Feminism

In the United States, feminist history is usually categorized in “waves” (first, second, and third), each characterized by its own goals and priorities. The wave metaphor, however, obscures the diversity of feminist thought and politics, as well [Page 255]as the range of competing feminist perspectives on many topics, including trans people. While feminism and trans liberation may seem like natural allies, sharing a commitment to gender equality, their relationship is somewhat fraught. Since the 1970s, feminists have asked various versions of the “transgender question,” positing whether trans people are “good” for feminism or advance its goals. These debates have major consequences for trans people within and outside of the feminist movement. Trans people, in part through the development of transfeminism, assert their own theories of ...