I’m Jamie, a South-Asian Canadian Content Creator and woman of transgender experience. I create content on beauty and fashion with a dose of humor and sass — but I also share my experiences as a trans woman.
As I’ve lived in stealth for over half my life due to fear, guilt, safety reasons, and internalized transphobia, Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) is important because it makes me feel seen. As a group, trans people are not a monolith; we are diverse and have different experiences, interests, backgrounds, and transitions.
While visibility is not a requirement for trans people’s identities to be valid, seeing trans people living, and thriving normalizes our existence and identities. Though social progress has been made in accepting members of the queer community, trans people continue to face stigmatization, discrimination, and barriers in all areas of life.
After coming out, nothing prepared me for the harmful misconceptions I’d face. I’m confronted with “myths” about trans people in my daily encounters and online. These problematic discourses continue to generate fear-mongering of trans people and, in turn, effect our livelihood and ability to exist comfortably in different spaces.
Allyship starts with awareness and educating yourself — but it also involves taking action. Once you’ve educated yourself on these harmful misconceptions, the next step is calling them out when you see them.
With that, let’s debunk some myths!
Myth 1: Sex and Gender Are the Same
Typically, sex is assigned at birth based on genitalia and perceived chromosomes. Many people are also born intersex and have variations within their chromosome pairings. Biology is complex and nuanced, as opposed to the binaries we’re often taught.
Gender, on the other hand, is a multifaceted social construct based on social, cultural, and deeply individual gender identity. For transgender people, the sex assigned at birth doesn’t match their internal sense of self and gender identity.
Myth 2: Being Trans is a “Lifestyle”
@justjamiepandit Reply to @mel.jayne Representation matters 🏳️⚧️ #fyp #fypシ #foryou #trans #transgender #transgirl #girlslikeus #lgbt #lgbtq #wedding ♬ original sound - Jamie Pandit
Being trans isn’t a lifestyle in the same way that being cisgender isn’t a lifestyle. This harmful misconception reinforces the notion that being trans is a choice. In reality, being trans stems from an innate knowledge of who you are. It’s not like choosing to be vegan or to practice a certain religion.
Myth 3: Trans Women Want to Look Like Cisgender Women
Trans women, along with cisgender women, are pressured by the mainstream to adhere to Eurocentric beauty standards. There’s also pressure among trans women to “pass,” but there’s no single way to “look” like a woman — and this applies to all women. Trans people just want to feel comfortable in their skin, which looks different for each individual.
Myth 4: Trans Women Aren’t “Real” Women
Trans experiences of womanhood are often dismissed because we don’t have periods, a uterus, or give birth. Many cisgender women, however, also don’t have periods, uteruses, or the ability (or desire) to give birth — does that mean they’re not real women? No, because none of those things are qualifiers to womanhood.
Cisgender women and transgender women have different experiences of womanhood, all of which are valid and legitimate. The same, of course, applies to trans men who don’t need to succumb to traditional notions of masculinity to be men.
Myth 5: All Trans People Surgically Transition
While some transgender people undergo medical procedures for cosmetic, psychological, and health reasons — or for the purposes of transitioning — many trans people opt not to have gender-affirming surgeries or to undergo hormone therapy.
This could be due to affordability, barriers to accessing gender-affirming care, or simply because they don’t want to. There are many ways to live as a trans person and express your gender without medical assistance. People are more than their genitals, and being a trans person transcends what's between your legs.
Myth 6: Trans People Are Deceptive
@justjamiepandit Reply to @louisewatts12 He stayed because trans women ARE women #fyp #fypシ #foryou #trans #transgender #transandproud #couple #love ♬ Good Life - OneRepublic
Trans people are who they say they are. Trans people don’t have a moral obligation to disclose their identity, unless they choose to. Think about it this way: do cisgender people have a duty to reveal their medical history in social interactions?
There are also a number of factors at play, like fear of personal safety — especially if the trans person is living in stealth and is at risk of being outed.
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All of these myths contribute to transphobia and continue to put our lives at risk through misinformation and misrepresentation. An important part of allyship is thinking critically about what you hear and read, and how you address your own biases.
As an ally, you can use your voice to dispel harmful misconceptions and call out transphobic comments and behavior.
Jamie Pandit is a Content Creator and Activist based in Toronto.