International Women’s Day | Being A Male Advocate

On celebratory days like International Women’s Day, I am never quite sure how to respond. As a transgender man who has his completed transition, I often feel I no longer have the right to comment. I fear that if I post my personal views, people might see me as yet another man exerting his power, so I stay quiet.

Can A Transgender man Participate In International Women’s Day?

I also struggle to know how to respond to women’s issues because of my identity as a transgender man. Having lived as a woman for the first thirty-seven years of my life, I still relate to all the issues women continue to face. In fact,  living as a man has made me more aware of how badly I was treated before, solely for being female. It’s something that we, as transgender men, are in a unique position to truly grasp. Since transitioning, I have noticed a marked difference in how I am treated now, compared to how I was treated as a woman. However, for fear of my intentions being misunderstood, this is something I struggle to talk about.

Being A Male Advocate On International Women’s Day

Standing up for people’s rights is something I am passionate about. Therefore, despite my concerns, I can never let a day like International Women’s Day pass me by without acknowledging it. I want to stand up for women, and especially for my trans sisters who face double discrimination, every day. However, instead of posting my thoughts and opinions, I usually share other people’s information and inspirational posts.

Women’s Concerns Should Be Everyones Concern

The reason I am writing this post is that a friend mentioned me concerning International Women’s Day on twitter. The friend thanked me for standing up for women’s rights.  While the recognition of the work I do as an advocate is appreciated, I also felt uncomfortable for being praised. I shouldn’t receive praise for doing what every self-respecting human being should do. It does not feel right that people should be thanked for standing up for women’s rights.

Standing up for women’s rights should be an integral part of being a human and living on this planet, as should standing up for anyone’s rights be. I believe we each have a responsibility to stand up for ourselves and to stand up for each other.

Realising How far We have Yet To Travel For Equality

Reflecting on my reaction to being thanked, I realised why it brought up uneasiness. The reason being praised made me uncomfortable, is that it highlights the work still to be done for equality. The fact that it’s still a choice to advocate for women’s rights, rather than a necessary act of being a decent human being, is worrisome. More than anything, it demonstrates just how far we still need to go in the quest for equality. We men have a responsibility to use the power that we undeniably have, to help in this. I also believe that we, as trans men, if we can be visible and vocal, can significantly help in this too. Equality is everyone’s responsibility, no matter how we identify.