* term; some folks care much more about language and semantics than their actual community and it shows).
Text from screenshot: Anon asked, “How is ‘transage’ harming people? (Genuine question).”
“Technically, transage itself does not harm people, anyone who genuinely feels like they are younger/older than they are and wants to transition for it aren’t ever doing it for harmful reasons. The label itself is the only harmful thing, as it gives transphobes and similar groups more ammo to attack transgender people, using the term ‘trans’ in transage and the fact that it includes dysphoria and transitioning (aka what transgender people, as well as literally plenty of others go through). I don’t find people being transage harmful, I just think it’s beset to stop using the label until transphobia is somehow wiped away. Stuff like the labels chronosian and altage are a lot better and generally safe to use.”
