At least since the 2000s, the discussion around transgender topics has regularly been covered in the media. As a result, most people now know that there are people whose biological gender does not match how they feel themselves.
In this website, we discuss how gender beyond the biological male/female categories influences the debate about gender equality.
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Definitions
There are people who feel their gender is not that of their physical body. Someone who is born as boy might feel a girl or vice-versa. On this website, we call people transgender if they act on such feelings. This definition might be different from other definitions of transgender. In this definition, people do not need to have been on hormone therapy to be called transgender.
There are also other terms used, especially non-binary and queer. This refers to people who do not want to be exclusively classified as being male or female.
General questions
The existence of transgender in addition to biological male and female is leads to new and important questions. The two most important ones seem the following:
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How exactly are transgender topics related to gender equality?
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Does the inclusion of additional gender categories (transgender, queer, non-binary) change the existing debate around gender equality?
This website helps answering these questions.
Extending the gender equality debate
We believe that we, as a society, need to extend the gender equality debate. For example, having additional gender categories means that gender equality in terms to well-being should also look at the well-being of people who are transgender, non-binary, or queer, even if this is a relatively small group.
There are four main topics that need to be considered.
Recognition
Recognition means that someone who is transgender is accepted as such. In previous discussions, using the desired pronouns is one of them. Here terms such as misgendering are used.
This has been a massive debate in the media with outspoken proponents and opponents. In practise, however, pronouns are unlikely to be a big issue, because in social interactions between two people, we rarely use words such as he or she. Instead, we use the pronoun you. The misgendering applies more to situations where someone is being described in the media or in official documents.
Further, recognition in birth documents and passports is still a matter of ongoing debate in many countries. The legal framework for recognition is currently being discussed in many western countries, including in the UK and The Netherlands.
Access
Access to medical treatment necessary for a physical transition is something that varies depending on location and age. Again, there are different opinions on how to best facilitate and support this. A major discussion is still ongoing about access and support for children.
Protection
Everybody has the right of protection of their identity as being a (traditionally defined) man or a woman. The same needs to be available for transgender people. Special protection can come from anti-hate legislation.
Inclusion
The topic of inclusion in sport has been debated heavily and will continue to do so for the coming years.