“Trans women ARE WOMEN!!!”

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks”

Queen Gertrude in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

A “tall woman” is by definition a woman. A “smart woman” is by definition a woman. Thus, one would suppose that a “trans woman” is by definition a woman. That’s the whole point of this neologism: to use it is to imply that said person is a woman. To use the term unironically is to suggest that such people are in fact women.

But as the unconfused among us know that a “trans woman” is by definition a man, a biological male, whether intact or mutilated.

What sort of male is a “trans woman”? One who is trying to emulate a woman, trying to look like one. You might think that a “trans woman” is by definition a person who believes himself to be a woman, but that’s not correct. Not all of them do. And you might think that a “trans woman” by definition wants to be a woman, but that’s not right either, for some will admit that it is not possible for a man to become a woman.

What all “trans women” have in common is that they are trying to present as a woman, whether or not they have the intention of actually fooling observers into thinking they are a woman. In and of itself, being a “trans woman” is a sort of fashion decision; it’s a matter of one’s overall look. Of course, many such men are trying “to pass” as a woman, though not all. Of course, psychologically, there is often a whole lot going on psychologically. But there is no one psychological state, outlook, or feeling common to all “trans women.”

You shouldn’t use the term “trans woman” or “transwoman.” It’s a word-sized lie, and one shouldn’t lie. You might think that courtesy requires it, but sometimes courtesy conflicts with our duty to tell the truth, and here, truth is important. It matters for many reasons whether a person is male or female. And we should not contribute to the popular myth of “transition,” the harmful delusion that a man can be turned into a woman, and a woman can be turned into a man.

If you use the term “trans woman” at all, do so only using quotation marks, as in this post, or if spoken, ye olde finger-quotes, so that we understand you to mean: so-called “trans woman.”