We can speak for ourselves transgender told Nigerian writer

 

Chimamanda’s statements that “transwomen are transwomen” generated quite the controversy on social media, a controversy that has seen her issue two clarifications in support of her initial statements.

A Channel 4 News interview featured Nigerian feminist writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discussing the validity of trans women and how their experiences fall into the general narrative of womanhood was released.

Some people have reacted to her statement and some insisted that she is not in position to speak for the trangender women. Watch the video

Here are some comments from the transgender woman who reacted to the interview:

Chimamanda being asked about trans women is like Lena Dunham being asked about Black women. It doesn't work. We can speak for ourselves.

She needs to take a lesson from herself on the danger of a single story because she's just shown how dangerous cisgender hegemony is.

We know exactly what you mean when you say, “Trans women are trans women,” but can’t simply say, "trans women are women."

Cis women don’t need to feel threatened by trans womanhood. If your experience means less because trans women exist, that’s your problem.

When you ostracize and devalue trans women and their womanhood, you are operating as a tool of the patriarchy.

Just like white women historically felt threatened by Black women claiming womanhood on their terms, cis women feel this toward trans women.

Trans women aren’t saying their experiences are just like cis women, just as queer women don’t claim theirs are just like straight women.

The average woman is cis. That does not make her womanhood more valid. All it says is that trans women are on the margins.

Yes, folks raised as girls are plagued with oppression in a different way than people not raised as girls. No one denies that.

However, cis girls and women – in general – experience the privilege of being seen, accepted and respected in their gender from birth.

That doesn’t negate threats of violence, harassment or oppression in a patriarchal society – things trans women of any age also face.

This convo falls apart with more and more trans folks coming out at younger ages. It also conveniently leaves out transmasculine folks.

The violence that gender nonconforming and gender diverse kids face is real and always left out of this essentialist conversation.

Do we tell a cis woman she’s less of a woman if she says she's never experienced harassment or violence or overt discrimination? No.