Whilst speaking with a local trans-friend in the Sacramento area, an issue—highly sensitive to trans-women—came up, which concerned what society calls “passing” or the lack thereof. Whether or not a trans-woman is to be taken seriously typically depends on her ability to “pass.” Unfortunately, many are unable to achieve this, and those that do, are often relegated to the role of sexual object. Either way, trans-women are forced to brave unfair culture shocks that no human being should ever have to endure.

First and foremost, in accordance to society’s definitions, the author is a “passable” trans-woman on whom hormones appear to have worked wonders. The author’s friend, however, being early on in transition and without the assistance of hormones, is forced to endure the crisis of being “unpassable.” To this, the author can relate, as she began her transition as an “unpassable” woman. What resulted was low self-esteem, as society mocked her as a “fake man in a dress.” Tranny chasers were the worse, however, as they typically slighted her, saying things like, “I’d do you if you looked like a real woman.” In the end, regardless the reader, such dehumanization should be seen as wrong.

On the other hand, when looking at the flipside, being “passable” is not what it is cracked up to be. Though the author once dreamed of this achievement, the excitement quickly wore off when society continued to have its way. Once becoming “passable,” she was inevitably thrown into the pressure cisgendered [i.e. non-transsexual] women endure everyday. Being pretty and petite, she is whistled at, flirted with, hugged, kissed, so on and so forth, without having first gained her consent and approval. Whilst some readers might deem this as “over-sensitive,” the author would like to remind them that the virtual majority of men never have to suffer this. Imagine for a moment, a trans-woman forced to live as a man the first 20 years, whom upon coming out, is forced to endure the status of a “passive object.” This is extremely inappropriate, and no one should be sexually approached unless permission is granted. In the end, it pays to have boundaries.

Lastly, as if society’s views on women were not bad enough, those extra elements that come with trans-hood, make life all the harder. Thanks to the tranny porn industry, which cares nothing about getting pronouns right, transgender/transsexual women are dismissed as shemales. This word alone should be seen as highly offensive, as it dismisses the trans-woman’s true inner-self. Trans-women are women, they are more than the sum of their parts, and far from being “perverts” who can give “admirers” a ride on the wild side they are instead human beings who can give love to those who choose to respect them for the right reasons.

In the end, patriarchy is to blame for this gross inequality. In every nook and cranny of the earth, man has had his way, and through his efforts, the strengths of women have been pillaged. Indeed, the worth of a man can be measured by his views and acceptance of trans-women. If he can accept trans-women as full-fledged women, then he is secure with the feminine spirit, but alas, if he cannot, he is the byproduct of the macho man’s propaganda.