The Debate Between Transgender Women and Lesbians: Why it Matters

The debate on whether trans women are lesbians is an incredibly important question for the lesbian community to have. Why? Because it goes to the very heart of what it means to be a lesbian and how we view trans people in our community. When we talk about whether or not someone is a lesbian, we usually reference the sexual and romantic attraction that a woman feels toward other women. But there’s another level of this subject that you need to be aware of if you want to understand where this debate comes from and why so many lesbians aren’t willing to accept trans women into their community right now.

In our Q Agenda behind-the-scenes series, we are honoring Pride Month by having hard and very much-needed conversations. This particular segment is about the idea of community and why there is such a rift between older lesbians accepting young trans women at the table.

WHAT’S THE DEBATE NOW?

Back in the day, the LGBTQ movement was just getting off the ground, and lesbians were happy to have a community where they could escape the shame of being a woman who loved women. They didn’t have to educate anyone or fight for acceptance in society. They just got to be. As the community grew, though, many lesbians started to notice that they weren’t attracted to all women. They weren’t 100% sure why, but they did feel it. For example, some women felt attracted to only women who did not have beards or have a certain body type. These “non-binary” or “third gender” women were often shunned or even harassed for wanting to just be women without all the other “heavier” stuff. Many lesbians were also disturbed that trans women historically had been inclined to want to be women trapped in men’s bodies. Some lesbians even believed that trans women were infiltrating the community and trying to “recruit” lesbians into having sex with them. Some queer women were concerned about being tricked into having sex with trans women by cis lesbians who wanted to “cure” themselves of being lesbian. Others were worried that trans women were trying to “rebrand” transgenderism as “a legitimate sexual desire.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

Although there are plenty of lesbians who are accepting of trans women right now, it’s important to remember that the movement has a long history of debating whether trans women are part of the community. This debate isn’t just something that happened in the past; it’s still happening in different ways in the present. This debate can be confusing if you’re a trans woman who wants to fit into the lesbian community. You might be tempted to just try to ignore it and hope it goes away. But if you want to be a fully accepted member of the lesbian community, you need to be aware of the debate and understand where both sides are coming from. It’s also important to remember that although many lesbians are hostile toward trans women right now, there are plenty of lesbians who are accepting and supportive of trans women.

WHERE DO TRANS WOMEN BELONG IN THE LESBIAN COMMUNITY?

Trans women are women. They were assigned male sex at birth. They live as women, though they may have been assigned the sex “male.” Trans women are considered lesbians if they are attracted to other women. And honestly, why would you want to exclude trans women from the word “lesbian” in the first place? Why would you want to call them by a different word? So, if you’re a cis lesbian or a trans woman who wants to be in the lesbian community, you have to come out as a trans woman, and you’ll be welcomed with open arms.

The transgender/genderqueer community is growing, and it’s becoming more visible every day. There’s a lot of exciting work being done and a lot of positive changes happening in the transgender/genderqueer community. The first thing that you need to understand is that trans women are lesbians. More than anything else, this is what defines them as women. The second thing you need to understand is that transgender/genderqueer women are part of the LGBTQ community.