How is it that in 2016 Australia we’re still talking about transgender legitimacy? Is there a specific number of studies supporting the reality of trans identities that we need to reach? How many more organisations like the AMA and the Australian Psychological Society need to endorse the fact that being transgender is not a mental health condition before we stop having this conversation?



On Monday night, Q&A aired another one of those tired old transgender legitimacy debates that for some reason seem to keep popping up. Again Q&A failed to provide a trans perspective on the topic of gender, declining to have an actual trans person speak on behalf of the transgender community. Q&A opted for controversy over legitimacy by allowing the Germaine Greer anti-trans circus to roll into town.

As a mark of just how far behind we are on the transgender conversation, compare the reception that Germain Greer’s anti-trans compatriot Camilla Paglia has been receiving on the topic. Paglia, like Greer, is an advocate of a particular branch of second wave feminism that believes that if trans women were to stop being counted as women it would suddenly improve the lives of all other women in general.

Germaine Greer tells Q&A her trans views were wrong, but then restates them Read more

But unlike Greer who has no problem voicing her opinion in the Australian media, Paglia has had to slink away to Brazil to be able to do the same. Brazil, for those of you unfamiliar with South American current events, it is by far the international leader in violent murder against trans people.

Last week Julia Baird wrote an excellent article for the Sydney Morning Herald on how we talk about trans people. The gist of her argument was that to help combat transphobia, the media and people in general need to be able to say stupid things and ask stupid questions about transgender issues. She’s absolutely right, but here’s the problem. The same stupid question is asked over and over again: are transgender people legitimate or not?

Take for example the recent attempt by the Sydney Ethics Centre to raise the issue of transphobia by including it in their IQ2 debate series. They consulted with members and organisations representing the Australian transgender community. They spoke to leading trans people and advocates. They ticked all the right boxes and approached the subject with the best intention to support trans people and improve the conversation on transgender identity.

But they made the mistake of framing the debate around whether trans identity is legitimate or not. Within days support from the community evaporated, and the advocates they had been working and consulting with turned on them.

So tarnished was Sydney Ethics Centre’s reputation with the trans community that they postponed and reprogrammed the debate, and changed the topic to instead focus on the need for more and freer discussion around transgender identity.

Intentions may be well meaning, by so many have it wrong. The issue has never been about freedom of speech. The transgender community is not trying to stop discussion. What they are trying to do is be included in the conversation in a meaningful way; just as long as you please, please, please stop asking if trans people are a figment of their own imaginations.

Of course some transgender allies and supporters within the media haven’t helped. One of the best and most recent examples of this was Rebel Wilson’s speech at the British Academy Awards where she made a quip about, “practicing her transgender-face”.

Her joke created instant media outrage, but Wilson was dead on the money. The offending line was a scathing observation of the way recent films such as The Danish Girl and The Dallas Buyers Club have allowed non-trans actors to exude bravery and empathy by presenting the struggles of a marginalised community.

All it took was for Wilson to make a joke that had the word “trans” in it for the trans-supportive press to step in and be offended – without reflecting on how clever and insightful her joke actually was.

Practices such as no-platforming threaten to strangle the roots of freedom | John Haldane Read more

No doubt when the smoke clears on Monday night’s Q&A debate some commentators will get around to focusing on fellow panellist’s Joseph Tawadros’ irreverent ugly woman joke and not the systemic problem of the Australian media’s obsession with transgender authenticity.

The jury is in on transgender identity, just like it’s in on the evils of any kind of discrimination based on race, sexuality, gender or religious belief. Trans is already on this list, it’s time for all Australians to acknowledge this and communicate with the transgender community accordingly.